Gravetye Manor

Hotel review

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.

Tosca Barnes