Marine Court, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex

Set in a Grade II-listed art deco building on the seafront in St Leonards-on-Sea, this light-filled two-bedroom penthouse apartment has a wraparound balcony with far-reaching ocean views. Designed by Kenneth Dalgleish and Roger K Pullen, it was completed in 1938. Marine Court is currently undergoing an extensive and carefully managed refurbishment to restore the building to its original glory.

The Building

The first foundations of Marine Court were laid in 1936, with construction completed in 1938. An early pioneer of steel-frame construction, the building is 14 storeys high and sits broadside to the seafront. Its form was took inspiration from the Queen Mary, a transatlantic cruise ship which entered commercial service in 1936. The east end of Marine Court is shaped to imitate the curved, stacked bridge front of the Queen Mary; the eastern restaurant and ballroom served to imitate the fo’c’sle deck of the ship and played host to gigs by Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie.

The Tour

Entry to the apartment is via a lift that ascends to the 11th floor. Many of the apartments original features have been retained, including its doorbell and floorboards.

On entering the living room, the incredible south-facing balcony can be seen through sliding glazed doors. Forever returning the eye to the remarkable sea views beyond, the glazing draws in a wonderful quality of natural light throughout the day.

The kitchen has been sensitively renovated, with white curved cabinetry mimicking the frontage of the building. Appliances have been neatly integrated within. A door from here provides another point of access out to a rear terrace with views across to the cliffs over the town's rooftops.

There are two bright spacious bedrooms. One overlooks the seafront, while the other is at the rear of the plan. In the bathroom, black and white chequerboard tiles and Lefroy Brooks sanitary ware gesture towards the building’s art deco heritage.

Outdoor Space

The expansive south-facing balcony provides dramatic views across the glinting ocean. The horizon stretches for miles, and from its vantage point at the end of the building the balcony has almost 360-degree views over to Hastings, Beachy Head and the rest of the town. The balcony spans the width of the frontage, with plenty of room for year-round entertaining, sunbathing and stargazing.

The Area

St. Leonards-on-Sea is a popular seaside town, partly due to its proximity to London but also because of its beautiful Regency architecture. Developer-architect James Burton and his son Decimus developed the resort in the early 19th century with echoes of London’s Marylebone and Belgravia, where they had previously practised. The apartment is directly opposite the pebble beach at St Leonards, with sand at low tide.

Marine Court is a short walk from Norman Road and King’s Road, home to a growing number of independent delicatessens, bars, pubs, and restaurants. Highlights include Kino-Teatr, which combines an independent cinema with exhibition space and a wonderful café, Graze on Grand, and The Royal, which has a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide. There is an abundance of 20th-century furniture shops and galleries featuring local and established artists. Marine Court itself has a parade of shops, galleries and restaurants on street level including Dark Circles for vinyls and coffee and cake.

Hastings is a short walk away along the wide modernist promenade with an upper and lower deck running from St Leonard’s to Hastings. Goat Ledge beside the beach and Starsky and Hatch in the iconic Bottle Alley are just two of the café-bars to watch the sea and passersby from.

The area’s rejuvenation is perhaps best illustrated by the additions of Hastings Contemporary by HAT Projects, which opened in 2012 as Jerwood Gallery, and a new RIBA Stirling Prize-winning pier by dRMM which opened in 2016. Bexhill-on-Sea, home to the 1930s art deco icon the De La Warr Pavilion, is a bike ride away along the promenade.

Direct train services from Warrior Square, St Leonards-on-Sea (a 17-minute walk) reach London Charing Cross and London Bridge in approximately an hour and a half, and Brighton in around an hour.

Tenure: Share of Freehold
Lease Length: Approx. 980 years remaining
Service Charge: Approx. £10,000 per annum. The service charge includes the costs of the Marine Court renovation programme; a 10-year renovation programme which is now in its third year
Council Tax Band: B