Grade II-listed Tanyard Manor, near east Grinstead, combined charming interiors full of period details with a wide range of sporting facilities. Penny Churchill takes a look.
Set in 8½ acres of gardens and grounds with a paddock and lake close to the Ashdown Forest in the High Weald AONB, Grade II-listed Tanyard Manor, at Sharpthorne, near East Grinstead, West Sussex, is a fine example of late-medieval architecture.
The house, which is for sale through Savills at a guide price of £3.65 million, is believed to have been originally built by monks as a tannery and originally dates from the 15th century with later additions.
The manor was later a farm on the important Courtlands estate, East Grinstead, that was broken up and sold in May 1907.
Grade II-listed Tanyard Manor has medieval origins
Acquired by its current owner in 2008, Tanyard Manor retains much of its original charm and a wealth of historic features, including exposed beams and plasterwork, wood panelling, leaded lights and inglenook fireplaces, as well as offering great scope for updating, the agents say.
The oldest part of the building is the two-storey, timber-frame east wing, now faced with ashlar stone.
The main house offers a generous 5,153sq ft of accommodation on three floors, with three formal reception rooms, a study and a large kitchen/breakfast room on the ground floor.
Of particular note are the drawing room, with its bay window and working inglenook fireplace, and the sitting room, in which a fresco (often found in great 15th-century houses) has been painted with pigments typical of the period by a skilled French artist.
On the first and second floor are seven bedrooms (five with hand-basins) and three bathrooms, one en suite to the master bedroom, which is also served by a dressing room.
The manor and its adjacent annexe together provide more than 7,000sq ft of living space, including a home office, staff quarters and a gym/games room, with some 650sq ft of covered parking for four cars.
There are also rather incredible sporting amenities, including a tennis court, a swimming pool and even a nine-hole pitch-and-putt golf course.
Tanyard Manor is for sale at £3.65 million via Savills — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Sharpthorne: What you need to know
- Location: Sharpthorne is situated about 12 miles from Gatwick, with its fast train service into London, and 5.3 miles from East Grinstead
- Atmosphere: The villages of Sharpthorne and Horsted Keynes (respectively one mile and 1½ miles from Tanyard Manor) both have a village store and two pubs
- Things to do: There are plenty of opportunities to play golf, including at Royal Ashdown, Haywards Heath and Piltdown. There is racing at Goodwood, Lingfield and Plumpton, with sailing at Ardingly and the coast.
- Schools: St Giles CofE Primary School and West Hoathly CofE Primary School are both rated good by Ofsted. Other options include Cumnor House, Brambletye, Ashdown House, Handcross Park, Worth, Michael Hall (Rudolph Steiner school) and Ardingly College.
Find more properties in the area.
A romantic cliff top house in Suffolk with panoramic sea views and just a few steps from a beautiful beach
Rachael Turner explores this Victorian home in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A beautifully restored Georgian country house in Lancashire combining period and contemporary style
Grade II-listed Knuzden Hall is a magnificent country house set halfway between the towns of Accrington and Blackburn.
