Could this be Worthing's oldest home?

14 Sep, 2026

Every so often, a property comes to market that feels genuinely irreplaceable. The Old House in Ashacre Lane, formerly known as Salvington Grange, is one such home, a remarkable building believed to have stood in Worthing for more than 600 years.

Ashacre Lane pictured above Circa 1912-1915 shortly after it was returned to one residence having been divided into Cutlers Cottages

Thought to date from around 1380–1420, this Grade II listed residence is believed to have begun life as a Wealden open hall house, a style typically built for prosperous yeoman farmers and tradesmen across Sussex and Kent during the late medieval period.

In its earliest form, the house would have looked very different. The central hall is thought to have been completely open to the roof, creating a dramatic double height communal space. There would have been no conventional fireplace or chimney; instead, an open hearth sat on the floor, with smoke rising into the rafters before escaping through gaps in the roof.

Over the centuries, the building evolved with the changing expectations of its occupants. During the Tudor period, a floor was inserted into the original open hall, while substantial brick chimney stacks transformed the way the house was heated. Later additions, gables and extensions gradually created the extraordinary home seen today.

Some of its surviving details are particularly intriguing...

The great inglenook contains burn marks which may be examples of apotropaic marks, sometimes known as “witch marks”. Such marks were historically created as a form of ritual protection, particularly against fire, lightning and misfortune. One theory suggests that deliberately scorching a timber symbolically showed that fire had already visited the house and therefore need not return.

Throughout the property, ancient beams display carpenters’ marks, including Roman numerals used to identify timbers during construction. One substantial beam is even believed to show unusually complex joinery that has led to speculation that it may once have formed part of a ship.

Perhaps the most intriguing story surrounds carved initials on an old timber within one of the vaulted bedrooms. The letters “J.H.V” have prompted the tantalising suggestion of a connection to the reign of Henry V, who is known to have travelled through the wider Salvington area on his journey towards Portsmouth before the Agincourt campaign in 1415. There is no confirmed evidence linking the inscription directly to the king, but it remains one of the house’s most fascinating mysteries.

Each gable is also said to contain a bottle beneath the ridge tiles, possibly placed there during historic “topping out” ceremonies celebrating the completion of building works.

By 1765, the property had reportedly been divided into homes known as Cutlers Cottages, occupied by at least 17 people. It was returned to a single residence in 1911, and during the Second World War was occupied by the Canadian Air Force. Remarkably, faint lettering reading “To All Ranks” can apparently still be seen on a rear kitchen door, believed to distinguish the entrance used by enlisted personnel from that used by officers.

Today, nearly six centuries of history sit comfortably alongside modern family living. The current owners significantly modernised the house in 2012, creating a spectacular split-level kitchen, dining and family space, while retaining the exposed beams, fireplaces and architectural details that make the property so special.

With six double bedrooms, three reception rooms, secluded mature gardens, extensive parking, a garage and an original capped well, the house offers both extraordinary history and exceptional everyday living.

Now offered for sale for only the second time since 1911, this is not simply a remarkable Worthing home.

It is a house filled with facts, legends, unanswered questions, and almost 600 years of stories still waiting to be told.

Being offered for sale just twice since 1911, The Old House is preparing for its next chapter. The only question now is: Who gets to write the next Chapter?

Full details of the property can be found in the listing here. Ashacre Lane, Worthing

Images / facts for this blog have been kindly supplied by the current property owners.