My country life: Phillippa Dalby-Welsh

Where do you live – and what do you love about it?
We live in the East Sussex countryside, eight miles from the sea and 12 miles from the South Downs. It’s delightfully pretty and deeply rural – there’s no light pollution, which is magical, and the stars are amazing. We’re within walking distance of a village with a coffee shop, an excellent local pub, a restaurant, a hairdresser and an antiques shop, so we often pop over at the weekend.

What’s your backstory?
I moved to London in 2005 to start my career with Savills. Since then, I’ve run a cluster of central London offices and a country region, working with a huge range of properties and clients across town and country markets. I took over as head of the Country Department in January 2023.

Tell us a bit about your house?
It’s not a grand house – it’s on a parcel of land that was hived off from a larger estate. It’s brick on the outside and there’s a little outbuilding with a roof that sinks in the middle – that’s my husband’s zone. Inside, we have an array of beams and nothing is particularly square – it’s all a bit higgledy-piggledy. Each room has little quirks. My husband and I both love the character. When we moved in we were given a package containing every deed for every owner since the house was built in 1777. They’re on parchment, with wax seals – so beautiful.

What made you move to the country?
Both my husband and I had a rural upbringing, so we always intended to move back to the countryside. I see that nostalgic draw in a lot of our clients, too. When our second child was born, we needed more space, both inside and out. I’ve been through the bruising process of losing out on houses in competitive bidding scenarios, and had to spread my search across several counties, so I can totally empathise with what our clients go through.

What makes the perfect country house?
Lots of things. For me, the setting is always disproportionately important. We have a lovely magnolia tree at the front of our house and the garden at the back looks out to the fields beyond. Light in a house is important – which is an odd thing to say when my home has some very dark parts, but they have a cosiness. The views from your rooms and garden are vital too. The landscape is crucial to my enjoyment of where I live.

Can you describe your interior design style?
My interior is a work in progress – probably because my husband and I have so many ideas, we can’t settle on which to choose. I’m quite traditional: I love Todhunter Earle, for example, that sort of look and feel. I love colour too, but I’m probably not the best at working out how to use it – I find doing that for myself much harder than thinking about it for other people. I love mixtures of textures and fabrics. When we moved from London we left lots of furniture behind. The people who lived in our Sussex house before us had been here 30 years – they had certain pieces that worked really well and they sold those to us. And we went antiques-hunting in Lewes several times, which was amazing. I love the Emporium Antiques Centre there.

What’s your favourite thing about working in country property?
There are so many things. The variety – architectural variety, the variety of locations, the variety of lifestyles and the clients that I deal with: that’s the most enriching part of my job. No one sale, house, client or challenge is the same as the next, but you build up a bank of experience that you can draw on. I love history, so the history of a house is one of the key factors for me. And these are places where you build memories.

If you were to move somewhere else, where would it be?
I’ve always loved Dorset and the Jurassic Coast – it’s the landscape and the smattering of little villages that draw me. I like the idea of living on the coast, and the Dorset-Wiltshire border really appeals. I also love the Cotswolds, which is where I grew up. Community is important to me wherever I live.

Any tips for local food and pubs?
We have a lot of tiny vineyards near us, as well as bigger ones: Henners in Herstmonceux, Rathfinny in Alfriston, which is absolutely beautiful, and Chapel Down in Small Hythe. Some have restaurants, but they also do mini tastings with snacks on the side. We like to buy local: we’ve got good farm shops near us, and there’s a great company called Sussex Larder, which does exceptional produce. We’re spoilt for choice with pubs: there’s the White Hart in Netherfield, the Brewers Arms in Herstmonceux and the Eight Bells in Jevington, which is a favourite if we’re doing a big South Downs walk.

What’s your favourite time of year in the country?
It’s autumn – the changing of the leaves. After a wonderful summer there’s a sort of settling down in the autumn. And the colours of the landscape here are beautiful.

PHILLIPPA DALBY-WELSH,
HEAD OF COUNTRY HOUSE DEPARTMENT
PDWelsh@savills.com +44 (0) 20 7330 8659

Pictures from top: Phillippa Dalby-Welsh; Seaford cliff and the beach below in East Sussex (Getty); splashes of colour in a Todhunter Earle interior; Rathfinny Wine Estate in Alfriston; and the White Hart in Netherfield