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Hidden deep in the Sussex Weald landscape, Gravetye Manor is a timeless treasure just waiting to be discovered. A long winding drive leads you through a thousand acres of woodland to this perfectly preserved Elizabethan idyll. Inside, it feels less like a hotel and more like a well-kept family seat: log fires crackle from ancient hearths; original wood panelling is adorned with oils by artists including Winston Churchill; heavy swagged curtains frame the mullioned windows, which look out onto the celebrated gardens. Pull on some Hunter wellies from the boot room to explore the grounds created by pioneering gardener William Robinson in 1885.
The Victorian walled garden supplies nearly all the fresh produce for the Michelin-starred dining room led by chef Martin Carabott. Encased in floor-to-ceiling glass, it offers front-row seats to those stunning gardens. Expect dishes like garden beetroot, Sussex Slipcote, pistachio, lovage and iced horseradish; and local fallow deer cooked over juniper, quince, celeriac and smoked almond. Everything looks almost too good to eat, but tastes divine.
Bedrooms are reassuringly sumptuous and classic, and there’s nice touches like complimentary sloe gin and humbugs. Interiors aficionados should ask for the Walnut Room, a bespoke bedroom by Sussex designer Molly Mahon.
Breakfast continues the hyper-local theme: featuring Gravetye’s own apple juice, and fresh fruit and berries in a delicious lemongrass infusion - or treat yourself to truffled scrambled eggs on toasted brioche.
Perfect for romantics, gardeners, and gourmands alike, Gravetye Manor will leave you with memories long after you roll away down that long winding drive.
Romantic Break
Foodies
Great walks
Golf
Restrictions on children
Sights nearby
Riding
Croquet
Quiet
Wedding license
Country House
Gourmet
Sit-out Terrace
Air conditioning
Four poster beds
Charming
Traditional
Antiques
Restaurant
Rooms
17 rooms in this hotelNot suitable for disabled guests
Although there are ground-floor wheelchair-accessible toilets plus areas of the garden are also accessibleGarden
Former home of garden pioneer William RobinsonRestrictions on children
Children welcome from 7 years.Wedding license
Fireplace
No pets
Private dining room
Sit-out Terrace
EV Charging Station
Parking
Safe
Air conditioning
Wifi
Four poster beds
Suites
Sitting Room
Restaurant
Great walks
Golf
Sights nearby
Riding
Croquet
What is there to do in the area? A host of historic houses and gardens are in close proximity, with Hever Castle (childhood home of Anne Boleyn) and Chartwell (former home of Sir Winston Churchill) both within 25 mins drive of the hotel. Wakehurst, Sissinghurst and Great Dixter are important nearby gardens, as well as Borde Hill.
There are many local wine estate offering tours and tastings including Ridgeview, Artelium, Rathfinny, Bluebell and Gusbourne. Other attractions and activities of interest include The Bluebell Railway, Glyndebourne Opera House, Charleston Farmhouse, several golf courses, as well as Polo. Ashdown Forest, home of Winnie the Pooh, is on the hotel's doorstep.
What kind of breakfast do you offer? Gravetye offers a wide range of different traditional breakfast options along with continental items, with a lot of the ingredients and produce supplied from within the Gravetye Manor estate.
Do you offer other meals? And can you recommend good places to eat out locally? The Dining Room, the hotel's award-winning, glass-fronted, Michelin star restaurant, is open to the public and hotel residents seven days a week for both lunch and dinner. The menu strongly focuses on hyper-seasonal foods with most ingredients grown on the estate. Residents staying more than one night are invited to dine from the lounge and garden menu served in the wood panelled lounges.
There is also a private dining room that can be exclusively hired for special occasions and meetings.
The Cat Inn Pub and Restaurant, in the nearby picturesque village of West Hoathly is a popular spot and serves great food
What facilities do you have for children and can you fit extra beds in your rooms? Gravetye Manor welcomes children aged seven and older to stay and dine, offering a refined experience suitable for families with older children. A specially designed children's menu is available for those aged 12 and under in the restaurant, and babes in arms (up to 9 months) can be accommodated in parents' rooms. Extra beds can be provided in most bedrooms to facilitate their overnight stay.
What message would you like to give The Hotel Guru readers? Gravetye Manor is where time stands still; guests come to relax and cherish the historical gardens of national importance (including the only elliptical walled garden in the UK) and dine on exquisite food in the Michelin star restaurant. Sophisticated and refined, without being stuffy, the staff also offer excellent service.
If glorious gardens are your thing, then mark your card with Gravetye...
Originally published by Sunday Times
Gravetye Manor, just 30 miles from London, is one of Britain’s greatest, and longest-lived, country house hotels and also one of my favourites.
Originally published by The Telegraph
Originally published by Good Hotel Guide
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