This four-bedroom house is perched on Rye’s Cadborough Cliff, with panoramic views from its rear terraces that sweep from the town’s historic centre in the east round to the Winchelsea coastline to the south. The house fuses its traditional red brick frontage with an unabashedly contemporary rear extension executed in striking cedar. Full-width glazing off the main living spaces opens out to a series of terraces with plenty of room for lounge seating and dining. Rye Station is just over a 10-minute walk away and provides services to London St Pancras in just over an hour.

The Tour

The warm red brick façade is set back from the street by a deep front garden. It stands in contrast with the modern, cedar-clad extension that flows out from the rear onto a spacious decked terrace, with outstanding views towards Rye with the English Channel in the distance. Entry to the house, which was sympathetically renovated in 2011, is to a wide hall laid with engineered oak flooring. The primary living areas are at the back of the plan, where they are best placed to enjoy the beautiful green vista beyond.

The main room is open-plan, with dedicated kitchen, dining and living areas. Muted grey floor tiles run throughout the space, warmed by underfloor heating. Full-width sliding glass doors bring the outside in, opening onto the main terrace. The kitchen has a simple palette of Corian and oak across its generous cabinetry, with a wide central island forming a striking focal point. There is a range cooker and a wine cooler alongside other integrated appliances. A dining area is currently configured in the centre of the room, facing the wide banks of glazing.

The living room sits at the front of the house. This cosy space, grounded by a warm oak floor, is centred by a wood burner set on a black granite hearth with open shelving at either side of the chimney breast. A bank of shuttered windows draws in light from the front garden.

On the opposite side of the corridor is a bedroom currently used as a home office with a built-in desk. A door from here opens into an en suite with a useful utility area. Here, a walk-in wet room-style shower is illuminated by an unexpected circular sunlight above. A WC beside the front door completes the ground floor plan.

The first floor has three double bedrooms, all with engineered oak floors. The main bedroom is dual aspect: there are windows to the front, as well as a set of sliding grey-framed glazed doors to the rear that provide direct access onto a generous decked terrace. There is also a family bathroom on this level with a walk-in shower and a free-standing curved bath.

Outdoor Space

There are three terraces to the rear that cascade down from the kitchen, all with outstanding views. These individual spaces each have a unique character and allow for flexible use of the outdoor space. The upper terrace is laid with decking; the area, care of wide sliding doors, can serve as an extension of the sociable living spaces that it runs parallel to.

A set of stairs leads down to a further terrace backed by planted beds supported by a stone wall. Raised timber sleepers are teeming with jasmine, daisies and ferns that tumble down the hillside.

A further set of steps to the side usher down to the lower garden. A charming timber summer house, painted a soft light blue, sits to one side. This final tier of the garden has a patio in slate tiles but is mainly laid to lawn. A set of decked steps pass through gabions to timber gates that open onto a country lane, the beginning of the 1066 bridleway, with paths to central Rye.

The front garden is laid to lawn and occupies an elevated position from Udimore Road. A brick path leads to the front door and there is a small timber shed. A garage provides storage and off-street parking.

The Area

The house is just over a 10-minute walk from the centre of Rye, with its wide range of shops, pubs, restaurants, and train station; it is also perfectly situated to explore the surrounding beaches, countryside, pubs, restaurants and local vineyards. Local offerings are abundant, including the popular Kino Cinema. A 15-minute walk from the house, it is set in a former Victorian library and has three screens, a private function space, a large café-bar with a mezzanine lounge and a delightful sunny terrace. Also nearby is The Rye Harbour Discovery Centre, designed by Simpson & Brown Architects, comprising exhibition spaces, a wildlife garden and a café with panoramic views of the reserve.

Tillingham Winery, a mixed farm set in 70 acres of rolling countryside and woodlands, is a short drive from the house. Home to vineyards, fruit trees, ancient woodland and livestock, it also provides a place for visitors to stay and enjoy the produce of the farm and the local area. Tibbs Farm is also close; around a 10-minute bike ride east, it offers fruit picking and an exhilarating maize maze.

The house is within a 15-minute drive of Camber Sands, a stunning five-mile stretch of unspoilt sandy beach located in East Sussex, close to the border with Kent. It has one of the purest and longest dune systems on the South Coast, and the only one to be found in East Sussex. Both Camber Sands and nearby Greatstone are well-regarded as kite and windsurfing beaches.

In the immediate area are the famous Rye Golf Club links course and the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, which lies within a large triangle of land extending south from Rye, along the River Rother, past Rye Harbour to the sea, westward to Winchelsea Beach and northwards along the River Brede. The popular towns of Hastings and Tenterden are also easily accessible. Dungeness and the beaches at Winchelsea and Pett are a short drive away.

Rye Station is approximately a 10-minute walk away, with services to London St Pancras taking around an hour. Ashford International is about 20 miles north, providing links to the continent and to London via the high-speed line.

Council Tax Band: D

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.