A Late 18th-Century English Home with Colorful Rooms and Sweeping Sea Views
Perched high above the sea on the historic West Hill in Hastings, this historic home pairs late 18th-century character with bright color pops and spectacular views of the English Channel.
Set among the winding streets and passageways of Hastings’ Old Town, the house is located just moments from the harbor and seafront, yet its elevated position gives it a wonderfully peaceful feel.
The end-of-terrace property forms part of Cobourg Place, which dates from around the late 18th century. Across its two stories, many of the house’s original features remain, including exposed floorboards, fireplaces, and a timber staircase, while later Victorian additions have also added character.
We start the tour in the main sitting room on the first floor, which has direct access to the secluded courtyard garden, making the lush green outdoors become part of the living area in the warmer months.
The room is decorated in a muted palette with beige-toned plaster walls and white seating.
A large skylight floods the room with natural light, while the period fireplace and the timber columns showcase the house’s history.
Downstairs, we find another sitting room, currently used as a home office/library. A marble mantelpiece surrounds a wood-burning stove, while timber-clad walls painted in a rich blue shade reference the weatherboarded exterior and the home’s seaside location.
One standout piece in this room is the beautiful floral table. But the sea view through the south-facing Victorian bay window isn’t bad either.
On the other side of the hall is the kitchen, a bright and welcoming room where old and new sit comfortably together.
The sunny yellow walls are paired with a combination of cabinets, including beige-toned closed cabinets and open wooden ones. These are paired with wooden shelves that provide storage space, creating a lovely countryside charm in the room.
The original white-painted brick chimney breast forms the focal point in the kitchen. Next to the kitchen is a more recent utility extension with a reeded-glass roof and direct garden access.
The original wooden staircase leads you back to the first floor.
Next to the main living room, there are also two bedrooms on the first floor. One of the rooms features red-painted built-in cabinets and another bay window offering sea views.
The second bedroom features soft pink plaster walls, built-in wardrobes, and an antique cane bed.
A gorgeous vanity table/desk with a marble top and decorative tilework stands in the corner.
The bathroom is designed in the style of the rest of the house with green-painted paneled walls, dark-stained floorboards, and classic fittings for the bath and sink.
The guest toilet makes a statement, with shell-covered walls and ceiling that reference the home’s seaside location.
Despite its position in the heart of Hastings’ Old Town, the house has not one but two private outdoor spaces.
Courtyard gardens sit at both the front and rear, filled with established climbing plants, mature trees and a mixture of perennial flowers and Mediterranean planting.
The abundance of greenery creates an unexpectedly secluded atmosphere, particularly considering how close the house is to the center of town and the coast.
Before the Victorian expansion of Hastings’ Old Town, the slopes of West Hill were known as Coney Banks or Bakers Hill, an area long appreciated for its far-reaching coastal outlooks.
Today, the neighborhood is one of Hastings’ most characterful parts, with historic houses tucked between narrow lanes and steep pathways overlooking the town and sea.
Cobourg Place fits beautifully into this setting. The house has a distinctive double-fronted façade clad in traditional weatherboarding, with a parapet concealing the original tiled roof.
Sash windows line the exterior, while a two-story canted bay window, added during the Victorian period and finished with a molded cornice, brings plenty of light into the rooms facing the coast.
The house is listed for £680.000 at Inigo.