A HOUSE WITH A STORY TO TELL
For more than 170 years, Sefton Place has been a home, a place to learn, a place to gather and a place to belong. Now, with Mark and Caroline Winship as its latest custodians, a new chapter begins, one that honours everything that came before while reimagining what Sefton Place can become.
170 years of history
Long before it became Sefton Place, this corner of Warningcamp formed part of the Lower Common Field. By the time of the 1861 census, Thomas and Emma Spencer were living here with their family in a house recorded as Lady Spencer’s House. The property later became home to Arundel brewer George Sefton Constable and his family, and by the end of the nineteenth century the name Sefton House, and subsequently Sefton Place, had emerged. It was already a substantial country home, with extensive gardens, conservatory and vinery, and was enlarged in the 1890s. By 1908 the estate extended to around 16 acres, complete with plant houses and even its own dairy herd.
The twentieth century brought an extraordinary succession of new lives. In 1923 Joseph Fowler established St Wendelin’s School, a Catholic preparatory school for boys, complete with cricket pitch, tennis courts and squash court. When war came, the pupils left and Sefton Place became home first to members of the New Zealand Forestry Company and later Canadian Army Engineers, while a nursery evacuated from London also occupied the former school. Sold to Colonel Power in 1944, the house was let the following year as Arundel Youth Hostel and eventually purchased by the YHA in 1954. At its 1950s peak it offered around 120 beds and camping facilities, beginning a hospitality chapter that would last for decades. Through all of these incarnations, one theme keeps returning: Sefton Place has always been somewhere people have come to live, learn, gather and stay.
THROUGH THE YEARS
A HOUSE THAT NEVER STOOD STILL
From Victorian family home to school, wartime refuge, youth hostel and gathering place, Sefton Place has constantly adapted to the people who needed it. More than 170 years later, its latest chapter continues a surprisingly familiar tradition.
1861–1909
FROM LADY SPENCERS HOUSE TO SEFTON PLACE
The 1861 census records Thomas and Emma Spencer living here in what was then known as Lady Spencers House. By 1870 the property was home to brewer George Sefton Constable and his family. During the Constable years the house grew into a substantial country estate, and by the turn of the century the name Sefton Place had emerged. Major alterations were made in the 1890s, while the estate eventually extended to around 16 acres with gardens, plant houses, a vinery and even its own dairy herd.
1911–1939
COUNTRY HOUSE TO SCHOOL
After another period as a private residence, Joseph Fowler established St Wendelins School at Sefton Place in 1923, reportedly at the suggestion of the Duchess of Norfolk. The Catholic preparatory school for boys grew to include dormitories, a cricket pitch, tennis courts and a squash court, beginning a new chapter in which learning and communal life became central to the house.
1939–1945
SEFTON PLACE AT WAR
The outbreak of the Second World War transformed the property once again. Members of the New Zealand Forestry Company lived here in 1939, followed later by Canadian Army Engineers, while an evacuated London nursery also occupied the former school. Local memories record wartime dances at Sefton Place, and Canadian engineers were even involved in constructing a secret cellar for radio transmitters nearby.
1945–2012
THE ARUNDEL YOUTH HOSTEL YEARS
In September 1945 Sefton Place was let for use as Arundel Youth Hostel, before being purchased by the Youth Hostels Association in 1954. At its peak in the 1950s it could accommodate around 120 people plus campers. Generations of walkers, students, school groups, families and international travellers passed through its doors, while the house was also made available for village meetings and functions.
2012–2025
THE SUSSEX HERITAGE CENTRE
After more than six decades as a youth hostel, the building began another incarnation as the Sussex Heritage Centre. Accommodation, group stays, education and community gatherings continued to form part of life at Sefton Place, maintaining a thread that had already run through much of its history.
2025–Present
THE NEXT CHAPTER
When Mark and Caroline Winship took on Sefton Place in 2025, the aim was not to erase what came before, but to give the house another reason to thrive. Reimagined as boutique accommodation, retreat and gathering space, the new Sefton Place brings its long history of hospitality, learning and connection into a new era, with nature and the surrounding South Downs at its heart.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND SEFTON PLACE
A NEW CHAPTER, SHAPED TOGETHER
Sefton Place is the vision of Mark and Caroline Winship, brought to life with the help of a talented team of designers, makers, hospitality professionals and local partners. Together, we are creating a place that respects its remarkable past while giving it renewed purpose for the generations still to come.
Founders
MARK & CAROLINE WINSHIP
Mark and Caroline Winship are the husband-and-wife team behind Sefton Place. Caroline began her career in food technology before spending many years in education, while Mark came from the world of elite sport and high-performance coaching. In 2018 they brought those different experiences together to launch their family-run hospitality business, which has since grown to include premium stays and venues across the UK, from the Shetland Islands to the New Forest, through the Sefton Collection, Shetland Stays and Staycation Gateway.
At Sefton Place, Caroline leads much of the thinking around retreats, health and wellbeing, interiors and the guest experience, while Mark focuses on technology, seamless operations, ecology and the wider vision for the property. Together they also host the Visit Arundel Podcast, sharing the people, places and stories that make the town and surrounding area so special.
MARK WINSHIP
Co-Founder | Ecology & Technology
Driving the vision for Sefton Place, with a particular focus on technology, ecology, partnerships and creating a seamless hospitality experience.
CAROLINE WINSHIP
Co-Founder | Guest Experience & Wellbeing
Shaping the guest experience, interiors, retreats and wellbeing offer, with a passion for thoughtful hospitality and the details that make a stay memorable.
ISLA MILNES
Guest Experience Coordinator
Helping every stay run smoothly, from presentation and guest support to the thoughtful finishing touches that bring the Sefton Place experience to life.
MARIANNA GAYATIN
Operations Manager
Overseeing day-to-day operations and helping coordinate the people, systems and standards that keep Sefton Place running smoothly behind the scenes.
We didn't just want to build a hotel. We wanted to create a sanctuary where time moves differently.
We didn't just want to build a hotel. We wanted to create a sanctuary where time moves differently.
ROOTED IN ARUNDEL
PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER
Sefton Place may sit quietly on the edge of town, but Arundel is an important part of who we are. From independent businesses and local producers to its history, culture, events and extraordinary natural setting, we want our guests to experience the town rather than simply stay beside it. Through local partnerships, hand-picked recommendations and the Visit Arundel Podcast, we hope to play an active part in celebrating the people and places that make this corner of Sussex so special.
PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS
LET US CREATE SOMETHING TOGETHER
Sefton Place has been shaped by collaboration from the beginning. We are always interested in hearing from local businesses, experience providers, retreat organisers, creative partners, brands and people with ideas that could enrich what we offer our guests or contribute positively to the wider community. If you think there could be a good fit, we would love to hear from you.
COME AND BE PART OF THE STORY
More than 170 years after its story began, Sefton Place is ready to welcome a new generation of guests. Escape for a few nights, gather with the people who matter, or simply come and discover the house and landscape for yourself.