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High-grade conservation work is the star of the show



High-grade conservation work is the star of the show

August 2, 2021

 

A charming inn with a history spanning 800 years has been lovingly restored and improved to become a prestigious hotel business.

The Star Inn, a Grade II* listed building in Alfriston, East Sussex, opened earlier this year after renovations that involved significant guidance from the National Park’s conservation team.

The building was bought by Olga Polizzi in 2019.  A member of the well-known Forte family of hoteliers and mother of Alex Polizzi, “The Hotel Inspector”, she had a vision of giving the historic inn a new lease of life and celebrating the property’s heritage.

The Star was originally a timber-framed religious hostel to accommodate monks and pilgrims en-route from Battle Abbey to the shrine of St Richard, patron saint of Sussex, at Chichester Cathedral.

The Star is referred to in travel books as far back as the 16th century.

Its timber frame is decorated with carved figures and an old ship’s figure head was later placed alongside the building. To this day, the latter forms a real eye-catcher for anyone walking along High Street.

A travel book by Miller Christy published in 1928 describes its frontage as ‘almost unbelievably picturesque, with its heavy timbering, its overhanging upper storey, its three graceful Oriel windows, its tiled ends, its roof of huge slabs of Horsham stone, and its many remarkable carvings in oak.’

The inn had a number of later additions in the 18th and 20th century, including a wing added in the 1960s that did not enhance the conservation area.

Following lengthy pre-application discussions, Listed Building Consent applications were submitted and later approved by the National Park Authority.

The work included repairs to the original building, as well as improving the appearance of the car park and 1960’s buildings and upgrading the quality of the rooms.

David Boyson, Conservation Officer for the National Park Authority, said: “The renovations have been sensitively undertaken and the end result is a visible enhancement of the conservation area.

“As is always the way with complex historic buildings, the project did evolve as works progressed and there are quite a few subsequent applications dealing with changes of plan.

“Mrs Polizzi employed an excellent agent and historic building consultant and our conservation team continued to be fully involved as the project progressed.

“It’s an excellent example of the Authority working closely with a committed owner and her top-notch professional advisors from the private sector in achieving a shared objective – namely  renovating this important historic building and creating a high-grade visitor facility for the village.”

Olga Polizzi said: “Alex and I are happy to have reopened The Star after a period of extensive work and a quite major transformation.

“We love the South Downs National Park, a stunning area with some of the best walking in England.  The Star sits in the centre of Alfriston, a very pretty unspoilt 16th century village.

“Among the many attractions in this area are Glyndebourne, Charleston, Rathfinny winery, and The Towner in Eastbourne with its extensive collection of Ravilious and other modern British art. We look forward to welcoming guests to a relaxed environment with good food and service.  Wonderful to be in East Sussex!”