King Edward VII Estate sits within the South Downs National Park (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) in West Sussex. The estate comprises a unique mix of Grade II and II* listed buildings which have been restored and converted into luxury residences, combining original features with modern specifications.

King Edward VII Sanatorium, the first building on the estate, was constructed between 1903 and 1906. Designed by Percy Adams and Charles Holden, the building reflects the latest clinical ideas in the treatment of tuberculosis. At the time when the sanatorium was designed it was heralded as a significant advancement in the treatment of the sick, where the importance of rest, relaxation, fresh air and light were incorporated into the buildings and surroundings as these were seen as equally important to the treatment of patients as the medical intervention.

The hospital incorporates a Registered Historic Garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll. Since the setting out of the original design over 100 years ago, some of the Jekyll gardens have succumbed to the need for new buildings, extensions and car parking, but the gardens to the south of the hospital remain remarkably intact. The gardens are an early 20th Century example of a therapeutic garden and are of considerable historic interest in their own right, which is recognised by their listing on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens.

In collaboration with Squire & Partners and Land Use Consultants, Purcell was commissioned to devise a masterplan for the site to enable the provision of new residential accommodation and the reinstatement of the Jekyll Garden.

The historic building was carefully evaluated, stripping back poorer-quality interventions to maximise its footprint and balancing commercial imperitives with respect for the buliding’s listed fabric to unlock its potential and restore it to its former glory.

The main hospital building will be sensitively converted into high-quality apartments for assisted living. The Chapel will be transformed for communal use and the nurses’ accommodation, engine house and motor house will be converted into private residences.

Location: Midhurst, Sussex
Client: City & Country
Listing: Grade II, Grade II*