Clayton Court Clayton Court Liss Re-Format were appointed to design the sensitive redevelopment of Clayton Court, Hill Brow, within the South Downs National Park. The scheme will deliver 18 new homes through the conversion and refurbishment of historic buildings, alongside carefully considered landscape improvements. Proposals balance the preservation of heritage assets with the delivery of much-needed homes. By focusing on conversion and refurbishment rather than large-scale new build, the scheme ensures a sustainable and sensitive future for this historic estate within the National Park. The main house, built in the late 19th century and later extended, has served various uses, including a care home. The proposals will see Clayton Court House converted into twelve dwellings, comprising four townhouses within the 1960s extension and eight apartments in the main house. The scheme is designed to restore the historic character of the building, removing unsympathetic later additions and reinstating the green corridor that once separated the house from the Coach House. Parking will be discreetly integrated into the landscape through new green-roofed structures, while the surrounding grounds will be enhanced with restored terraced lawns, the historic walled garden, and refurbished leisure facilities including the swimming pool and tennis court. The Coach House will be refurbished and extended to create a single five-bedroom family home, accompanied by a new pool house and guest annex within the walled garden. In the south-west corner of the estate, the Farmery includes a cottage, piggery, and mid-20th-century outbuildings. The proposals here aim to revitalise the model farm into family homes while enhancing biodiversity near the adjacent Ancient Woodland. Redundant outbuildings and areas of hardstanding will be removed and replaced with native planting and improved woodland buffers. The Cottage, also known as Clayton Court Lodge, will be refurbished and extended to form a detached family home. The Piggery will be converted into a four-bedroom house, with a sensitive new extension built partly on the footprint of a former structure. The workshop buildings and cattle sheds will also be refurbished to provide three further dwellings. A landscape-led approach underpins the development. Historic features such as the lime avenue, walled garden, and formal terraces will be reinstated, while biodiversity will be improved through native planting, the removal of conifers, and restoration of the woodland edge. The project will respect the South Downs setting by preserving long-range views and ensuring minimal light pollution in line with the Dark Skies Statement. It will also embrace sustainable construction methods, careful soil management, and strategies that enhance ecological resilience.
