The winds of change
A home with a uniquely British history could be yours, says Jane Dalton
When Harold Macmillan delivered his historic Wind of Change speech in South Africa in 1960, it marked the beginning of the end of apartheid. His words sent shock waves around the world. But few would have known that it wasn’t “Supermac” himself who wrote them, but Sir David Hunt, his speech writer and loyal friend, who had also acted as private secretary to Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. More than a decade later, after Macmillan had resigned from office, he regularly visited Sir David and his wife, Iro, at Old Place, their home in the picturesque village of Lindfield, West Sussex. Their discussions in the grand dining room, and over drinks in the drawing room, remain undisclosed. However, Lady Hunt, Sir David’s widow, insists: “They would sit here and gossip for hours.” Sir David and Lady Hunt fell in love with Old Place in part because of its elaborate, Victorian stainedglass windows. They were created by Charles Eamer Kempe (1837-1907), an illustrious church designer. Kempe, a former owner of Old Place, made windows for many cathedrals and churches in Britain using bold colours and precise details. He is credited with building Old Place’s east wing (now Grade II listed), which was added to the original 1590 manor house. As well as the stained-glass windows, he had intended to train for the priesthood, but giving sermons became almost impossible. So he turned to the next best thing. “If I was not permitted to minister in the sanctuary, I would use my talents to adorn it,” he once said. Kempe was happiest at home, entertaining friends and colleagues. According to Lady Hunt, they included William Morris, the famous Pre-Raphaelite artist and textile designer, and William De Morgan, the tile designer, some of whose work remains in the house. When Kempe bought Old Place it had 200 acres, and he turned the gardens into a great attraction. Today it has just under half an acre, but the rooftop belvedere – or gallery – remains, offering impressive views over Sussex. Old Place also has a grand drawing room, dining room, library and seven bedrooms, not to mention wine cellars. A further sitting room, originally used by Kempe’s 12 servants, is on the second floor. Lady Hunt still cherishes the signed photographs that Churchill and Attlee dedicated to her husband. “Mrs Thatcher refused to sign one for us, so I threw it away,” she recalls, still indignant at the recollection. “I didn’t see why I should display it.” She also still has her husband’s original manuscript of the Wind of Change speech, and intends to donate it to the House of Lords. Lady Hunt is moving because she no longer needs so much space. But she sincerely hopes that the new owner adores the arts, especially Kempe’s work. “They’ve given me enormous pleasure,” she says. “The architectural artwork, the wood panelling, the plasterwork, all of it. I’ve had a very happy and privileged life here.” he adorned the extension with elaborate architectural flourishes, oak panelling and grand fireplaces. In 1901, the home was featured in Country Life magazine, and was described as a “palace of art” of which “the soul could never grow weary”. The wing may never have existed at all had it not been for the fact that Kempe suffered from a bad stammer. A devoutly religious man, Old Place is £1.95m through Hamptons (01444 316795)