Historic Georgian house once used by Prime Minister Harold Macmillan as private retreat lists for £1.59 million
A five-bedroom Georgian house in West Sussex that served as a discreet country retreat for former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan has been listed for sale at £1,590,000.
Eastergate House, a Grade II listed property spanning more than 6,000 square feet, was home to Sir Philip de Zulueta and his wife Lady Marie-Louise during the 1950s and 1960s. Sir Philip served as private secretary for foreign affairs to three successive prime ministers—Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, and Alec Douglas-Home—from 1955 to 1964.
During this period, Macmillan, who served as Prime Minister from January 1957 to October 1963, frequently used the house as a private escape from Westminster. Police vehicles would line Church Lane during his visits to provide security for the prime minister.
The property still contains a bedroom door believed to have been used by Macmillan, reinforced with a hidden metal plate running its entire length for security purposes. This physical reminder of the house's political past remains intact more than six decades later.
The house sits within a conservation area approximately six miles east of Chichester, near St George's Church and opposite Tithe Barn and Manor Farm. The village of Eastergate, home to around 3,500 residents, has stood for more than a millennium and lies between Chichester and Arundel.
A building was first recorded on the site in the early 18th century. The property evolved over 170 years, and by 1890 the recognisable three-bay fronted flint house had taken shape. The Grade II listing classifies it as nationally important and of special interest—a designation applied to approximately 92% of all listed buildings in England.
Political intrigue and scandal
The house's connection to political history extends beyond Macmillan's visits. During the early 1960s, while the Profumo affair dominated headlines, Christine Keeler was rumoured to be hiding at a country house in the South Downs, not far from Eastergate House.
The scandal, which saw Secretary of State for War John Profumo admit to an affair with Keeler and lying about it to Parliament in March 1963, proved devastating for Macmillan's government. Profumo resigned in June 1963, and Macmillan himself stepped down in October of that year, citing ill health. The affair severely damaged the credibility of his Conservative government and contributed to Labour's victory in the 1964 general election.
During his premiership, Macmillan presided over a period of post-war prosperity characterised by high growth and low unemployment—an era he famously captured with the phrase "You've never had it so good."
Modern family home
The current owners purchased Eastergate House in 2009 after relocating from South Africa. They sought a property with ample space for raising children, proximity to good schools, and convenient access to shops, a station and work.
One owner said the house has been ideal for entertaining, hosting numerous dinners, garden parties, and milestone birthday celebrations over 16 years. The family is now downsizing as their children complete university.
The property features five bedrooms, four bathrooms and five reception rooms. Additional spaces include an orangery, butler's pantry, larder, breakfast room, games room, boot room, cloakroom, cellars and laundry room.
South-facing reception rooms benefit from abundant natural light and retain period features including fireplaces, fitted bookcases, ornamental plasterwork and window bays with cushioned seating. The orangery, located east of the sitting room, features exposed brick and flint work, a vaulted glazed roof, and double doors opening onto the garden.
The kitchen contains matching units with polished stone worksurfaces, a central island, and a Rangemaster cooker set within a tiled chimney breast recess. The original bell semaphore remains visible in the kitchen.
The property sits within 0.8 acres of walled gardens. Eastergate village offers a local shop, pub and primary school, with both Chichester and Arundel nearby.
Mark Astley, director and head of West Sussex and Hampshire Waterfront at Jackson-Stops estate agents, said it is unusual for a property with such high-profile political connections to reach the market, particularly one where that history remains tangible through features like the reinforced security door.
He expects the house to appeal to buyers who value the character and provenance of a genuine period property whilst requiring generous and flexible space for modern family life.
