Foyle's War Hastings house on sale at massive 785k

Publish date: 2024-09-21

You half expect Christopher Foyle to emerge from the front door at any moment, to join sidekick Sam waiting outside in the car. 

And so distinctive is the double-fronted Grade II listed house that portrayed the home of the Forties detective in ITV drama series Foyle’s War, that many fans visit it to picture such a scene.

The four-bedroom property –which is in Hastings in East Sussex, exactly where the drama was set – is now being sold for the first time in more than a century, having been in the same family for three generations. 

This Grade II listed property portrayed the home of detective Christopher Foyle in ITV drama Foyle¿s War

This Grade II listed property portrayed the home of detective Christopher Foyle in ITV drama Foyle’s War

It was bought by the grandfather of current owner so he could run his business supplying London with fish from the English Channel.

‘When I first heard they wanted to use the house for a new TV show, I thought it was a joke,’ says the current owner, Jane Colts-Tegg, 63. 

‘Location scouts knocked on the door one day and asked my father if they could take some pictures of the exterior.

‘When he told me about it later, I didn’t believe what he was saying and just dismissed it. Then this chap called Donald rang me up. 

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'He was the location manager for Foyle’s War. He said he liked the fact the house was on the corner and could be shot from different angles.

‘It was no joke, and the filming of Foyle’s War was to become a wonderful, integral part of my life for the next ten years.’

It’s easy to see why the striking property was so appealing to the makers of Foyle’s War, with its unusual curved frontage and original features such as its window shutters.

‘The exterior of the property didn’t need many changes before shooting began,’ Jane says. ‘The front door was originally a dark blue, but they decided to paint it black. I actually preferred it black and asked them to leave it when filming was finished.

‘Although they didn’t actually film inside, they had to ensure the hallway looked right because it could be seen when the front door was opened. 

Starring roles: The drama featured Michael Kitchen as Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle (right) and Honeysuckle Weeks as his driver, Sam (left)

Starring roles: The drama featured Michael Kitchen as Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle (right) and Honeysuckle Weeks as his driver, Sam (left)

They had to dull down any white gloss on the dado rail and the skirting board and change the colour of the walls. After the first series, they had a fake wall made and placed it inside the front door when filming.’

The imposing townhouse nestles in the heart of the seaside resort’s Old Town. And walking up the hilly Croft Road, where the house is located, it doesn’t take a detective to figure out why the show’s producers dubbed it ‘Steep Lane’. 

It is, however, a charming, quiet street full of quirky period properties bursting with individuality and character.

The house, set over four floors, not only has a view of Hastings seafront, with its picture-postcard wooden fishing huts and boats, it also boasts views of the town’s East Hill.

‘From his study, my grandfather could see the fishing boats coming back with their day’s catch,’ Jane says. ‘He’d then head down to the beach where he’d pack the fish up and send it to London.’

The property, built in the 1820s, boasts three reception rooms, a period central staircase and open fireplaces. 

Jane believes the house, on the market for £785,000 with Hastings estate agents Just Property, could appeal to an entrepreneurial buyer wanting to make capital from its association with Foyle’s War, which starred Michael Kitchen as Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle and Honeysuckle Weeks as his driver, Sam.

‘It would make a fabulous guest house,’ says Jane, whose father passed away in 2002. ‘You could be buying into a really nice business. The show is still really popular with fans, especially in the States – they love it over there.’

With so much of her family’s history entwined in the house, it hasn’t been an easy decision for Jane to sell up.

‘I love the house,’ she says. ‘It has a really nice feel. However, as you get older you need to think about the future and with the house being over four floors, it’s really too big for me.’

The property, built in the 1820s, boasts three reception rooms, a period central staircase and open fireplaces

The property, built in the 1820s, boasts three reception rooms, a period central staircase and open fireplaces

She adds: ‘If somebody bought this house, they would not only buying a piece of history and a lovely old house, they would be investing in a wonderful local community. 

'Hastings Old Town has a real village feel to it, with so many great things going on. It really is a fun place to live.’

Tom Williams, of Just Property in Hastings Old Town, says the town is enjoying a house price boom. ‘It’s seeing impressive rises and is being talked of as the new, upcoming hotspot on the South Coast,’ he adds.

‘Since the start of 2015, prices have risen by about ten per cent. People find they can get more for their money in Hastings than in London, and there is currently not enough stock to cater for demand. 

'Prices are also helped by the fact that the town is within striking distance of Brighton and London – and, of course, you get to live by the sea.’

 

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