Historic Houses in South East England

South Harting, Petersfield, West Sussex  

Uppark is a fine late 17th century house set high on the South Downs. The disasterous fire in 1989 and its restoration add to the magic of this romantic house. The elegant... more

Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex  

Goodwood House, home to the Dukes of Richmond for over 300 years, is open to the public for 60 days a year. The Regency State Apartments house some astonishing treasures... more

Luxted Road, Downe, Kent  

Set in stunning Kentish countryside and only 15 miles from London, Down House is a day out to inspire all the family. The home of Charles Darwin for 40 years, here you can... more

West Hoathly Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex  

Standen is a family house built in the 1890s, a showpiece of the Arts & Crafts Movement designed by Philip Webb and decorated throughout with original William Morris carpets,... more

Bramber, West Sussex  

St Mary´s House is a magnificent medieval house with fine panelled interiors, including the unique Elizabethan ´Painted Room´ with its trompe l´oeil murals, giving an air of... more

Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent  

Penshurst Place is one of Kent´s loveliest historic houses with family history going back to the 14th century. The oldest part of the house is the Baron´s Hall, built in 1341... more

Sevenoaks, Kent  

Knole, a 15th century house was enlarged and embellished in 1603 by Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset, and has remained largely unaltered ever since. There are thirteen... more

Westerham, Kent  

Chartwell was the family home of Sir Winston Churchill from 1924. The rooms are kept as they were during his lifetime and offer an insight into both his domestic and political... more

4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, East Sussex  

The Royal Pavilion, the famous seaside palace of King George IV, is one of the most exotically beautiful buildings in the British Isles. Originally a simple farmhouse, it was... more

Burwash, Etchingham, East Sussex  

Bateman´s (Kiplings House) is a 17th century Ironmaster´s house, the former home of Rudyard Kipling from 1902 to 1936. This family house is as it was in Kipling´s day, with... more

Firle, Lewes, East Sussex  

Virginia Woolf´s sister, Vanessa Bell, moved to Charleston in 1916 with fellow artist Duncan Grant and their unconventional household. They transformed the house with... more

Smallhythe, Tenterden, Kent  

Smallhythe Place is an early 16th century half timbered house, which was the home of the Victorian actress Ellen Terry from 1899 until her death in 1928. It contains many... more

Westerham, Kent  

Squerryes Court is a 17th century manor house that has been the home of the Warde family since 1731. In the hall is a portrait of Sir Patience Warde who became Lord Mayor of... more

North Lane, West Hoathly, West Sussex  

Built in the 15th century, The Priest House has been open as a museum since 1908. Its furnished rooms contain a fascinating array of 17th and 18th century domestic furniture,... more

Godinton Lane, Ashford, Kent  

Godinton House & Gardens, described as `An ancient estate in a magnificent park with thrilling formal gardens now splendidly restored - one of Kent´s finest´ - The Times.... more

West Clandon, Guildford, Surrey  

Clandon Park was built by the Venetian architect Leoni in the 1730s and is considered to have one of the finest Marble Halls in Europe. The house is filled with an amazing... more

Upper Dicker, Hailsham, East Sussex  

Dating back to the 13th century, Michelham Priory boasts the longest water filled medieval moat in England. Of particular interest are the remains of the former Augustinian... more

East Clandon, Guildford, Surrey  

Hatchlands is set in a beautiful 430 acre Repton Park, open everyday offering a variety of way-marked walks. The house was built for the naval hero Admiral Boscawen in 1756... more

Petworth, West Sussex  

Petworth House is a magnificient late 17th century mansion, housing the finest collection of pictures in the care of The National Trust with numerous works by Turner, Van... more

Parham Park, Storrington, Pulborough, West Sussex  

Parham House: This beautiful Elizabethan house is set in the heart of a medieval deer park at the foot of the South Downs. The foundation stone was laid in 1577 by the two... more

Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent  

Ightham Mote is a superb moated manor house dating from the early 14th century. It was bought in 1953 by American, Charles Robinson, who had first seen the house on a tour of... more

52 Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex  

Anne of Cleves House is a 16th century timber-framed Wealden hall-house that formed part of Anne´s divorce settlement from Henry VIII in 1541. There are wide-ranging... more

Belmont Park, Throwley, Faversham, Kent  

Belmont House has remained the seat of successive Lords Harris from 1801 until 1995. The house contains family mementoes, fine paintings, furniture and the finest private... more

Guildford, Surrey  

Loseley House, built in 1562 to entertain Elizabeth I, is a fine example of Elizabethan architecture. The gallery of the Great Hall houses some rare Italian painted canvas... more

Preston Drove, Brighton, East Sussex  

Preston Manor is a delightful old Manor House evoking the atmosphere of an Edwardian gentry house both `upstairs´ and `downstairs´. Dating from c.1600, rebuilt in 1738 and... more

Cobham, Gravesend, Kent  

Cobham Hall is one of the largest houses in Kent. It has been occupied since the 12th century that owes its architechural style to Inigo-Jones and James Wyatt. Cobham Hall is... more

Great Bookham, Dorking, Surrey  

Polesden Lacey, originally a Regency house, was extensively remodelled in 1906-09 by the Hon Mrs Ronald Greville, a well-known Edwardian hostess. Her collection of fine... more

Hall Place, Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent  

Hall Place is a Grade 1 listed country house built in 1537 for former Lord Mayor of London, Sir John Champneys. The Tudor house boasts a panelled Great Hall with Minstrels´... more

Titsey, Oxted, Surrey  

Titsey is one of the largest surviving historic estates in Surrey, dating back to the mid 16th century. The interior of the house was designed by William Atkinson in the... more