‘Special’ Sussex home of 2 of world’s most famous actors is re-listed with new price

The family home of two of Britain’s greatest ever actors has been re-listed with a new price after being unable to sell.

Tucked away in the rolling Sussex hills in Steyning is The Malthouse, which was once the home of Dame Joan Plowright and her husband Lord Laurence Olivier.

Used by the couple when they wanted a break from the crowds of the West End and Hollywood, it went on the market last year, but remains up for sale and has now been reduced in price again.

With seven bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool and a tennis court, the “secret escape” has been dubbed “the most perfect family home”.

Who were Lord Laurence Olivier and Dame Joan Plowright?

Lord Olivier was one of the most celebrated actors of the 20th century and dominated both cinema and theatre for many years.

He had titular roles in well-known Shakespearean film adaptations such as Richard III, Henry V, and Hamlet, the latter of which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1949.

Dame Joan, meanwhile, was best known for her Golden Globe award-winning performances in TV biopic Stalin and Enchanted April, for which she was also nominated for an Academy Award.

She also starred in Love You To Death with River Phoenix, and was a star of the West End and Broadway before her international movie success, and later received a damehood in the 2004 New Year’s Honours.

The pair married in 1961, a year when they were working at Chichester Festival Theatre and living in Brighton with their two children, with a third born in 1963.

The couple bought The Malthouse for Dame Joan’s parents to live in, with the family staying there on weekends and school holidays.

Dame Joan Plowright with Lord Laurence Olivier lived in the Malthouse in Sussex together (Image: Supplied)

At the time, it was two separate, small cottages, with Lord Olivier buying two surrounding fields before spending years renovating them all into one house, which now overlooks four-and-a-half acres.

After Olivier retired from the stage in 1974, the couple lived at the Sussex home between film jobs.

Lord Olivier died in 1989, aged 82, at his home in the village of Ashurst, near Steyning.

Dame Joan’s death came at the age of 95 in January last year, with the actress’s family paying tribute to her following her death.

They said she “cherished” her last ten years in Sussex “with constant visits from friends and family, filled with much laughter and fond memories”.

Sussex home of iconic actors is re-listed with new price

The Malthouse went on sale last year through TLC estate agents after Dame Joan’s death, originally listed for offers around £1.75 million

Now, it has been slashed in price to around £1.5 million after having little success, the property’s estate agent, Toby Brown of tlc estate agents, told The Telegraph.

The Malthouse has been re-listed with a new price after being unable to sell (Image: TLC)

He said that the country house market is oversaturated and “competitive”, which led to the property being taken off the market.

With spring coming, the company has decided to try again, with a £250,000 discount to reflect the “nuts and bolts of the market”.

The listing says that the property boasts seven bedrooms, three receptions, two kitchens, five bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool and a tennis court.

It says: “Approaching the property, at the end of a country track is somewhat unassuming, until you meander through the high-mazed, hedgerow passageway leading up to the house itself, which then starts to unwrap a multi-layered present, which keeps on giving.

“Favourite rooms for the family include their cosy snug dining room, with it’s beautiful dark beamed panelling and roaring fireplace.

“Many a theatrical dinner party has been hosted here, creating countless treasured memories.”

In 2017, Dames Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins and Joan Plowright herself filmed Roger Michell’s charming documentary Nothing Like a Dame in the house.

Dames Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright, Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench were all the the home as part of the documentary Nothing Like a Dame (Image: BBC/PA)

Other acting greats, including Sir Ian McKellen and Paul Newman, have also visited.

The first-floor master bedroom is dubbed a “showstopper of a space”, with “breathtaking panoramic views of the Sussex Down”.

There are also several outbuildings, including a self-contained yoga/art studio, an industrial-size utility room and an indoor swimming pool.

The tennis court is said to “need a little TLC before it’s grand slam ready”.

Open House viewings are from April 23 to 25, from 9am til 6pm, with offers to be received in writing by Monday, May 12, by 12 noon.

Call or email Toby Brown to arrange your private viewing appointment, with further information on the TLC website (linked above).

Richard Olivier discusses the sale of his father Laurence’s ‘special’ Sussex home

The couple’s son, Richard, spoke about the property, his memories there and who he thinks the ideal buyer would be.

The family once had dinner with Paul Newman in the dining room of the Malthouse (Image: TLC)

He told The Telegraph: “Dad designed the whole garden himself.

“He spent hours tending the rose gardens – his favourite – the lime trees, and beeches.

“He made it a very landscaped environment as well as a beautiful family home.”

He added that swimming was a “godsend” for his father in later life, who had a pool installed in the grounds.

Richard also spoke of his memories at the house, both as a child and later in life, having lived at the property himself for two years with his wife and son.

He said: “It’s a very generous place to host.

“I remember a raucous 80th birthday party there with Sir John Mills, Zoë Wanamaker, Gawn Grainger and a few other close friends.

“There were 20 of us stretching across the dining room area into the sitting room.”

He added: “It’s a very special place on many levels.

“Dad was incredibly happy there at the end of his life.”

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