High Street, Lewes

Grade II listed Fitzroy House is one of Lewes' most notable and iconic properties. Built in 1862 as a memorial to Henry Fitzroy, MP for Lewes for 24 years, it was commissioned by his wife Hannah (nee Rothschild) and designed by architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, best known for the Albert Memorial and The St Pancras Hotel. The building became the first public library for Lewes from 1896, (even frequented by Virginia Woolf!), until 1955. The Friends of Lewes rescued the property from demolition and the Franks family lived there for some 40 years, refurbished and rebuilding. Internally, there is the extraordinary Fitzroy Octagonal Room with a domed glass roof, surrounded by an exceptional wood constructed minstrel gallery with 6 feature windows below, 5 of them with the original shutters, and 6 circular windows above, currently used as an event and exhibition space. The entrance hall has the original tiled floor, classic gothic arches, stone pillars with a shaped turquoise ceiling and a stairway with cast iron balustrades and wooden handrail. The private sitting room is the double-fronted reading room with an open fire. The building has high ceilings to rooms throughout. The ground floor has a kitchen to the front of the building and cloakroom, as well as a rear bedroom, shower room, toilet and a utility room with double glazed doors to a most attractive south facing walled garden. The first floor has two bedrooms, one with feature ensuite, and the Clock Room, a central study/library room leading to an external balcony. The attractive landing leads to the minstrel gallery. The property has approximately 2,800 sq.ft. of accommodation

Fitzroy House is conveniently located on the pedestrian precinct, next to shops, banks, cafes and adjacent restaurants and hotel. There is a nearby car park to the south-east and it is within the historical centre, connecting School Hill (Lewes High Street), to the humpback bridge of Cliffe High Street. Lewes mainline Railway Station (London Victoria 1 hour, London Bridge 90 mins and Brighton 20 mins) is just a 5 minute walk. Lewes is a stunning historical town with many attractive period buildings including the Norman Castle and Anne of Cleves House, surrounded by the South Downs and the River Ouse running through and the nature park just a hundred yards away from the property. There are excellent local primary and secondary schools as well as a superb community constituting many cultural and artistic clubs and societies.

ACCOMMODATION WITH APPROXIMATE MEASUREMENTS COMPRISES:-

FIRST FLOOR

LANDING
Wood parquet flooring. Stairs to ground floor with wrought iron balustrades and wood handrail. Glazed door to minstrel gallery with side glazed panel and roof light.

BEDROOM 1
16'3 x 8'9 (4.95m x 2.67m). Stone mullioned window with secondary glazing looking to High Street precinct. High ceiling. Cast iron fireplace with stone mantle. Solid wood door.

ENSUITE BATHROOM
11'4 x 8'4 (3.45m x 2.54m). Wood casement east facing window. High 13'4 (4.06m) ceiling with exposed beam. Sunken bath with mixer taps and shower attachment, tiled splashback and glazed screen. Low level w.c. Pedestal wash basin. Deep storage cupboard with automatic light and shelves.

CLOCK ROOM
12'8 x 8' (3.86m x 2.44m). Tall stone window with secondary glazing. High 13' (3.96m) ceiling. Wood parquet flooring. Hatch to roof space. Fitted cupboard housing the clock workings and 2 walls of fitted shelves. Heating grill. Double doors to:-

BALCONY
8' x 4'6 (2.44m x 1.37m) overlooking the High Street precinct, with wrought iron handrail.

BEDROOM 2 (MAIN)
20'3 x 15'2 (6.17m x 4.62m). Double aspect room with stone mullioned and cloistered windows with secondary glazing, looking to the High Street precinct and up School Hill to the west. High 13'6 (4.11m) ceiling. Stone mantlepiece with cast iron fireplace and wood stove. Fitted shelves. Picture rail. Solid wood door and indentures to door frames. Heating grill.

OCTAGONAL SHAPED GALLERY
Overlooking the main Fitzroy Hall, an 8-sided gallery with full circular walkway and 6 circular windows. Glazed dome roof. Wood lower section with upright to a coliseum style gallery with shaped panels. Power and fluorescent lights.

GROUND FLOOR

ENTRANCE HALL
Arched door frame with double oak doors and stone arches above. Hexagon shaped ceiling and attractive stone arch with stone columns. 2 Stone arches with 2 additional gothic columns to staircase leading to first floor, with cast iron balustrades and wooden handrail. Original Victorian tiles. Radiator. Wood glazed door to:-

KITCHEN
15'1 x 6'2 min. (4.60m x 1.88m) and 11' (3.35m) ceiling height. Double stone mullion casement window with original shutters, and outlook to the High Street precinct. Stainless steel sink unit with tops to each side and pine cupboards to side and wall cupboards and shelves over. Stainless steel 4-ring gas hob with pine cupboards over. Hotpoint double oven with cupboards over and under. Marble top work surface. Pine dado panelling. Oak window to hallway.

CLOAKROOM
8'9 x 8' (2.67m x 2.44m). Double casement stone mullion window with secondary glazing. Charlotte wash basin. Low level w.c. with wooden seat. Tiled floor. Pine dado panelling. Boiler Room with Worcester gas fired boiler and Megaflow hot water cylinder.

PRIVATE READING ROOM/SITTING ROOM
20'5 x 15'6 (6.22m x 4.72m). Double aspect room with secondary glazing and original shutters. 2 Wood shaped arched beams. Cast iron fireplace and stone mantle with wooden and indentured panelling. Heating grill. TV point. Double store cupboard. Exposed wooden flooring. Double doors to shower room.

FITZROY OCTAGONAL ROOM
36'8 x 37'7 (11.18m x 11.46m) overlooked by the octagonal gallery above and the domed ceiling light. 3 Double arch windows to east and to west. Tiled floor. Exposed timber columns and ceilings to gallery. 2 Stages for functions. Arched stone window with porthole and double doors to entrance hall. 5 of 6 windows are original shutters.

REAR HALLWAY
Sloping ceiling with exposed rafters. Stone lintels and stone slabbed floor. 2 Windows to garden. Glazed double doors to courtyard.

CLOAKROOM
Window. Original chain pull WC . Wash hand basin. Tiled walls and floor.

HALLWAY
Shower cubicle. (not in use)
Storage cupboard with electric fuse box and fitted shelves.

ORIGINAL SCULLERY/UTILITY AREA
11' x 8'2 (3.35m x 2.49m). Sloping ceiling. 2 Windows to courtyard. Butlers sink. Space for fridge/freezer and tumble-dryer. Space and plumbing for washing machine. Tiled floor.

SMALL CELLAR SPACE.

BEDROOM 3
12'6 x 10'2 (3.81m x 3.10m). Double casement window with secondary glazing and diamond over light.

OUTSIDE

COURTYARD GARDEN
32'3 x 19' (9.83m x 5.79m). South facing with high brick and flint walls for privacy with doors from the utility area and bedroom corridor. Raised border with fig tree. Double doors to Friars Walk.


* Fitzroy House currently has a residential and Class D3 use for events exhibition etc. but there is narrative with the council as to extended use to follow commercial use.
* There are plans available for extending residential use to a potential 5 bedroom or 4 with annex.
* The agents and owners would then emphasise Fitzroy House to be a fabulous and unique opportunity for purchasers but needing additional funds for development.

Business Rates
Lewes District Council, Band F

Notice
Please note we have not tested any apparatus, fixtures, fittings, or services. Interested parties must undertake their own investigation into the working order of these items. All measurements are approximate and photographs provided for guidance only.