Stay Here: Park House, SussexBy Claudine Levy

Park House in Sussex, is the kind of gem you need to visit if you’ve always lusted after the English countryside idyll. It’s completely unpretentious, to the extent of being almost grandmotherly. But that’s fine. That’s what you want. Especially if you’re looking for an accessible break from London, with it’s excess of Kilner jar cocktails and camel milk flat whites.

This little hotel and spa offers the perfect antidote to wanky London. Who needs a Crème Egg pop-up when you have fields filled with grazing cows and an endless well of English Breakfast Tea?

Park House: The Accommodation

We’d recommend opting for one of the secluded cottages apart from the main hotel, if you want a truly undisturbed and private stay. Baytree cottage is one such place, completely self-contained, with it’s own kitchen, and cosy lounge. All rooms in the hotel have been individually designed and decorated to compliment a luxurious and elegant English country house feel.

Park House: The Food

The hotel’s restaurant is one of the best I’ve tried of it’s kind – not only for the food, but also the service. The menu is unfussy and expertly executed: the chicken and duck liver parfait perfectly rich, the beef Wellington with truffles perfectly tender, the Panettone bread and butter Pudding perfectly spiced. Although not usually one to harp on about ‘impeccable service rah rah’, the staff at Park House are exceptional and deserve a shout-out. They ooze charm and warmth, and each course is served with a genuine, lovely smile.

Park House: The Spa

The spa is self-contained and completely serene, replete with the standard array of sauna, steam-room, pool, jacuzzi, and treatment rooms. We highly recommend the hot seashell massage, if you fancy trying something a little different. The shells smoothly glide over your skin to release tension, and succeed in lulling you into a state of semi-bliss. Thankfully there are designated pool times for children, so you can easily avoid the squawking sprogs during your pre-treatment swim.

For those of you who equate physical exertion with relaxation, there’s also a gym, two traditional grass tennis courts, a bowls and croquet lawn, and a spectacular golf course (the Oaks).