This apartment on England’s south coast is designed for entertaining – it was formerly an army officer’s private ballroom.

The ground-floor flat sits inside East Sussex manor house Caple ne Ferne, which was built in 1879 for Major Robert Tubbs. The red-brick Victorian manse was designed by architects Jeffery and Skiller, and according to Historic England, was bought by the London Omnibus Company in 1922 then later expanded.

Caple ne Ferne’s interiors were particularly noteworthy (earning the building Grade II designation) and the building has recently been converted into eight individual dwellings.

This flat retains the dining room’s soaring ceilings, double-height windows and rich wood panelling. Chevron oak flooring unifies the open-plan kitchen, living room and dining area, while the bedroom incorporates ceramic tiles and black marble shelving from the ballroom’s heyday.

The apartment is on sale for £340,000 via The Modern House and is in the centre of St Leonards-on-sea, a short walk from the seafront.

London loft with rugged industrial bones lists for £1.995m