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Charming old early Victorian Oast House converted into a comfortable home

Photo gallery for Charming old early Victorian Oast House converted into a comfortable home

The Oast House and garden walk
The Oast House in Spring
The Oast House entrance pergola
The Oast House entrance steps
Exterior
Reviews
9.2 out of 10 Wonderful
5 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 12

Popular amenities

  • PoolPoolPool
  • Hot tubHot tubHot tub
  • FireplaceFireplaceFireplace
  • Pet-friendlyPet-friendlyPet-friendly
  • KitchenKitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grillBarbecue grillBarbecue grill

Explore the area

Map
Hailsham
  • Popular LocationDrusillas Park12 min drive
  • Popular LocationGlyndebourne Opera House15 min drive
  • Popular LocationSeven Sisters Country Park24 min drive
  • AirportLondon (LGW-Gatwick)60 min drive

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 12)

4 Poster bedroom

1 Double Bed

Dining Room sofa bed

1 Double Futon

Family bedroom

2 Single Beds and 1 Double Bed

Single Bedroom

1 Single Bed

Triple bedroom

3 Single Beds

1 bathroom, 2 half bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Shower only

Downstairs toilet with basin

Toilet

Upstairs toilet with basin

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Garden

About this property

Charming old early Victorian Oast House converted into a comfortable home

The Pekes Oast House sleeps up to 12 people in 4+ bedrooms, and features its own private Spa Bath. The Oast House is a charming old double tower Oast with a bathroom, shower room and 2 separate WCs with hand basins. There are 2 large downstairs reception rooms, one of which can be used as a dining room, a spacious kitchen, a large private garden and lovely views towards the South Downs.

Originally built in the 19th century for drying hops for the brewing trade, it was converted in about 1911 into a comfortable summer house by my grandfather for his widowed mother Lady Mayo. Like most old Oasts, it has a special atmosphere, not least because the main rooms are round. It is approached up some old steps and along a pillared rose-clad pergola. It is a great favourite with our visitors.
The comfortable downstairs accommodation includes:

A private Arctic Spa Bath in the garden that seats 4 to 6 people, with a constantly maintained temperature of 35°C which is always ready to use.
A quite large hall with coat cupboard, and also a shower room and a WC off it.
A large circular TV sitting room with a parquet floor, an attractive working open fireplace, comfortable furniture and a door out onto the patio and garden.
A large circular dining room with unusual tables and chairs that will seat up to 18 people. There is also a sofa bed that opens into a 4ft (1.2 m) double bed.
A large fully equipped airy kitchen, with views out on 3 sides, which features a lovely light oak table that seats 12.
It has an electric double-oven cooker, a microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge freezer and coffee machine. The kitchen has its own door, which leads out to a working BBQ area.
A WC and hand basin

The stairs featuring a huge and beautiful painting of my mother in 1920, lead to the first floor containing:

One very large circular double bedroom with a magnificent 4’6” (1.37 m) 4-poster bed.
Another very large circular family bedroom, with one 4’6” (1.37 m) Zip&Link double bed, and two 3’ (91 cm) single beds.
A 3rd bedroom with a two 3’ (91 cm) beds and a 2’6” (76 cm) divan.
The 4th, little, bedroom with a 3’6” (1.06 m) bed.
Another folding bed is available on this floor.
The bathroom has a bath (with ‘telephone shower’), basin and WC, and there is a separate toilet room with WC and basin.
The house has oil-fired central heating.

The Oast House has its own large private garden. There is ample parking for 6-8 cars.

Pekes estate has a large garden and park, and among the facilities that guests can enjoy are our heated indoor Swimming Pool and our hard macadam Tennis court. It is set in the middle of beautiful Wealden farming land within sight of the South Downs National Park, and there are many interesting local walks that can be accessed directly from the house. There is a village shop nearby and 2 pubs within 1 mile. The coast with its beaches and the Seven Sisters with their spectacular chalk cliffs are a few miles away.

Property manager

Kildare Borrowes
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Amenities

Pool
Hot tub
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Hailsham

Located in Hailsham, this vacation home is in a rural area. The area's natural beauty can be seen at South Downs National Park and Seven Sisters Country Park. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's happening at Arlington Stadium or Priory Lane. Discover the area's water adventures with fishing and swimming nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with cycling and horse riding.
Map
Hailsham

What's nearby

  • Horam Park Golf Club - 6 min drive
  • Drusillas Park - 12 min drive
  • Glyndebourne Opera House - 15 min drive
  • Eastbourne Beach - 20 min drive
  • Seven Sisters Country Park - 24 min drive

Getting around

  • Polegate Station - 10 min drive
  • Gatwick Airport (LGW) - 60 min drive

Restaurants

  • Lakeside Café - 8 min drive
  • Hawkswood - 8 min drive
  • The Plough - 5 min drive
  • Costa Coffee - 8 min drive
  • John's Fish Bar - 8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Does Charming old early Victorian Oast House converted into a comfortable home have a pool?

Yes, this property has an indoor pool. Pool types include heated pools.

Is Charming old early Victorian Oast House converted into a comfortable home pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 9 out of 15 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 5 out of 15 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 15 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 15 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 15 reviews" "

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Check-in

9.4/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.4/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

jayne l.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Christmas break
Wonderful place for a family break. Plenty of room inside and out for our family of 9 plus 2 large dogs. There is enough to keep everyone happy, swimming pool, hot tub, playground, tennis court, lovely walks. Would definitely recommend and would love to return one day.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Julia B.

Liked: Communication, location, listing accuracy
A lovely family weekend
We knew this was an historical property with a whole host of additional attractions (pool, spa, Children’s adventure playground) in a beautiful setting. In this regard nothing disappointed and I would highly recommend it. What I would say though is that our property was suffering from some degree of decay and although a bit of this in a period property just adds to the authenticity, there was perhaps a little too much in some rooms. Otherwise truly wonderful place
Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

gordon m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
90th birthday celebration
A wonderful house, full of character and very homely, well,proportioned with plenty of space for us all, well furnished and the kitchen well equipped for cooking with plenty of crockery as well
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2021

10/10 Excellent

Sarah S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A charming cottage
A charming cottage in a stunning location. It’s like a step back in time - everything worked, spotlessly clean, great swimming pool, Some things are a little tired but nothing a bit of a spruce up wouldn’t fix
Stayed 3 nights in May 2021

8/10 Good

Ian T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family birthday party
Rebooked this a couple of times due to COVID but communication was good. Lovely setting - full of character. Shame the weather wasn’t better.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2021

About the host

Hosted by Kildare Borrowes

Host profile image
I am Kildare Borrowes, cousin of the owner Eva Morris, and I look after all Pekes bookings for her.
I am a writer and gardener, and particularly interested in the history of Sussex and its landscapes, its painters and its gardens. Like for most people I find there are few greater pleasures in life than walking along the nearby South Downs with the sea cliffs and the fresh breeze on the one side and the ancient sheep pastures on the other.

Why they chose this property

There is a huge sense of history at Pekes, an ancient Wealden hall house built in the 1470s with quite a few of its old features left in place. Eva's grandfather bought it in 1908, and little has changed since his day except facilities, comfort and warmth has been added. The Oast House was built of rosy Sussex brick in the 1840s to dry the hops grown on the farm and was turned into a comfortable house for his mother over 100 years ago, so is a true family home. Pekes has elegant gardens, parkland, lovely trees and wonderful views over the landscape.

What makes this property unique

Pekes is on the edge of the stunning South Downs National park, with its wonderful hills and cliffs, beaches, river valleys and many other attractions, and within the fascinating & little changed Wealden medieval landscape. Nearby are the famous Drusilla's children's zoo and Knockhatch adventure Park; also woods, coast towns and villages and great country houses. Also the world-famous Glyndebourne Opera, and the Bloomsbury Group's Charleston farmhouse.
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