WHERE THE WIND BLOWS

Along with most properties in the village of Pett, near Hastings in East Sussex, Fairlight End, a pretty 18th-century house, backs right onto the road, overlooking the countryside spreading out beyond it on the other side of the house. From the road, there is little clue of the garden, a special treat, nestling behind.

Located a mile from the coast, it’s far enough away from the sea that plants don’t have to cope with excessively salty air, ‘but because we are quite high up, strong winds are a constant feature here,’ says Chris Hutt, who bought the property in 2003 with his wife Robin and then spent a year renovating it before moving in. ‘The winds sweep in off