Ockenden Manor Hotel and Spa

Old meets new at Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield, West Sussex, as this grand old Elizabethan mansion is paired with a beautifully modern spa whose exterior is almost industrial in design. The elegance of the main house isn’t diminished, though, as its lavishly decorated bedrooms – think four-poster beds, plush carpets and enormous bathtubs – and classically homely lounges and bars make a wonderful countryside retreat. Well placed within the South Downs, right in the pretty village of Cuckfield, this is the place to come for long walks, fire-side G&Ts and long soaks in the outdoor heated pool. 

The hotel itself has an interesting history, having formerly been a Jewish boys’ school and accommodation for Canadian troops in WWII, and parts of it date back to the 1600s. Its exterior is all golden sandstone, towering chimney stacks and climbing ivy and Virginia creeper that glows a fiery red come autumn. The superb spa offers a place to warm up in its heated indoor/outdoor pool, where you can float to views of the lawns and woods beyond. Treatments range from floatation in an ‘Isopod’ to reiki to traditional massages and facials, and there’s even a ‘walk-through’ rainforest shower fed by a natural spring.

Guest rooms and suites vary from the lovely and more traditional options in the main house to the 6 spacious suites in the spa, but they all come with Vispring beds, good wifi, Smart TVs,  ta-and coffee-akin facilities (including a Nespresso machine),  and beautiful en-suite bathrooms with bathtubs, temple Spa products and robes.  The hotel's restaurant is excellent, with local produce transformed by an award-winning chef, and their afternoon teas – served in the lounge by the fire or on the terrace when the sun shines – are an indulgent treat. As in all the hotels in the Historic Sussex Hotels group, dogs are allowed everywhere except the restaurant and spa, and can be left with reception staff while you relax in the pool. Dogs also get a bowl, blanket and biscuits.

The hotel is is a great location too: its grounds have  magnificent views over the South Downs, and it's within easy reach of a clutch of gorgeous Sussex gardens – Wakehurst Place and Sheffield Park amongst them – or, to the south, the pretty village of Ditchling and the South Downs. You could also visit one of a number of nearby vineyards. Whether you’ll actually want to leave the hotel grounds, though, is an altogether different matter.