Ashdown Park Hotel
A Charming History.
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of heathland about 30 miles (48 km) south of London in East Sussex. It was once a medieval hunting forest created soon after the Norman conquest of 1066. The Forest continued to be used by royalty and the nobility for hunting into Tudor times. King Henry VIII, the monarch who had a run of bad luck with wives, had a hunting lodge at Bolebroke Castle, and courted the unfortunate Anne Boleyn at nearby Hever Castle. Ashdown Forest has an area of 6,500 protected acres with one of the largest populations of wild deer in Europe.
Ashdown Forest is famous as the setting for the children’s (and adults’) Winnie-the-Pooh stories, written by A. A. Milne. The first book featuring Winnie was published in 1926 and the second book, The House at Pooh Corner, was published a year later. A walk through the hotel grounds will be a charming journey of Pooh Bear discovery with paths taking walkers to Pooh’s House and the favourite places of other characters that one will likely remember from those books. The grounds now consist of approximately 186 acres which are divided into 95 acres of landscaped woodland, 40 acres of grazing land where wild deer roam freely, with the remainder kept on an amenity basis.
The first grand house was erected on the present site in 1815 either by Thomas Bradford or by Rear Admiral The Honourable Jacob Henniker. In 1867 the estate was bought by MP Thomas Charles Thompson and he demolished the original building and built the Gothic Victorian manor house which remains as part of this striking hotel. Later owners of the house included G K T Fisher who inherited the estate but was killed during the First World War. The house later became a convent and remained in church hands for the next 50 years. Nuns had their small cells in the East Wing and lived in typical nun-like simplicity.
The building was acquired by the Elite Group in 1993 and beautifully presented it as a 4-star hotel, retaining original features but with the benefit of modern technology. The grounds are impressive with landscaped lawns, mature trees and deer strolling (or is that trotting) around even close to the hotel building. The drive to the front door entices the visitor with the expectation of something special. Ashdown Park Hotel is not only special but delightfully unique.
This large imposing building exudes classic charm but there is nothing stuffy or stiff here. It has all the polish and more of a 4-star hotel but the friendliness of the staff makes one feel that this could be a family-run B&B – admittedly the largest and best appointed you would ever find, but it’s that personal touch that is so welcoming.
Ashdown Park Hotel offers accessible refinement from the moment you drive through the gates, to your last sip of breakfast tea. The guest is made to feel welcome and important. The service is second to none with those old-fashioned touches that make a difference. An Elite hotel indeed.
Breakfast
Monday to Friday – 7:00am to 10:00am
Saturday and Sunday – 7:30am to 10:30am
Daily Dining
Monday and Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday – Saturday – 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Sunday – 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club
Wych Cross,
Nr Forest Row,
East Sussex
RH18 5JR
Phone: 01342 824988
Fax: 01342 826206
