Victorian starchitect R Norman Shaw designed this sprawling Queen Anne revival mansion on the slopes of the South Downs, drawing inspiration from the ancient wooded landscape of the Sussex Weald.

Gorehill House was designed in 1871 for Henry Upton, solicitor and agent to Lord Leconfield of Petworth House. At the time, Shaw was one of the biggest names in architecture. His designs include the New Scotland Yard building in Whitehall and Cragside House in Northumberland, and his eclectic influence was rippling across the Atlantic.

Shaw combined elements of Arts and Crafts, Georgian, Tudor and Medieval architecture in his buildings, and the nine-bedroom Gorehill House – for sale via Inigo for £5m – is a prime example of his work. Beamed gables, brick chimneys and a canonical roof combined with mullioned floor-to-ceiling windows on the ground floor rooms and a gothic arched entrance to create a theatrical and homely facade that fits into the rural setting..

Interior details of the 8,000 sq ft Sussex property include original floor tiles and stained glass windows in a chequered design that dapples the entranceway with colour. Open fireplaces, mouldings and cornices, and soaring ceilings help exaggerate the nine-bedroom home’s grand proportions, while rooms are orientated to celebrate the incredible views across the mansion’s nine-acre gardens.

A mix of landscaped formal Victorian garden – including a kitchen garden, greenhouses and growing beds – and paddocks envelop Gorehill House in a blanket of greenery, with the protected South Downs in the distance.

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