Rock Grove

A large inglenook fireplace overhung with an ancient oak beam offers an unobtrusive yet compelling focal point

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Serene and sophisticated, this three-bedroom apartment is moments from the marina in Brighton’s Kemptown. A sensitive renovation has made deft use of a neutral palette to emphasise its generous period proportions and original architectural flourishes. The home also has access to the enchanting Kemptown Gardens, which are thought to have been the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

Setting the Scene

Set on Rock Grove, the tall, arresting building that this apartment sits within is fronted with a traditional Victorian stucco façade. It lies within the Grade II-listed Kemp Town Enclosures, a collection of town gardens laid out in the 1820s. The gardens were landscaped in 1928 by Henry Phillips, a famed Brighton-born horticultural writer and landscape gardener, and have their own tunnel through to the esplanade. For more information, see the History section.

The Grand Tour

Entry to the home is via a handsome gated archway, complete with neo-classical flourishes, down to a central courtyard opening onto the primary bedroom on one side, and the lounge area on the other. In the capacious reception room, a large inglenook fireplace overhung with an aged oak beam offers an unobtrusive yet compelling focal point. White-washed brick walls here add a beautiful texture and are offset by smooth pine boards running underfoot. A versatile space, the room currently houses a lounge seating area as well as a generous dining table at its far end beneath refined pendant lighting.

The galley kitchen is conveniently located next to the reception room, excellently placed for hosting dinner parties. Generous white kitchen cabinetry sits seamlessly with the apartment’s chalky colour scheme and integrated appliances.

A series of passageways lend a circular feel to the apartment; for instance, the kitchen has three separate doorways to the hallway, the external courtyard and to a corridor guiding towards the main bedroom, at the far end of the plan.

The latter is a well-proportioned space appointed in gentle tones that are enhanced by the light from glazed French doors to the courtyard. In warmer weather, these can be opened: versatile, with a touch of al fresco living.

The current owners use the space as a design studio. High ceilings are domed with an archway, separating the two halves of the room. The primary bedroom has a generous en suite with a luxuriously large walk-in shower beneath a vaulted, arched ceiling.

The second bedroom has a bank of built-in wardrobes. The third is currently used as an office, with designated space for a desk, ideal for home-working. The corridor between the rooms is large, with great potential for a run of bookshelves.

A neat family bathroom off the central hallway completes the plan with sleek, white metro tiles and a built-in bathtub.

The Great Outdoors

Unusually, the apartment has access to three secluded terraced patios. A central courtyard is lined with a circular paving scheme, where three box planters punctuate the space with slender, green trees. Between the lounge and the secondary bedrooms is a second patio, and a third is accessed via these bedrooms. The apartment also has access to the extensive and beautiful Kemptown Gardens.

Out and About

Well-located in Kemptown, just off the Marine Parade, the apartment sits in the heart of Brighton’s seafront. The area draws all manner of events, from the Mod Weekender to the Brighton Speed Trials, the oldest running motor race.

Some of Brighton’s best nightlife is nearby, including The Queen’s Arm for cabaret. For daytime amusement, Sea Lanes is an open-air, heated 50m pool, regenerated from the original beachfront. A little further down the coast is Brighton Beach House, a social club owned by Soho House.

Nearby Fika does an excellent brunch, and the Bison Beach Bar is perfect for an evening sundowner. The interiors of Café Rust are turned out in collaboration with William Morris Antiques Show for wonderful café fare beneath decadent chandeliers. The Reading Room is an excellent refectory with sea views, and local favourite Marmalade café is just a three-minute walk from the apartment. For shopping, Brighton Flea Market is a cornucopia of vintage treasures.

The neighbourhood is also well situated for Brighton and East Sussex’s array of diversions. A short drive out of the centre of town leads to the South Downs with its abundance of walks across the undulating landscape: a favoured spot is Devil’s Dyke, the elevated position of which provides exceptional views over the English countryside.

Brighton’s train station, a 15-minute drive from Rock Grove, has rapid access to London in just under an hour and Gatwick in 30 minutes. The Southern line leads to London Victoria while the Thameslink line goes through London Bridge, Farringdon, London St Pancras International and northwards to connect to Bedford and Cambridge. Brighton is also excellently situated for road transport: the M23 leads directly to the M25, while the A27 connects to most of the south-eastern coastline, from Hastings to Portsmouth.

Tenure: Share of freehold

Lease Length: 103 years remaining

Service Charge: Approx £2090.00 per annum

Ground Rent: £0 per annum

Council Tax Band: D

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. Inigo has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.

History

Kemptown was developed by the legendary Thomas Cubitt, known for the mark he left on London’s Belgravia, Pimlico and Bloomsbury. Originally, mansions there had been built by Mr Thomas Kemp, but the houses were left derelict, with “the winds howling through them” until Cubitt worked his magic.

One Kingscliffe Court was originally the kitchens for 11 Chichester Terrace, designed by the wonderfully named Amon Wilds and Charles Augustin Busby in Kemp’s day. This apartment in particular had a decadent phase in the 1950s when under Val Houlihan, it was purposed as The Vaults private members club. A piece of feminist history, it was unusual for a woman to be granted such a license at the time.

Rock Grove — Brighton, East Sussex
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