Architecture & Interior The façade has the calm assurance of good proportions; the sea views remind you at every south facing window of your good fortune – to be able to see the mood and light of the Channel change each time you look out. Inside, the rooms present themselves with that peculiarly Georgian talent for both grandeur and adaptability. Currently arranged as six bedrooms, the house resists being pinned down to a single way of living. It is generous rather than prescriptive: amenable to large families, hybrid working lives, guests who overstay in the nicest possible way, or simply the pleasure of space used imaginatively. This is a building that understands change because it has survived plenty of it. The ground floor has its own entrance making the arrival of the shopping an easy affair. On this floor is a charming wooden floored dining room with fireplace and a large kitchen with space for a family dining table and a separate pantry. The attractive stone flooring is complete with underfloor heating. A door will lead you to the garden. An original staircase with classic unadorned Georgian spindles winds from the bottom to the top of the house and links the five storeys. Original 19century sash windows, many with views across the famed fisherman’s beach to the sea. The first floor has its own grand entrance from the front garden, which opens into a hall of pleasing proportions and filled with light. Here is also the salon with a southerly aspect and those sea views. A room to the rear is currently used as a library and games room, which could easily make an inviting study or workspace. A loo and utility room complete this floor which also has access to the back garden. The bedrooms are presented over the top three floors with a large bathroom to each floor. On the second floor is a wonderful sunroom which unsurprisingly, given its open aspect to the sea has been appropriated for use as a painting studio. Overlooking the garden to the rear is a guest room, which could also make for lovely study or workspace. Character need not be applied here; it’s been accumulated. The charm is genuine, the quirks earned. Slight irregularities, pleasing asymmetries and the patina of long occupation give the house the texture of real life rather than the smoothness of a showroom. One senses former inhabitants arguing, celebrating, adapting—leaving behind a house that feels lived with, not merely lived in. The rarity of having the triptych of a garden, allocated parking and a sea view in the middle of Hastings Old Town should not be underestimated. And here there are gardens to both front and rear offering a green pause in the middle of The Old Town’s compact drama. And what drama it is. The heart of Hastings Old Town, the seafront and the station are all within walking distance, making the location as civilised as it is picturesque. This is a place where culture, history and convenience meet without fuss. In short, this is a serious house with a light touch: architectural good sense, coastal romance and two hundred years of stories, ready for the next chapter. The Croft is a tree-lined unadopted road with no through traffic, set back from the busy part of Hastings Old Town. It is incredibly peaceful with a rural feel to it. The house is a leisurely walk to the seafront, the famed shops and pubs of The Old Town and close to the expanses of The Country Park with its superb cliff top walks. Shops in Hastings Old Town are largely independent as are the cafes, pubs and restaurants which are getting national acknowledgements. There are major supermarkets within easy reach including Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Sainsburys, Lidl, Morrisons, Co-Op, Aldi. There are independent cinemas in both Hastings Old Town and in St Leonards along with several art galleries. The acclaimed Hastings Contemporary Gallery is a short walk from the house. The town of Hastings has become a hub for creative thinkers. Combined with the almost constant round of social, cultural and historic events which take place throughout the year in Hastings, this makes for a lively, inclusive and highly active town. Hastings Station is a 15-minute walk away, and trains from here connect to London Victoria, London Charing Cross, London Bridge and Waterloo East as well as St Pancras International via Ashford International.