OLD CHARMER A Grade-II listed cottage in East Sussex

A perfect mix of antiques and mid-century pieces comes together to create something special in this Grade-II listed gem

AMY MAYNARD PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD GADSBY

Looking like something straight out of a fairy tale, Sara Milner’s pretty whitewashed cottage, with its Gothic-style windows and silvery-grey thatch, was a real find. Sara admits, however, that when she first came across the property, she was swept away by its beauty and allowed her heart to rule her head. ‘I thought it was so sweet, but totally impractical,’ she says, referring to the amount of maintenance the Grade-II listed house would require. ‘I didn’t even give a thought to the upkeep of the thatched roof or the wooded area behind the cottage.’

In 2009, Sara was dividing her time between Brighton and Hawkhurst, Kent, with her ex-partner. It was with a view to buying a weekend retreat that they drove to Rye, near the coast in East Sussex, to view the cottage. They put in an offer and, not long afterwards, the property was theirs. Circumstances then changed when the couple separated, so Sara took the decision to make the cottage her full-time home and she quickly turned her mind to renovating it. ‘There were black beams and magnolia-painted walls everywhere because it had been rented out,’ she recalls.

Sara moved in with friends while the cottage was damp-proofed, replastered and decorated throughout. She also had the ridge of the thatch replaced. ‘I didn’t know anything about thatched properties, but discovered you have to get the ridge done every 10 years and the whole roof replaced around every 30, at a cost of about £15,000. There are different types of thatch and this house has water reed with a straw ridge,’ Sara explains. ‘Having a thatched roof means there are specific clauses in my home insurance policy. For example, I’m not allowed log burners because the heat concentrates in the flue and can cause a fire.’

The cottage sits on the side of a steep, wooded bank – there was once a waterworks nearby, taking advantage of the natural springs in the hillside. ‘I have little springs popping up every now and then around the garden. I had one appear just above the patio, so I had special drainage put in to channel the water away,’ she says.

Inside, the property has a bright yet cosy feel. Sara had most of the dark beams painted white and has cleverly mixed inherited antiques with mid-century finds. ‘Collecting things has always been a part of my life,’ she says. ‘My grandmother was an obsessive