One of the UK's first bungalows that was built in the 1880s in colonial style goes on sale for £1million

Pleasaunce Cottage in Dormans Park near East Grinstead has been lovingly maintained since the 19th Century

The unique property has a large veranda, original oak panelling, four bedrooms and stained glass windows

It is one of the last surviving bungalows in Britain built in the same style as original properties found in India

In the Victorian age bungalows were the reserve of the wealthy Upper Classes were used to escape heat of cities

An Indian-style bungalow that was built in Sussex in the Victorian era and preserved to maintain its 1880s facade has gone on the market for £1million.

Pleasaunce Cottage in Dormans Park near East Grinstead has been lovingly upheld to how its first owners intended it in the 19th Century.

With wood paneling on indoor ceilings and a large veranda at its front, the unique property is one of the first ever bungalows built in the country.

It has gone on the market for £985,000, with historians eager to put it forward for listing to further protect its heritage.

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Pleasaunce Cottage in Dormans Park in East Grinstead has gone on sale for almost £1million. The property is one of the last surviving bungalows in Britain that were built on the design of Victorian houses in India

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An early photograph of the house shows how it has been lovingly preserved by its owners since its construction in the late 19th Century

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Inside, original oak panelling adorns the ceilings and walls. The double height living room is one of the house's main features with a quirky gallery serving as a make-shift office

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A sketch of the property's main sitting room shows how its Victorian design has been maintained to how architects originally intended it

Built in the 1880s by RA Briggs, known as Bungalow Briggs, the property is not all split over one level as modern bungalows are today.

At the time the term was used to describe small, country homes used by the wealthy upper classes as a retreat to escape the heat of pulsing Indian cities.

The design soon infiltrated British architecture. Briggs, a renowned architect, published his interpretation of the style in the 1891 book Bungalows and Country Residences.

A hallmark of the traditional Indian-Victorian bungalow was a large veranda at the front of a property like the one found at Pleasaunce Cottage.

Set over 2,542sq ft, the house has four bedrooms, four reception rooms and a cellar. The main sitting room is double height with a gallery and the original inglenook fireplace.

Its current owner has lived in the property for more than 30 years, having bought the house in 1983.

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Unlike bungalows as they are referred to today, the property is set over three levels. The original term was not exclusive to one-storey properties, instead referring to mountain retreats favoured by the Upper Classes

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An architect's drawing of the property in the 20th Century. Historians are eager to put the house forward for listing to further protect its heritage

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One of the house's most distinct features is its large veranda at the front. These were a common feature among Victorian properties in India

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The house's current owner said she fell in love with its unique design and layout when she bought it in 1983 and has tried to preserve its character

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Other unique features which make the property so notable are two stained glass windows that have Victorian messages inscribed on them

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One of the four bedrooms in the house that is set over more than 2,000sq ft. Original oak and wood flooring has been maintained

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The property has four bedrooms, four reception rooms and two bathrooms, one of which is en-suite. It is being sold for £985,000

'It’s a great place, I fell in love with it 32 years ago and I still love it after all these years,' said Marian Parker, 60.

'The big drawing room is double height and has this little gallery which I use as a study. The room opens on to the veranda and is a lovely room with lots of light in summer but it also has an open fireplace and is really cosy in winter.

'It looks very different from the front to the back. From the front it looks like a normal bungalow but when you go round to the back it looks like a three-storey house because you can see the cellar.'

With two stained glass windows and an original oak panelling in the hall and lounge, historians are eager to put the property forward to be listed.

Dr Kathryn Ferry, an architectural historian and author of the book Bungalows, said: 'This is one of the earliest surviving bungalows in Britain and certainly one of the most important.

'What makes this one so significant is it was part of a bungalow settlement as if built in India on a hill station where the colonial British went to escape from the heat of the cities, sitting on their verandas in the cool breeze.

'There are a couple of bungalows in the development left but this one is the most original.

'Bungalows weren’t about single storey living, they were more of a leisure house and this exemplifies that. Bungalows aren’t just boring suburban homes.

'It is not listed but it ought to be. We can’t put it forward for listing yet in case it puts off buyers. But hopefully whoever does buy it will appreciate its importance enough to support a bid to list it.'

The house is being sold by Hamptons International for £985,000 and has not yet attracted any offers. 

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A view of the property from one of its gardens. It is set over almost one acre of land in the Sussex countryside in East Grinstead

While the house is one of many of the same style built in the area by architect RA Briggs, historians have described it as one of the best remaining examples of a Victorian-Indian bungalow