The Old House, Heene Road, Worthing
About 1882 George Truefitt acquired a double plot at the junction of Heene Road and Manor Road, Worthing. on part of which stood “The Priory” listed in Long’s Directory of 1892 as in the occupation of T Bushley. He then incorporated parts of the original structure to form the house which became his residence in July 1893. The house was unusual for the time in being entirely on one floor, in effect a bungalow. Also unusual was the total lack of any form of vehicular access to the site, perhaps giving credence to Constance’s tale of being refused a carriage. The house was demolished in the 1960s. however plans and photographs held by the Truefitt family provide an indication of its layout. A sketch of the old buildings on the site by Truefitt includes the note “Old Buildings out of which GT made The Old House.”
The undated Site Plan held by the family must have been created after 1897 – the master bedroom (Where baby was born) and baby room only became relevant when his last child was born. This plan also shows the north plot, separated by a wall, and still undeveloped.
The principal entrance to the site is through an old iron gate on Heene Road, and a path to the north of the bedroom wing running east west and now having been extended to the boundary on Heene Road. Internally, a corridor ran parallel to the path giving access to the Master Bedroom, Baby’s Room and Guest Bedroom. The entrance door marked the boundary with service rooms including bathroom and WC, kitchen, scullery and servant’s bedroom extending further eastwards.
On Truefitt’s drawing of the old buildings is shown a square tower rising above ridge level to the south of the main block. This appears to have been adapted to form the drawing room, the principal room of the house with a high ceiling under a tall pyramid roof which catslides down on its eastern side, linked to the front door by a short corridor from which the dining room kitchen and breakfast room were accessed. Between the kitchen and dining room was a narrow light well filled with ferns.
The house was built largely of Sussex flints set in rows with a double course of brick at intervals, a method of construction still commonly found in the district in for example the boundary walls. Slates covered the bedroom wing and re tiles the remainder while the upper part of the drawing room has half-timber work to Truefitt’s own designs while a glass conservatory with a simple pitched roof wrapped round the south-east corner.
Reference https://www.meta-synthesis.com/george_truefitt/index.php
Reference Tszwai So The Architecture of Victorian architect George Truefitt (1824-1902)” 2017