Living on the edge! Historic 19th century cliff-side villa built inside caves once used by smugglers and which operated as an air raid shelter during World War II goes on the market for £1.95m

• The refurbished Grade-II listed villa was built around 1800 on West Hill, Hastings and costs £1.95 million
• It features an orangery, private wine store, and private garden, as well as a private sauna inside a cave
• The ‘most beautifully situated’ house in the whole of Halifax is built on caves visited by The Rolling Stones

A stunning historic cliff-side villa featuring caves once occupied by smugglers and used as an air-raid shelter during the Second World War is on the market for almost £2 million.

The Grade-II listed property, West Hill Villa, was built into the sandstone bedrock of its namesake West Hill cliff in Hastings, East Sussex around 1800.

The 19th century house connects to a network of vaulted tunnels, known as the St Clements Caves, which are believed to date back to the last known Ice Age in 14,000 BC.

The earliest written reference to the caves was the tale of an old couple who took up residence inside them after being discharged from a workhouse for misbehaviour in 1783.

But the vaulted network is believed to have been used by smugglers along the south-coast of England prior to this.

The villa has an orangery, private wine store and a bathroom inside a cave which was once used for smuggling

The villa has recently been refurbished, leaving it with a mix of modern and period features, as can be seen in the open plan ground floor

Purchasing the house comes with part of the underground cave system – which has been renovated and turned into a private bathroom and sauna

The bedrooms are furnished in a Georgian style with wooden floors and a beautiful view over Hastings, East Sussex

In the 1820s, the caves were rediscovered by a local grocer named Joseph Golding who was cutting a garden seat into the side of the cliff when he broke through to the vast cavern.

By 1864 the network had become a tourist attraction – which has since been visited by the likes of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and The Rolling Stones.

During the Second World War the caves were temporarily transformed into an air raid shelter used to house up to 900 people.

Now part of the expansive network of caverns is up for grabs as West Hill Villa goes on the market with the Unique Property Company for £1.95 million.

Described by the estate agents as ‘the most beautifully situated house in Hastings Old Town’, the five-bedroom property has stunning views over the shoreline and across the sea.

Perhaps the most spectacular aspect of the property is its bathrooms – located on the lower rear side – which are built into the expansive network of caves.

Originally home to the old Hastings Pottery, the historic caves – complete with wall carvings – now form a beautifully finished bathroom space with a sauna.

The cave system is though to date back to the last ice age in 14,000 BC. Carvings and paintings can still be seen today, although it is unknown when they date from

A 90-foot orangery forms the west wing of the property and houses a fish pool as well as grapevines, banana trees and other exotic plants

The cave system is believed to have been used by smugglers – but this section is now a luxurious space with a built-in sauna, giving the owners a mini-spa in their own home

The modern glass landing and paintings match perfectly with the brickwork interior, with the bold shapes and natural beauty of the interior still being embraced by the more recent additions

Although not in a cave, the villa’s other two bedrooms are just as spacious and in a minimalist style

The house also comes with its own private garage and garden – featuring a lawned terrace, vegetable area and raised seating area – and backs onto the huge open spaces of West Hill.

Over the past year, the house has been extensively refurbished – giving it a unique mixture of period and contemporary features.

A 90-foot orangery forms the west wing of the property and houses a fish pool as well as grapevines, banana trees and other exotic plants – some of which are said to have been brought to the house by Captain James Cook, the renowned British explorer.

The orangery is said to have been used as a safe haven for plants found on his voyages before being transported to Kew Gardens.

The ground floor reception and kitchen area features four tall, south-facing, round-arched windows with uninterrupted sea views, while a spiral staircase leads up to the first floor galleried mezzanine with a separate toilet.

Unique Property Company describes the house as the ‘most beautifully situated’ in all of Hastings – and with this stunning view, it’s easy to see why

A ‘secret’ staircase ascends to the third-floor where the a main bedroom is located, along with an en-suite bathroom and an adjoining sitting room – both of these rooms feature an cast iron balcony. 

There is even an internal courtyard with a private wine store. 

Another set of stairs leads to the fourth-floor which houses a further two double bedrooms with original Georgian features and sash windows with louvred shutters.

And the top floor has dormer windows with views across the West Hill to the rear and to the sea from the front.

There’s some evidence that the Romantic artist JMW Turner painted from one of the bedrooms in the house during his stays in Hastings.

While West Hill Villa sits at the heart of Hastings Old Town, it is described as ‘a quiet and secluded home with discrete entrances and a sense of privacy.’

A spokesperson for Unique Property Company said: ‘The house is in one of Hastings most coveted areas, the ‘Old Town’.

‘It’s wonderfully historic and atmospheric, the owner has executed one of the most considered and sympathetic renovations of a period home that we’ve seen for quite some time.’

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