It’s seldom that a gardener gets a namecheck, but Tom Coward is central to the magic of Gravetye, an Elizabethan country-house hotel lost in the Sussex Weald, five twisty miles from East Grinstead. His kitchen garden supplies 95 per cent of the produce in Gravetye’s Michelin-starred restaurant, a twinkling glass box fused to the back of the grade I listed manor, overlooking the stunning gardens of the 1,000-acre estate. The 17 rooms and suites here are a mix of olde-worlde charm (wood panelling, open fires) and thoughtful treats, such as plum cordial on the table and humbugs by the bed. All in all, an epicurean delight.
Overall score 9/10
Main photo: Gravetye’s splendid gardens provide produce for its Michelin-starred restaurant
This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue
Rooms and suites
Score 8/10
This elegant manor dates from 1598. It was commissioned by Richard Infield, a Sussex local, for his bride, Katharine Compton, and their initials, intertwined, are carved into the stonework inside and out. Gravetye became a hotel in 1958, and is still high on charm, low on mod-cons — just as it should be.
Each of the 17 rooms is named for a type of tree grown on the estate and have views over the gardens through lead-light panes served by overstuffed window seats. Magnolia is a vast oak-panelled deluxe with a stone fireplace and a welcoming feel; Chestnut is bright, finished in green and white, with a swish marble bathroom; and even the tiniest single, Larch, is suitably generous. Furniture is a mix of restored antiques and plump country-house chintz, four-poster beds and squishy sofas; art is original oils and ornate wall hangings; and bookcases are filled with gardening tomes stacked against Wallpaper* and Vogue. Downstairs is a labyrinth of little lounges, but charming service is never more than 30 seconds away. Note there’s no lift and bedrooms are on the first floor or above.
Advertisement
Food and drink
Score 10/10
This is where Gravetye excels. Since George Blogg, the chef, won his first Michelin star here in 2015, he has gone on to create ever more exquisite menus with film-star looks, starring fruit and veg from the kitchen gardens, and fish and meat from local suppliers. Dishes change with the seasons: winter standouts are a venison tartare with seaweed, caviar and allium ketchup to start; duck, spiced carrot and marmalade to follow; and a prune soufflé with earl-grey ice cream. Courses are punctuated by a parade of amuse-bouches: cheddar-cheese gougères, mushroom consommé, beetroot tartlets, chocolate macarons. Vegan and vegetarian options —Jerusalem artichoke, forest mushrooms, watercress and parsnip, for example — are as inventive as their meatier counterparts. A Kingscote Bacchus wine from two miles down the lane pairs well.
The glass-box restaurant, which opened in 2018, was designed by Sir Charles Knowles, a Sussex architect. His rationale was to create an understated contemporary solution rather than trying to compete with the manor’s historical heft. Floor-to-ceiling glass invites the garden in. Along with the artist Claire Basler’s botanical panels and Claire Nelson’s luxurious, verdant design, it all adds up to a sensuous dining experience.
Breakfast is equally unrestrained. At one point, on a table for two, there are earl grey-poached prunes, fresh berries, fruit salad, porridge with pouring cream, demerara and maple syrup, buttermilk pancakes, berries and yoghurt, eggs royale, and a collection of bite-sized French pastries. There’s even a sausage for the assistance dog — although Gravetye is otherwise pet-free.
• The best luxury hotels in Sussex
• Best spa hotels in Sussex
What else is there?
Score 9/10
Gardens — and more gardens. But what an exceptional choice. They are considered some of the most important historical examples in the UK. The 35 tamed acres, tended by Coward and his team of seven, were created in 1885 by William Robinson, the “father of the wild garden”, whose landscapes celebrated nature rather than trying to control it. Here, they include an elliptical 1.5-acre walled kitchen garden, orchards, glasshouses and a flower meadow. Tours can be arranged, but in truth you need never leave the restaurant to enjoy the riot of colour — it just about bursts in through the glass walls.
Where is it?
Advertisement
Score 8/10
If you are here for the greenery you couldn’t be better placed, being bang in the middle of the glorious Sussex Weald. The Kew Gardens offshoot Wakehurst is close by, as well as Borde Hill Gardens and Sheffield Park (landscaped by Capability Brown, and accessible via the vintage Bluebell Railway). The exceptional gardens at Sissinghurst (Vita Sackville-West), Great Dixter (Christopher Lloyd) and Perch Hill Farm (Sarah Raven) all demand a visit, while oenophiles will find some of England’s finest vineyards — Ridgeview, Bolney, Kingscote — within a 30-minute drive.
Price B&B doubles from £335
Restaurant three-course lunch £75; three-course dinner £125
Family-friendly N
Dog-friendly N
Accessible N
• Most beautiful places to visit in England
• Most beautiful gardens you can visit in Britain
Sign up for the Times Travel Newsletter here.
