Latest Homes Sussex magazine

A secluded new development near Uckfield

Hidden away down a country lane and screened by mature trees, Sunnybrook, a stunning new development by Rydon Homes, is one of Uckfield’s best kept secrets.

Sunnybrook, comprising a collection of two, three, four and five-bedroom houses, is undoubtedly impressive and will surely tempt even those who prefer period properties to buy new! Each home is beautifully designed, unusual and highly individual featuring warm brickwork, timber boarding or clay tile hangings, careful gable detailing and tall chimneys; all of which reflect the Sussex vernacular. Although the development is less than half a mile from the high street, the abundance of green space, trees and wildlife areas ensure that Sunnybrook also enjoys a lovely rural feel.

The jewels in Sunnybrook’s crown are undoubtedly the two largest properties, set back from the other new homes. Before designing these wonderful new houses, externally and internally, the team at Rydon Homes paid careful consideration to customer feedback.

“We wanted to create the type of house that the majority of our customers would design if they were building their own homes,” comments John Kitchin, Managing Director of Rydon Homes. “The result is spectacular. Each house extends to more than 4,000 square feet and reflects the style of homes built during the 1920s and 1930s, with beautifully-proportioned rooms, plenty of living space, large windows; truly substantial properties!”

The largest of the new homes at 3,200 square feet provides the most fabulous open-plan living space including a huge dualaspect living room, dining area, beautifully equipped kitchen and a family/breakfast area. Four sets of double doors provide access onto either the garden or the veranda at the rear of the property, allowing natural light to flow through the ground floor rooms. Foldback floor-to-ceiling windows in the living areaand kitchen/breakfast room blurs the boundary between ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ space. On the upper floor are four bedrooms and a family bathroom; both the master bedroom and the guest bedroom have their own dressing rooms and en-suite bathrooms. A laundry room, tucked away on the upper floor, ensures that household clutter can be kept out of sight!

The second new four bedroom home, offering over 2,800 sq ft of living space, is also completely unique but no less impressive.

For further information on the new homes at Sunnybrook in Uckfield, priced from £299,950 for a two bedroom house to £649,950 for a five bedroom house, or for an invitation to the show home launch, please contact Rydon Homes on 01825 760770.

Despite my great interest in the Regency architecture of Brighton and Hove, it is not in fact my favourite style.

There’s a small picture shop on Nile Street in the Lanes where I first met Tamara de Lempicka; well, copies of her paintings anyway. This was quite a few years ago and I had no idea at the time what Art Deco meant. She painted fast cars, empowered women and mysterious men. The Art Deco movement was prevalent during the 1920s and 30s and manifested itself within various disciplines including architecture, interior design, fashion, art and car design. Despite there being no obvious connection between de Lempicka’s paintings and the buildings of the day, there certainly is one there. Even the architectural style itself is hard to define. Elements include, though this list is by no means exhaustive, high quality stone masonry, Terrazo floors, curved glass, bronze door furniture, flat roofs and intricate fenestration.

“It is worth noting that the Art Deco movement was heavily influenced by the 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb”

Bearing in mind the excitement surrounding the current Tutankhamen exhibition in London, it is worth noting that the Art Deco movement was heavily influenced by the 1922 discovery of that King’s tomb. Instead of travelling to Egypt though, last year, I went to New York to see some of the world’s most famous Art Deco buildings such as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the Rockefeller Centre. On a smaller scale, Hove has several rather respectable Art Deco buildings of its own such as 4 Grand Avenue, Courtenay Gate on the seafront, and, on Furze Hill, both Wick Hall and Furze Croft.

Furze Croft and Wick Hall, two large residential blocks, were built across the road from each other during the 1930s by Bell Modern Flats; each on the site of a single house. Furze Croft replaced a house known variously as ‘Wick House’, ‘Wick Hill’ and ‘The Wick’. It is in fact made up of two adjoined but separate buildings with separate entrances and lift shafts. It has many of the features that I would expect of an Art Deco building – BMA (Bronze Metal Antique) door handles, Crittle windows with curved glass on the bays, and a steel frame.

It is not often that I approve of the destruction of a single house to make flats but Furze Croft and its Art Deco counterparts remind me that it’s not flats that I’m against; it’s bad buildings. Developers take note.

The crickets are chirruping, and you can feel the last rays of the day’s heat on your face as you watch the sun set from your villa’s terrace. The barbecue is sizzling and your pool still looks inviting, especially when this idyllic environment is all yours for renting and using as you please for less than £215,000 - for the rest of your life.

Added to that, you can enjoy your villa appreciating at around 20% a year in a confident rising market, plus strong rental demand, with sufficient earnings from the high season to cover your overheads.

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