Causeway Cottage, Grade II listed medieval Wealden Hall house: an introduction

63, High St., Billingshurst. For sale through agents 
Knight Frank, Horsham (01403-339180) and Chewton Rose, Horsham (01403-264962).

The west facing timbered structure of ‘Causeway Cottage’, 63, High Street, Billingshurst, West Sussex,  is half of a four bay medieval Wealden hall house believed to date from the late 14th century, set back high on the Causeway path to the church on the village green.

An ancient house with modern convenience!

The house, set in the centre of the village, but high above the main road on the small village green, has a supermarket, butcher, baker, farm shop, library, post office, vintners and many restaurants all within close walking distance.

The railway station is just ten minutes walk via the churchyard and a park. Trains through the day run twice an hour (with exceptions) and it is just over an hour by train to London Victoria or London Bridge (ideal for commuters).

There is a public Sports Centre at the Weald School, including a four-lane swimming pool, five minutes walk away, en route to the station.

The Weald School caters from infants through to A-level (the current owner’s six children all went through this system and attained either 1st’s or 2:1’s at university degree level).”

The front garden (6ft deep) is elevated above the path level with an old brick wall fronting it and 6 steps up to front door. Hedging is purple berberis with other plants against the house wall and climbing roses, deep red and pink, arching over front door.

The façade is a mix of stone and brick fill to first floor level with sash windows, then faced (cream) on upper floor with shutters either side of upper windows.
The sides and rear of house are exposed medieval timber framing.

The panelled front door with brass furniture deceives, as you step through a short lobby into a dining room with 9ft high ceilings.
Each of the two bays on the ground floor is one room, about 20ft by 12 ft. An inglenook extends from the dining room, and there is a large fireplace in the living room. Sash windows to front. Living room has three steps up at rear to a glass-panelled door onto the patio.

The dining room is three-quarters old oak flooring with terracotta tiling at far end with ‘medieval’ motif hand-painted tile edging and diamond inserts.
The living room, reached to the right through double glass panelled doors, has terracotta tiling throughout with a similar decorated tile hearth surround. The mantel is solid oak with curved side supports carved to match the ‘leaf-stop’ design of the room’s beams.
An old staircase at end of dining room leads to the upper floor. Three bedrooms (2 double, 1 single) and bathroom.
Attic, reached through hatch in bedroom 3, has original timbers , including crown post and boarded over half its area.
The tiled kitchen is reached up 3 steps from the dining room and has Mark Wilkinson units with beech and granite surfaces. View from side kitchen window over rooftops of neighbouring houses with some Horsham stone roofs gives a Florentine feel. Kitchen window to rear looks out over garden rising to its end. Glass-panelled door to rear patio, lower level.
From the kitchen a small utility area leads to a downstairs toilet.
Apart from glass-panelled doors mentioned, all interior doors are latched stripped old pine. All floors upstairs are stripped and Danish-oiled, as are the doors.
The rear (single) bedroom window looks out along length of garden.

To see a slideshow of the house and interiors in more detail click link:
https://picasaweb.google.com/116922605845018607478/CAUSEWAYCOTTAGEHOUSEANDINTERIORS?authkey=Gv1sRgCPD1haeC_LSHkQE#slideshow/5740187960254642530

To see a slideshow of the garden and its plants click link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/116922605845018607478/CAUSEWAYCOTTAGEGARDENPICTURES?authkey=Gv1sRgCMiU8_fn_O6SqQE#slideshow/5740062510705371730

Description details:

• Entrance Lobby

  

  Solid Oak exposed floorboards, beamed ceiling, door to;
  

• Dining Hall 6.12m x 3.35m

  Sash window to front aspect, oak staircase to first floor, radiator, 8'10" x 3'3" inglenook fireplace with log burner, 9ft high beamed ceiling, solid Oak exposed floorboards, French doors leading onto sitting room.
  

• Sitting Room 5.8m x 3.5m

  Dual aspect room with sash window to front aspect, door and window to rear aspect, radiator with cover, fireplace with 'Jetmaster' log burner, beamed ceiling, handmade terracotta floors with hand painted inserts.
  

• Kitchen 3.7m x 3.3m

  Dual aspect room with windows to rear and to side aspects, door to rear garden, bespoke 'Mark Wilkinson' kitchen with range of base and wall mounted units, solid Beech work surfaces and solid granite work surfaces, wall mounted cupboard housing gas boiler, 1 1/2 bowl ceramic sink with swan neck mixer tap, range cooker, cupboard housing fuse box, space and plumbing for a washing machine, radiator with radiator cupboard, tiled floor, recessed ceiling down lighters, door to separate WC.
  

• Separate WC

  Window to side, corner wash hand basin, door to separate WC, close coupled WC, frosted 
• 
  window to rear aspect, tiled floor.
  

• Stairs

  Stairs from Dining Hall with exposed Oak beamed walls leading to
  

• First Floor Landing

  Window to side aspect, solid Pine exposed floorboards and exposed beams, radiator with cover, airing cupboard housing hot water tank, doors to
  

• Bedroom One 3.8m x 3.25m

  Window to front aspect, radiator with cover, solid Pine exposed floorboards, Oak beamed walls.
  

• Bedroom Two 3.3m x 2.95m

  Window to front aspect, radiator with cover, solid wide Pine exposed floorboards, oak beamed walls.
  

• Bedroom Three 3.02m x 2.64m

  Window to rear aspect, radiator with cover, solid oak exposed floorboards, oak beamed walls, ladder access to loft, boarded over half its area.
  

• Bathroom

  Frosted window to side aspect, white suite comprising, panelled bath with shower over, pedestal wash hand basin, close coupled WC, radiator with cover, solid Pine exposed floorboards, Oak beamed walls.
  

• Rear Garden 30.48m x 11.28m

  Landscaped 'Cottage' rear garden with winding brick pathway, Pergola, planting borders with well stocked range of plants and shrubs. Garden shed, summer house and office all have power and light and ethernet cable to office.
  

Garden description (see next post but one).

Parking:
“Owner has Permit Parking at library car park across the road (2 cars at only £150 per annum), plus rented garage (easily obtainable), or on-street parking in St. Mary’s Close, a minute’s walk up The Causeway (towards the church).”