Location

Great Frenches Park is situated in a private and well enclosed position, down a long private driveway on the northern outskirts of the village of Crawley Down. The village provides for day-to-day needs with a small supermarket, general store, butcher, hairdresser, dentist, health centre and a primary school. More comprehensive shopping facilities can be found in East Grinstead (five miles).

Sussex offers many excellent sporting opportunities with golf at Copthorne, Royal Ashdown, Haywards Heath and Piltdown, and many other courses across the county. There is racing at Goodwood, Lingfield and Plumpton, and sailing at Ardingly Reservoir. There are many bridle paths and footpaths which are in close access of the property.         
         
Spa and country house hotels include South Lodge, Alexander House, Ashdown Park Hotel, Gravetye Manor and Ockenden Manor.      

Mainline rail services: There are frequent services to London Victoria, London Bridge and St Pancras International from Three Bridges (4.5 miles, London Bridge/Victoria from 36 minutes; St Pancras International from 55 minutes). Alternative services are available from Gatwick (eight miles, London Victoria from 30 minutes) and East Grinstead (4.4 miles, London Victoria from 55 minutes).         

Schools: There are many highly regarded schools in the area, both state and private, including Crawley Down Village C of E school, Imberhorne and Sackville secondary schools in East Grinstead, Worth, Handcross Park, Cumnor House, Lingfield College and Ardingly College.   

All times and distances are approximate.

Description

Great Frenches Park is the major portion of a handsome period country house, combining striking Jacobean-style architecture with the grandeur and elegance of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Built predominantly during those periods, the house showcases a rich architectural style: steep pitched roofs and tall chimneys, a gabled façade with decorative brickwork and stone hood mouldings, and the striking presence of its distinctive clock tower.

Acquired by our clients in 2009, the house has been comprehensively refurbished over time, resulting in a superbly appointed and beautifully presented family home that balances impressive scale with comfort and liveability. Interiors are both grand and inviting, with soaring ceilings, arch motifs echoed throughout, stained glass detailing, decorative plasterwork, and timber-framed casement windows - alongside high-quality modern fixtures and fittings that include period-style bathrooms by CP Hart, a contemporary Moldani&C Dada kitchen, and a Sonos sound system wired through many of the principal rooms.

Approached from a private lane, electronically operated wrought iron gates mounted on brick pillars open to a sweeping gravel driveway and extensive parking area. Wide stone steps rise to a wraparound terrace and the main front entrance. A handsome porch opens into a generous reception hall with tessellated tile flooring and half-panelled walls, leading to the staircase hall and a study beyond.

Extending across the southern side of the house are three generous interlinking reception rooms and the kitchen, each overlooking the gardens. The dual-aspect drawing room is a fine space for entertaining, with a large bay window with French doors to the terrace, a slate fireplace with a limestone surround, and an inset woodburner. The dining room also enjoys garden views through its wide bay window, and centres around a marble fireplace with tiled hearth and a further woodburner.

The kitchen is superbly appointed in a contemporary style, with black worktops, a central island incorporating a sink and Quooker boiling tap, and sleek cabinetry in a combination of matt grey and wood finishes. High-end Miele appliances are integrated throughout. A wide opening connects the kitchen to the triple-aspect sitting room, a stunning space defined by ornate plasterwork with hand-painted detailing in muted tones and gold leaf. French doors open directly to the terrace, and a further slate fireplace with classical surround and woodburner adds character and warmth.
Beyond the main hall, a secondary lobby leads to a cloakroom, a secondary staircase, and steps descending to the substantial utility and laundry room, once the original kitchen.

A split-level galleried landing on the first floor is lit by stained glass double doors, which open to stairs rising to the second floor; a separate short flight of stairs lead to the clock tower room, currently used for storage. The principal suite occupies the entire western wing of the house, and comprises a beautifully proportioned bedroom with private south-facing balcony, a large en suite shower room with twin basins and walk-in shower, a dressing room with full-height wardrobes, and a separate WC.

There are four further double bedrooms on the first floor - one with its own en suite shower room, and the others served by a luxurious family bathroom with twin basins, a large circular bath, and a separate shower. On the second floor is a further suite, ideal as guest accommodation or an independent flat, comprising an open-plan sitting room and kitchen, bedroom, and shower room.

Gardens and Grounds
The gardens and grounds are of particular note, extending to just under two and a half acres and lying principally to the south and east of the house. The gardens are beautifully established, with extensive lawns, mature trees and hedging, and a wide stone terrace that wraps the rear of the house, edged by flower borders and accessed directly from the kitchen - an ideal spot for summer dining or entertaining on a grand scale.

The lawns extend away from the terrace and gently fall to a picket fence-enclosed pond and a lightly wooded area forming the southern boundary.

To the east of the house lies the pool area: a heated swimming pool with stone paving and a contemporary detached pool house, designed to echo the architectural style of the main house with its decorative brickwork. The pool house features a tiled floor, well-equipped kitchenette, full-height sliding windows on three sides, a shower room and WC. Nearby, a separate gym - built in the same style -includes sliding doors, a roof lantern, its own WC and has air-conditioning.

Beyond the pool and gym is a fenced, flood-lit tennis court and a range of timber garden stores with power connected. An orchard with established fruit trees lies to the north.

In all, about 2.4 acres.