Dropping Holms, Henfield

Batts Pond Lane is a green enclave off Dropping Holms in the village of Henfield. An oak tree stands at the end of the lane and the road becomes gravel as you approach the house, with Batts Pond on your left.

This exceptional four-bedroom home was built only twenty years ago and is configured around a central double-height atrium that brings light into the heart of the house. Externally it is clad in Thermowood timber, and the two halves of the building each have their own pitched roofs on either side of the atrium. The outlook to the front is of the woodland surrounding the pond, and at the back of the house there is a secluded south-west facing garden.

The entrance to the house opens to the atrium, so that you experience the full impact of the space and light, and your eye is drawn upwards to the vaulted glass ceiling. This room is both an entrance hall and a reception space in its own right, currently accommodating a relaxed seating area. Beautiful dappled light from the surrounding trees throws delicate shadows on the floors, which are in engineered oak and continue through into the living room and the kitchen/dining room. On the opposite side of the atrium is another door which opens directly to the off-street parking on the driveway to the side of the house.

Modern oak double doors with glazed panels connect the entrance hall to the living room, which has an outlook over the garden. French doors in anthracite aluminium open to the patio area, and the garden has a lawn and a further raised patio with an alternative seating area. There is useful side access to the garden.

In the kitchen there are attractive high-gloss walnut-effect units with a granite worktop. There is a Smeg range cooker with two ovens and a six-burner gas hob. Integrated appliances include a Fisher and Paykel fridge/freezer, a dishwasher, washing machine, and tumble dryer. At the dining end of the room there are three triple-glazed windows with internal blinds and space for a large dining table. There is also a WC on the ground floor, accessed from the entrance hall.

Returning to the atrium, an oak open-tread turning staircase with a glass balustrade rises to the first-floor mezzanine, from where you can look back down at the room below. There is more space for seating on the mezzanine, in front of windows with opaque glass that bring in soft, diffused light.

The four bedrooms are arranged over the first and second floors. Thanks to the house’s split layout, each bedroom feels private and self-contained. The principal bedroom is on the first floor in the front section of the house, overlooking Batts Lane, and has a built-in wardrobe and a generous ensuite with a bath and a separate shower, which has both waterfall and handheld heads. From this floor, a staircase with bamboo flooring leads up to the top of the house, where a large double bedroom in the eaves has three rooflight windows and enough room for a seating or home-office area in addition to the sleeping area.

At the rear of the house on the first floor are the main bathroom and another double bedroom. The bathroom has a shower over the bath and a handbasin set in a vanity unit. The bedroom has a storage cupboard, a built-in wardrobe, and two windows overlooking the garden. Finally, above this room on the top floor, the fourth double bedroom is also a very generous size and has its own storage cupboard.

Henfield is a thriving village with a wide variety of local shops, pubs, and cafés, as well as a library, post office, medical centre, and dentist. It has its own primary school and a leisure centre offering a gym, tennis courts and a range of classes. Regular bus services connect Henfield to Brighton, Horsham and Burgess Hill. A few minutes from the house you can join the Downs Link cycle and footpath, which follows the route of the former Horsham to Shoreham railway line, offering scenic routes from Shoreham to Guildford. Nearby Berretts Farm is a great place to stop for coffee, cake, or pizza evenings in summer.