Ashdown Park is a beautiful and historic country house nestled in the Sussex countryside.
The imposing property, with its gothic architecture and sweeping landscaped grounds, will certainly impress you on arrival. An immediate sense of peace, relaxation and the feeling one is slipping back in time cannot fail to immerse even the most stressed and city-worn guest. The overall quality of the accommodation, wonderful cuisine and excellent Country Club facilities, including 18 hole golf course, must place Ashdown Park within the top tier of Small Luxury Hotel properties.
Everything about Ashdown Park exemplifies luxury and the promise of a relaxing and pampered English country house stay. It felt good value for money in comparison with other British properties of this standard. The room rate was excellent considering the quality of accommodation. Having booked a standard Double Room we found ourselves upgraded to a two room Master Suite merely to enable the hotel to honor our 4pm late checkout request!
The Anderida Restaurant, with delightful views across the manicured lawns, could not be more traditional with crisp white table linen and top quality silver service. Dining is a pleasure & the extensive wine list a treat for wine buffs. Beware though - a jacket or tie is required for dinner. Whilst food and beverage costs can mount up, the lunchtime and evening 2 or 3 course table d'hote menus were good value considering the exquisite presentation and taste. Afternoon Tea with cakes, scones, jam & cream is also a great choice for anyone wishing to truly appreciate daily life in an English Country House.
The management of Ashdown Park clearly gives priority to the upkeep of the house and grounds, which must be a true labour of love given the scale of the property and 186 acres of gardens and woodland. There is nothing nicer than wandering the halls and corridors of the house, taking in its history and the sheer scale of the building, followed by a walk around the grounds encompassing secret gardens, streams and lakes teeming with carp.
For those who require a little more than complete relaxation the Country Club, with its fine array of leisure activities and 18 hole golf course, will offer plenty of options although an early booking for a spa or beauty treatment is recommended as the facilities are very popular and open to non-residents.
I can definitely recommend Ashdown Park and will certainly return at some future date to recharge the batteries. I felt truly relaxed & refreshed after only one night!