Positioned on a south-facing slope within the South Downs, South Hay House, near the villages of Binsted and Kingsley, is a characterful property that was once the home of the writer H. V. Morton, the Daily Express reporter famed for scooping The Times at the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
The sprawling property is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £5 million.
Fresh from covering the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb with Howard Carter, Morton converted the large stone-built barn and turned it into a library, linking it to the main house.
Today, the vaulted room, with its extensive shelving and lattice bay windows offers the perfect space for relaxing or entertaining.
Further interior highlights include 10 bedrooms, a wealth of period features and a south-facing vinery that opens out into the garden.
Outside, the property stands in just over eight acres of gardens and grounds; immediately to the south are the formal and kitchen gardens, as well as two paddocks, while a further paddock sits to the west.
The property can be found in the small rural hamlet of South Hay, about a mile from Binsted, where you’ll find a local primary school, the ‘Binsted Inn’ pub and a recreation ground with tennis and croquet clubs.
You’ll also find a village shop, post office, local pub and pre-school in the village of Kingsley, also located about a mile away. Bentley is approximately four miles from the hamlet and runs a mainline train to London Waterloo.
Slightly further afield you’ll find the historic market towns of Alton and Farnham, with a good range of shops, restaurants and weekly food markets.
South Hay House is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £5 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
The century-old enamelling technique used to create Van Cleef's lucky ladybird brooch — which has something in common with Country LifeThe technique used in the jeweller's Geneva workshop has been put to good use in its latest creation.
-
‘The best sleep in the sky’: What it’s like to fly in United’s Polaris cabin, approved by American icon Martha StewartUnited’s Business Class cabin goes by the name Polaris and Martha Stewart is a fan. So, how does it fare?
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeFrom a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
-
If heaven is on earth, it might be in this home with a converted chapel that is now a swimming pool5 Wood Barton Town House is part of an exclusive 80-acre development in Devon that also comes with fishing rights on the River Avon and four bedrooms.
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in DorsetWith 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
-
An eight-bedroom wonder in East Sussex where the outdoors are an adventureThe interiors of Old Middleton are pretty good too.
-
A lakeside farmhouse on the market in the beautiful heart of PembrokeshireA lake, streams, 15 acres and five bedrooms. Rogershook might have it all.
-
An idyllic countryside home that's light, spacious and comes with a Grade II-listed follyHagg House is a gorgeous family home that just happens to have a miniature castle in the gardens. Annabel Dixon explains more.
-
A historic villa for sale on the Via Nomentana worthy of Rome's rich historyThree floors, lots of balconies, and a private garden in one of Rome's loveliest neighbourhoods.
-
Eight bedrooms of unlisted Edwardian elegance with sweeping views of SomersetAshton House sits near the market town of Chard and comes with a wealth of amenities both inside and out.
