Guided by the garden
As my car rolled over the cattle grid at the grand stone gateway to Gravetye Manor, I felt as though I had magically entered another era.
Instinctively I slowed, passing between abundant borders teeming with plants and flowers, while ancient magnolias showed off their pale pink blossoms overhead. Pulling up beside a smart stone staircase, car doors were opened by smiling staff and bags whisked swiftly away. Moments later, I was gliding into the historic manor house, the modern world already feeling a million miles away.
Tucked away in the Sussex countryside, this 16th-century Elizabethan country house hotel may today be celebrated for its glorious gardens and Michelin-starred food, but its palpable sense of history is just as integral to the experience. Gravetye has been described as “a place of timeless tranquillity”, and within moments of crossing its threshold, I understood why.
Published June 2026 in the summer issue of British Travel Journal and online at britishtraveljournal
