A pair of modestly sized 18th-century gatehouses 30 metres apart may sound like a rather eccentric living set-up, but it couldn’t be a more fitting environment for creative director Cruz Wyndham, her husband George and their two young children. ‘I’m always battling the practical, because I’m more of a dreamer,’ explains Cruz, who has the knack of casting her magic over whatever she sets her mind to, whether that’s a pair of follies in rural west Sussex or the Egyptian-based lifestyle brand Anūt Cairo, where she has been creative director since Goya Gallagher launched it in 2024.
In Gog, the north gatehouse, a fake ceiling was removed to uncover the remarkable original domed ceiling, which was meticulously restored. Cruz and George worked with architect Giles Holland to sensitively renovate the space and decided to keep this space as a single volume, rather than messing with its impressive proportions.
The couple love to use this space for entertaining. Large 16th-century Flemish tapestries, found in the attic at Petworth House, draw the eye upwards to the impressive volume of the dome. The striped sofa is from nearby Sofas & Stuff in Fittleworth, while the kilim is vintage. The ottoman is from Rugs of Petworth.
Mark Anthony Fox
Perched on a hill in woodland above Petworth House, the couple took the lodges on from the estate in 2021. They had spent lockdown at the main house – the home of George’s parents, which he will one day inherit – and were charmed by the area. ‘I just fell in love with Sussex light and all the green,’ recalls Cruz. The idea was to use them as a weekend bolthole away from their busy lives in Shepherd’s Bush, making the prospect of an outdoor walk from sitting room to bedroom a novelty rather than annoying. ‘It felt like the perfect folly for a recently married couple,’ reflects Cruz, who was particularly enchanted by the entrance to the gatehouses, down a track through woodland, which then opens up to provide an extraordinary – and entirely unexpected – view of the town below. ‘There are some Turner works in the Tate that suggest he was drawing right in front of the lodges and you can totally see why,’ explains Cruz. Back in the 18th century, there would also have been a carriage road, snaking its way from the lodges to Petworth House. ‘You can see where it would have gone,’ explains Cruz.
Anūt Cairo’s ‘Mr and Mrs RA Tablecloth’ is on the table.
Mark Anthony Fox
Built between 1756 and 1763 by Matthew Brettingham the elder, the lodges were commissioned by the third Earl of Egremont. A picnicking spot – or perhaps a place where the Third Earl of Egremont could conduct one his many rumoured affairs – the gatehouses were always intended for ornament and recreation, rather than as places to live. Named by the locals as Gog and Magog, the lodges had taken on an almost mythical status. But by the time George and Cruz came to them, they were well past their glory days and were in a rather sad state thanks to years of being used as worker’s cottages, which had seen many of their historical features removed. The lodge to the north, Magog, was being used as a three-bedroom cottage, with a staircase covering the windows, while the southern lodge, Gog, hadn’t been lived in for years. ‘I just remember thinking they had amazing potential,’ recalls Cruz of her first visit.
A reproduction fireplace, based on a contemporary design found at Petworth House, is flanked by a pair of bespoke, made-to-fit sofas that Cruz designed and had made locally in Sussex. Cushions from Anūt Cairo line the sofas. The copper moon and sun hanging either side of the fireplace are 1970s Italian and came from nearby Petworth Antiques Market.
Mark Anthony Fox