Lion Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7LB

A landmark building of Rye available for the first time on the open market for over 100 years. A substantial attached period property occupying a prominent position in the Conservation Area of the Ancient Town comprising a large retail space on the ground floor together with a studio/office, workshop, courtyard garden and a self-contained four-bedroom apartment over two floors.

ROOMS 675 sqft Retail space. Rear studio/office with shower room. Workshop/store. Courtyard garden. CEPC rating TBA
Self-contained first and second floor apartment: Spacious landing, Sitting room, Dining room, Kitchen/breakfast room, 2 Double bedrooms, 2 Single bedrooms, Bathroom, Shower room. EPC rating D

LOCATION The property occupies a prime trading position in the Conservation Area of the Ancient Town and Cinque Port of Rye. Lion Street is a main pedestrian flow linking the busy High Street with the Kino cinema complex and Parish Church of St Mary, the most popular visitor attraction in the town. Also in close proximity are The George hotel, the 18th century Town Hall with its open arcaded front, and several independent retailers including antiquarian bookshops, gift shops, home accessories store, gentlemen's outfitters and musical instrument store. Rye is a centre for both day and staying visitors from throughout the United Kingdom and abroad but also serves as a shopping centre for the rural hinterland including the western reaches if Romney Marsh the southern parts of the Isle of Oxney and in a westerly direction towards Battle. The town has an active local community, with the arts being strongly represented; Rye Arts Festival and Rye Jazz Festival are held annually. Local train services run from Eastbourne through Rye to Ashford where there are high speed connections to St. Pancras London in 37 minutes and from there to the Continent via Eurostar.

DESCRIPTION A substantial attached period property comprising a large retail space on the ground floor with a studio/office, workshop and courtyard garden to the rear. The first and second floors form a self-contained four bedroom apartment, as shown on the floor plan. The property has traded as HG Gasson Antiques since 1909.

GROUND FLOOR On the ground floor, there is a good-sized retail unit of about 675 sqft with a 23' wide display window fronting Lion Street and exposed floorboards. A secondary door and internal staircase leads to the apartment. To one side of the shop are a pair of double doors which open to side passage, with an old brick floor, which leads to the rear paved courtyard and an entrance door to the self-contained apartment.

Accessed from the courtyard are an attached studio/office with an adjoining shower room and a separate workshop/store.

THE APARTMENT On the first floor, there is a spacious landing, two receptions rooms each with a bay window overlooking Lion Street and a cast iron fireplace, together with a kitchen/breakfast which has a range of fitted cabinets comprising cupboards and drawers beneath counter tops, with an inset stainless-steel sink, Belling range cooker, space for a fridge freezer, washing machine, tumble drier and a wall mounted gas boiler.

On the second floor, there are two double bedrooms, two single bedrooms, a bath/shower room and a further separate shower room.

SERVICES Mains water, gas, electricity and drainage. Gas central heating (flat)

BUSINESS RATES The property is in an area administered by Rother District Council and we are advised that the current Rateable Value is £12,750. The current multiplier for 2023/24 is 49.9p in the £. The premises is eligible for Small Business Rate Relief. The residential accommodation is within Band C for Council Tax purposes.