The approach to Ashdown Park Hotel is via a sharp turn off Wykehurst Lane, tucked deep into the Sussex countryside. Autumn leaves scatter across the winding forest road, bordered by russet fern and silver birch, the sort of drive where one half expects a horse-drawn carriage or at least a BBC film crew to appear at any moment.
At the entrance, stone pillars rise before the imposing neo-Gothic façade, proudly displaying a plaque declaring membership in Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The grand 19th century mansion sits on a sweeping estate, discreet and faintly aloof, like an aristocrat who’s agreed to host paying guests only under protest. With its turrets, towers and long shadowed drive, the building feels as though it might still prefer private ownership – or perhaps a secret society – to the tedious rigours of commercial hospitality.
This is, nonetheless, a four-star “hotel and country club”, covering 186 acres and housing 106 rooms, plus a golf course, spa, wedding venue and corporate retreat facilities. The estate’s CV is almost as varied as the average guest list: once a WWI convalescent hospital, later a university and eventually Barclays Bank’s management training centre for many years before being acquired by Elite Hotels in 1993.
The building remains beautiful. The entrance in October is festooned with pumpkins and autumnal blooms, the reception draped in velvet and portraiture, the whole place glowing with warm, flattering light. The lounges off the main hall are expansive, clubbable and quietly suggestive of conversations about hunting, tax relief and second homes. So far, so reassuring.
A few guests gather around the lobby, their luggage forming a small encampment. Two boyish staff members hover nearby, smiling gamely but looking as though they’re still waiting for instructions from Head Office. At reception, one lone novice stands her ground, radiating a slightly manic nervous cheerfulness. She fumbles with the booking system, triumphantly produces the wrong reservation, and recovers with impressive agility by launching into a brisk, bewildering explanation of the hotel map. Her parting shot, bright and unforgettable is: “did you get the upsell?” – a line that may, in fact, have been inherited from the Barclays training curriculum back in the 1980s. Margaret Thatcher’s ghost clearly still haunts these very long corridors.
The actual room, once discovered, is large and well-appointed, with thick carpet, forest prints and all the trimmings of rural retreat chic. There’s a coffee machine, generous bathroom products and enough pillows to smother a small army. Candle-shaped lamps glow benignly and the view over the gardens and lake is superb.
The ornamental lake, complete with fountain and flaming brazier, could have been lifted straight from a film set. If the fire had suddenly coughed up a Hogwarts acceptance letter, it would not have felt out of place. There’s something deliciously theatrical about the whole scene: a sort of Sussex Hogwarts meets Downton Abbey vibe, with a faint whiff of corporate away-day.
A short stroll (or golf buggy ride for those allergic to steps) leads to the country club, a modern annex containing the pool, spa and Forest Brasserie. It’s eerily quiet, save for a few guests in towelling robes conducting Zoom calls about synergy. Outside, several cars are parked directly at the entrance. Day-trippers for the treatments perhaps, although there was one very nice old BMW 325i, whose owner was clearly still hankering after the good old yuppie days of 1985.
Further exploration brings us to the chapel, now a split-level function room with a bar beneath the stained-glass window. The upper deck is arranged for conferences or weddings, while the lower level whispers of champagne-fuelled networking events. It’s a text book lesson in how to ruin a beautiful old church.
Dinner is served in the Anderida Restaurant (named after the ancient forest that once covered the Weald) and proves a highlight. The menu is confidently traditional. The lamb arrives tender and pink, the halibut crisped just so, and the wine list is long enough to make a sommelier purr. The cheese board, anchored by the excellent “Sussex Charmer”, lives up to its billing.
The younger staff are eager but untrained, as though they are all on work experience. Questions like “What are we doing for food?” and “Did you want anything else?” are delivered with oafish exuberance.
One clueless teenager had to investigate “the procedure” to serve coffee in the lounge and insisted on production of not only the key slip but the actual physical key card as proof of residence: presumably to guard against the notorious epidemic of coffee theft in country house hotels? While she and her ilk aren’t going to be bothering MENSA any time soon, the older staff seem to have much more of an idea of what they are doing. Whether you’re at work or at play, it’s always a good idea to have the adults in the room.
Breakfast, thankfully, restores order. Taken at a grand round table overlooking the lake, it offers a fine spread – velvety scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, warm pastries – all served with noticeably better charm and coordination.
The overriding impression is of a hotel trying valiantly to be too many things at once. Ashdown Park is part country club, part spa, part wedding venue, part conference centre, part golf resort and part family hotel. The result is a property suffering from a mild identity crisis: a place of real charm and potential, let down by uneven service and the faintest whiff of 1980s corporate retreat. Get me another double gin, Henry. I’ve got cash in my Filofax.
So as its 35th anniversary as a hotel approaches, will Ashdown Park continue its “everything for everyone” experiment or choose a clearer path? It has all the makings of a proper five-star destination – the setting, the scale, the dining – if only it would just focus a bit more.
For now, it remains a fascinating hybrid: equal parts gothic splendour, rural romance and corporate nostalgia. The kind of place where you half expect to bump into a former management trainee still searching for their breakout session. The grounds are magnificent, the house beautiful, the potential enormous. But now that Barclays have packed up their flipcharts, it would be nice if Ashdown Park could finally graduate from its training course. And, this time, get the upsell right.
The Details
Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club, Ashdown Park, Wych Cross, Nr Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5JR, England.
Tel: +44 (0)1342 824988
Website: www.ashdownpark.com
Email: enquiries@ashdownpark.com
Located in the heart of the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, Ashdown Park Hotel is close to the A22 and village of Hartfield of Winnie the Pooh fame (Pooh Sticks bridge is nearby). Parking is free and the closest railway station is East Grinstead, just 7 miles away. You can also land your helicopter there (if you have one!). A large free car park is available with 200 spaces and EV charging.
Type of Hotel: 4-Star Country House Hotel
Price Band: High
Number of Rooms: 106 rooms and suites, including complimentary Wi-Fi
Insider Tip: Ask for a late check out at midday rather than the usual 11:00am if staying over a weekend: that way you can linger over an excellent late breakfast.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8/10
Author Bio:
Splitting life between Italy and the UK, Tania Gulati works in finance by day and invests in creativity by night: volunteering in music initiatives and editing a magazine. Beyond that Tania enjoys travel, studying wines and writing reviews.
Photographs courtesy of Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club
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