Sussex

Who can resist a nose round a promising property? Certainly not Muddy, especially when neo-Gothic, Grade II-listed architecture means it packs more spooky season vibes than an episode of Wednesday. Factor in quirky original features, a couple of acres of gorgeous gardens (pool and hot tub included), sweeping views, an enviable location, and this &#8216;castle&#8217; positively screams buy me. Its 3,300 sq ft even come with a royal connection. 



The price tag? Start guessing now&#8230; And fear not: if its zeroes push this plush Victorian pad firmly into the &#8216;aspirational&#8217; category, you&#8217;ll leave with deco inspo aplenty. 



Ready? Head this way to Undercliffe House – if you dare!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-path-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81447" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-path-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-path-1-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-path-1-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-path-1-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Along with lawns, the grounds include ferny terraces and wooded paths</figcaption></figure>



Undercliffe House is barely a 10-minute stroll from Lewes&#8217;s historic Cliffe High Street, bustling with antique shops, cafes and restaurants including Dill, which has a Bib Gourmand. Despite its name, this iconic 5-bedroom home actually sits not beneath but well above Cliffe. Look up, and you&#8217;ll spot the distinctive roof of its steep tower amid the treetops covering a hill that leads to the local golf club. What&#8217;s harder to see is how you access it. A narrow private road leads up from a stellar children&#8217;s bookshop, Bags of Books, and from there, the route becomes only more obscure, offering optimal seclusion. 



Here&#8217;s what awaits at the end of a curved private driveway&#8230; 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-main.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81264" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-main.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-main-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-main-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-main-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A Victorian vision</figcaption></figure>



One of the town&#8217;s most recognisably unique properties, it was constructed in 1865 by local architect and builder Charles James Berry, and it&#8217;s definitely impactful. Towers, an octagonal porch, and tall arched windows define an exterior whose arcs of yellow and red brick add extra character. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-rooftops.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81259" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-rooftops.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-rooftops-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-rooftops-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-rooftops-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A tower of one&#8217;s own? </figcaption></figure>



Fancy a game of I Spy? From up in the tower, you can see Lewes Castle and the South Downs beyond. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porch.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81256" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porch.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porch-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porch-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porch-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A porch crying out for a pumpkin</figcaption></figure>



Enter the house via a pitched porch, and you&#8217;ll find a living room with lofty bay windows and an equally bright dining room. Both rooms are full of period details like gorgeous mouldings and an ornate ceiling rose, with floors of tumbled French oak. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-baby-grand.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81262" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-baby-grand.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-baby-grand-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-baby-grand-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-baby-grand-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An airy space and a grand piano for bashing out eerie melodies</figcaption></figure>



Statement radiators and on-point lighting compliment antique finds, with plenty of greenery to draw the outside in. Check out that marble fireplace, too: Muddy reckons this living space would be leafy-cool in summer but perfectly snug in winter. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-living-room.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81263" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-living-room.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-living-room-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-living-room-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-living-room-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The kind of sofa it&#8217;s hard prise yourself out of – but why would you?</figcaption></figure>



Liveable grandeur – it&#8217;s the dream, right? Note the deep skirting boards and also the nifty moulding above the door. Also, that desk: all it needs is a stack of personalised correspondence cards. Too soon to pick out a font? 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-desk.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81258" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-desk.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-desk-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-desk-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-desk-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Inspiration calls</figcaption></figure>



Ferns! Very Victorian but in a good way. And while sconces are an acquired taste, these work in an interior that otherwise tilts towards minimalism. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-kitchen-terrace.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81266" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-kitchen-terrace.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-kitchen-terrace-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-kitchen-terrace-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-kitchen-terrace-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Another tempting balcony</figcaption></figure>



The kitchen? Here it is, complete with one of those nifty, pulley operated airers, combining cosiness and historical authenticity. While you&#8217;re looking up, consider the raw-plaster ceiling, an ideal match for cream walls and sage-green woodwork. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Untitled-design-308.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81363" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Untitled-design-308.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Untitled-design-308-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Untitled-design-308-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Untitled-design-308-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A verdant view while you wait for the kettle to boil</figcaption></figure>



The worktops are zinc and there&#8217;s plenty of room for informal dining. It&#8217;s adjoined by a large utility room. From the hallway, steps lead down to a lower ground floor with a self-contained guest suite complete with exposed brickwork and a wood-burning stove. The remaining four bedrooms are all on the first floor. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bedroom-2.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81381" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bedroom-2.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bedroom-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bedroom-2-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bedroom-2-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Shutters, yes, but also clever fan-shaped blinds up top</figcaption></figure>



The primary suite features arched windows and double doors leading to a private balcony with a spiral staircase down to a heated outdoor pool. There&#8217;s more aquatic fun to be had in the ensuite bathroom with its skylit twin showers, circular soaking tub, and dressing room. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="667" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bathroom-skylight-667x1000.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81254" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bathroom-skylight-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bathroom-skylight-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bathroom-skylight-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-bathroom-skylight.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The ensuite soaking tub</figcaption></figure>



Of course, no good Gothic building would be complete without a tower but Undercliffe&#8217;s is less a vampire&#8217;s lookout than an eyrie for daydreaming or stealing a moment&#8217;s creative contemplation. Follow the stairway up and you&#8217;ll pass porthole windows as you climb.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porthole.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81253" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porthole.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porthole-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porthole-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-porthole-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Up we go, with handy storage and porthole windows en route</figcaption></figure>



At the top, there&#8217;s a vaulted room with an exposed &#8216;Rhenish helm&#8217; roof – that&#8217;s a roof with a four-sided pyramid rising to a central spire – and panoramic views. It&#8217;s the kind of hideaway older kids will want to claim, so call dibs on it now. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-turret-room.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81261" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-turret-room.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-turret-room-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-turret-room-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-turret-room-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Rapunzel, Rapunzel&#8230; </figcaption></figure>



There&#8217;s also land: 2.2 acres of mature woodland and lawned areas, terraces and shady nooks. Plus, a studio and a roomy garden store, and that heated pool and hot tub. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-shed.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81257" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-shed.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-shed-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-shed-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-shed-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A studio for all your creative endeavours</figcaption></figure>



It&#8217;s hard to imagine wanting to leave this place but if you did, Lewes and its arty attractions is a micro stroll away. For schools, Lewes Old Grammar is on the doorstep, with prestigious options like Brighton College, Great Walstead and Cumnor House nearby. 



Speaking of schools&#8230; In 1923, a fashionable girls&#8217; boarding school was founded at Undercliffe House. It moved down the road in 1925, becoming Southover Manor School and lasting into the 1980s, its most famous alumna being one Camilla Shand, now the Queen. And there you have it, that royal connection we promised. 



As for the price, give us your best guess and then scroll down to find out how close you were. No cheating! 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-garden-steps.jpg" alt="Undercliffe House, Lewes" class="wp-image-81437" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-garden-steps.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-garden-steps-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-garden-steps-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2025/10/Undercliffe-garden-steps-768x1152.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Up the garden path</figcaption></figure>



Undercliffe House is on the market for £2,250,000. Were you close? 



Head to <a href="https://www.inigo.com/sales-list/undercliffe-house" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Inigo</a> to find out more or request a viewing if your piggy bank permits. Maybe wait until Halloween&#8217;s passed, just in case?

Property flirt! This Gothic ‘castle’ isn’t just for spooky season

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