The Old Stout House

Rye, East Sussex | Sleeps 8 | Bedrooms 4 | Parking: No  | Pet friendly: Yes | Wi-Fi: Yes
From £260 to £400 per night (Minimum stay 2-4 nights)

Description

The Old Stout House is a timber-framed, black-clad historic building right in the heart of Rye. It was built in the 1700’s and was originally a Public House, but has been through many incarnations since. It has now been painstakingly renovated and restored in colourful, boho-luxe style – keeping all of the wonderful period features (original floorboards, twisting stairs, beams and fireplaces), but adding modern comforts, interesting vintage and antique finds, and designer touches. The house offers guests four huge king-sized bedrooms, three luxurious bathrooms (two ensuite), a large dining room in what was once the pub cellar, modern kitchen and a private, south-facing, enclosed Mediterranean-style garden. This is a boutique-hotel chic, destination stay, with all the eclectic delights of Rye on its doorstep.
Set over four storeys, the layout of the house allows larger groups plenty of space to relax, as well as sociable spaces to enjoy together. The owner has an incredible eye for detail, and an eclectic and vibrant style; every corner of this property is planned for maximum comfort and cleverly accessorised with finds from Anthropologie & House of Hackney, alongside vintage pieces. The huge sitting room is filled with colourful velvet sofas, and there are cosy reading nooks in the bedrooms, too. Floors are wonky, walls are wayward and straight lines are rare, but the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The Old Stout House is certain to provide guests with an unforgettable stay.

Features

Lower Ground Floor

Kitchen: A light, bright, modern space that is well-equipped with range cooker, large fridge freezer, microwave, washer-dryer, Italian stove top espresso maker and milk frother – plus plenty of kitchenware whether you are cooking up brunch, a feast or baking a cake. There also a huge walk-in pantry in the dining room that gives plenty of space to store groceries, and the owners provide enough store cupboard essentials such as tea, coffee, salt & pepper, dishwasher tables to kick start your stay.

Dining Room: Once the old pub scullery, the dining room is wonderfully atmospheric, and the owner has provided stylish table seating for eight, and designer tableware. 

Cloakroom.

Ground Floor 

Sitting room: A large room with beautiful bay window, and a selection of comfortable, colourful velvet sofas. There is no TV (there is a TV License, should you wish to stream a movie), but the space is amply supplied with games from giant checkers to poker and chess. 

Bedroom One: Kingsized bedroom with huge ensuite featuring a double shower and slipper bath. 

First Floor

Bedroom Two: Kingsized bedroom, with sofa. 

Bedroom Three: Twin room.

Second (top) Floor

Bedroom four: Kingsized bedroom with ensuite shower room

Family Bathroom: With slipper bath and shower

Outside

Beautiful, south facing, Mediterranean-style, fully-enclosed garden with mains-wired festoon lights over the whole space. Generous table and seating for eight, plus extra relaxed seating dotted about – plus outdoor cushions and recycled wool Tweedmill blankets for chilly evenings. With lots of mature palms and olive trees, the garden is a real sun trap. 

Please note

In the centre of Rye, close to the train station, and only footsteps away from the famous cobbled streets at its heart, The Old Stout House is a relative youngster at a mere 275-years-old compared to some of Rye’s ancient houses. But please do remember that nevertheless, its timber-framed (not modern brick built) construction and very narrow medieval pavements mean it’s less sound-proofed than modern homes. You will hear some traffic noise, especially in rush hour, despite the double glazing and modern insulation! 

Parking

There is no private parking at the Old Stout House, but there is parking available just three minutes’ walk away.

Children

This is an old house with narrow, steep, twisting stairs in places so please take this into consideration.

Location

The Old Stout House is in the centre of Rye, just moments from the citadel and a three-minute walk from the train station (so easily accessible for breaks without a car). Trains from London to Rye take just over an hour (changing at Ashford International). The house is in the heart of great cafés, restaurants, historic pubs and incredible shopping and antique hunting in the town’s cobbled streets.

Rye is often described as one of England’s ‘best kept secrets’. There is plenty to keep you occupied here for a weekend break – but as the town is nestled between the rolling Sussex countryside and the coast, it is perfect for a longer stay and as a base to explore Camber Sands, Hastings, Dungeness and well as the historic houses, gardens and chocolate box villages. Great walking, cycling, bird-watching and wild swimming are all in easy reach, too.

Things to do

The Rye Heritage Centre is a good place to start your visit here, as it gives a flavour of Rye’s history. Or the Rye Castle Museum, which is based in Ypres Tower (known affectionately as Wipers Tower by the locals), from which there are some great views of the town. The cobbled streets have names that give lots of clues as to the town’s origins – Mermaid Street, Wish Street, and Watchbell Lane. The half-timbered medieval houses that line those streets are much photographed, and rightly so. 

Rye is well known as a shopping destination, thanks to the range of wonderful independent shops. Find everything from jewellery and antiques to unique homeware.  There are events taking place throughout the year – from the Rye Bay Scallop Festival, which takes place in February, to art festivals, and a large procession for bonfire night. 

This was once a port, but changing coastal patterns mean that Rye is now a distance from the sea. However the coast is still within easy reach. The Rye Nature Reserve is comprised of wetlands and saltmarshes, as well as some beautiful coastline. Gorgeous Camber Sands, with its miles of sandy dunes, is just a 10 minute drive away. Dungeness is also nearby, home to Derek Jarman’s famous and much-photographed coastal garden, as well as an important nature reserve. Up and coming Hastings has a wonderful Old Town. 

Head inland to the countryside, and there are miles of glorious walks with plenty of glorious country pubs at the end of them! As well as historic houses such as Sissinghurst and Great Dixter (both with notable gardens). The Kent & Sussex steam railway is a draw for children and railway enthusiasts alike. 

Food & Drink

Rye is a popular destination for dedicated food lovers, and The Old Stout House is surrounded by excellent cafés and restaurants. Kick off your sightseeing with breakfast or brunch at the Mermaid Street Café, on one of the towns’ most picturesque streets. And pop back later for a drink at The Mermaid pub which has a rich and varied history – there is even a secret passage to the nearby Ye Old Bell Inn, thanks to a long association with smugglers. The Ypres Castle Inn (The ‘Wipers’ if you’re a local…) is a pretty building that has a great view over Romney Marsh. The Rye Waterworks was once the town’s pumphouse, but is now a micropub serving local ales and cider. 

The George is a stylish gastropub, whose modern British menu features a range of local meat and seafood. Hoof offers farm to table dining, with produce from their own farm just four miles away. Webbe’s at the Fish Café is a must for fish and chips.

Sussex is wine country! So why not sample a drop or two at one of the many local vineyards – try Charles Palmer, Gusbourne or Chapel Down, which also hosts a fine food shop stocking the best of local produce.

The property was beautiful! Especially the deck – a perfect hangout spot for drinks. There were also fairly lights which made it super cute and magical in the evenings! The property is near a supermarket called Jempsons and there are a lot of country pubs less than 5 mins walk away – all very good. The property is quite centrally located and only took us 15 mins to visit the nearby vineyards like gusbourne. Each room had lots of character. For those who like Harry Potter, there’s a room with a fireplace akin to that of the ministry of magic. Also there is a dark green bathroom that reminds of of the slytherin common room! The host Nicola is very good at communicating and let us check in early. Absolutely loved this place and would happily come back!

Really beautiful and pristine property and lovely host. Lots of helpful info and recommendations which helped make our trip very memorable. 

Beautiful house, full of character in a perfect location – My friends and I had a wonderful stay in the Old Stout House. The owner has done an amazing job of renovating this beautifully eclectic property – everything has been carefully curated down to the last detail and the results are stunning. The location of the property could not be more perfect – close to the station, close to the supermarket and close to the gorgeous shops and pubs along the high street. We were also lucky to have warm(ish) weather for the duration of the weekend and so were able to sit outside in the lovely garden. All in all, it was a brilliant weekend – thank you!

A beautiful home, perfect location, great communication and overall we had the best time! We will definitely be back. It’s actually better than the photos. Curated to perfection.

We had a wonderful stay at Nicola’s. The house is beautiful and lovingly renovated. Perfect location in town. We loved the bathrooms, kitchen and garden in particular. Nicola is a great host, very friendly and helpful. Check in was also seamless. Would recommend!