The Gravetye Manor is luxurious, classy, and tasteful. What a delightful hotel. Its house and gardens are all in tune and all in alignment. It is set deep in the Sussex countryside while only 12 miles from Gatwick Airport and 30 miles from Central London.
Independently owned, Gravetye Manor belongs to both the Relais & Châteaux and Pride of Britain’s select list. I love its approach down a mile-long driveway set in 1000 acres of wooded parklands and gardens. It opened onto a stunning 16th-century Elizabethan manor where I was greeted with impressive promptness by the smartest of doormen. I already knew I was in for a treat.
The exterior has all the characteristics of a classic English manor house with stunning sandstone, gables, and mullioned windows. Built by an ironmaster for his bride, it fell into the hands of William Robinson, a supreme and pioneering gardener, whose home it was until he died in 1935. It became a hotel in 1958 but the intimacy of the former home remains as I ascended the steps to walk straight into a small entrance room with two armchairs.
What a gorgeous interior with spectacular roaring fires everywhere. So heart-warming, snug, and inviting. The public rooms had plastered ceilings with floral designs and throughout the finishing was high class. Lots of antiques filled the oak-paneled rooms and I loved the Knole sofas which charmingly originated in the 17th century and were designed for the arms to drop so a lady could sit modestly when wearing a hoopskirt! Throughout were the hotel’s signature tartan furnishings which had soft harmonious colours and gave a calm but luxurious feel and basked in light from the south-facing front hall.
Up a wood-paneled central staircase and along its tartan carpet I climbed. Past gothic arched doorways until I reached one of the 17 rooms (with rates starting from $490). I recommend the Robinson Suite with its wood paneling and luxurious king-size bed. Lit by the glass orbed lampshades the textured upholstery is beautiful with its padded window banquettes, cushions, and thick curtains. And, resting on the marbled top in my bathroom, I noticed Noble Isle products that used a tomato extract straight from the garden.
The spacious Dining Room is ingeniously designed. It’s the hotel’s one tribute to modernity with its floor-to-ceiling glass front looking straight out over the stunning landscaped gardens and lake beyond. For this is the point of the place. The view is a celebration of the origins of the food on the table. From source to plate, as they say, with fresh produce from the kitchen garden infusing the menu. No carbon footprints just footprints.
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Botanical panels and pillars resembling tree trunks give the room an organic feel. Here I savored Michelin-starred cooking. From the highly confident menu, I started with Dorset crab, stored apple, and perilla (which belongs to the mint family) before enjoying a sea bass with dived scallops and brassicas. The presentation was amazing. Each plate, delivered by waiters themselves sporting tartan waistcoats, came with artistry depicting nature. Each dish is a gastronomic delight. So flavorsome and adventurous.
Gravetye Manor has 35 acres of formal gardens comprising magical wildflower gardens, orchards, and unusual semi-wild gardens. It is credited with being the birthplace of the modern mixed border. For the visionary gardener, William Robinson was a pioneer of wild and natural gardening. He hated the Victorians’ gaudy bedding plants preferring his idea of a ‘wild garden’ a landscape that celebrates nature rather than controls it. I found the gorgeously weathered huts and sheds so charming and beyond the greenhouses and polytunnels the gardens even have their own Peach House.
The vast oval kitchen garden is very much the soul of the place, the source of the menu, the spirit and spine of the hotel. It’s designed to maximize nature’s light and warmth. Within skeletal trees line the walls and there’s a mixture of vegetables, unusual herbs, medicinal plants, fruits, and berries. I spotted, amongst the endless rows of neat produce, mouth-watering, exotic names such as Karaka blackberries and Cassissima blackcurrants.
Gravetye Manor is ideal for walks, a guided tour of the garden, or a game of croquet. It’s ideal for getting a sense of timelessness and relaxed tranquillity. It’s an ideal country hotel.