A 24 hour escape to the country: Ockenden Manor provides the perfect antidote to city life with its natural spring spa and Michelin-starred restaurant
- Ockenden Manor is nestled in the pretty Tudor village of Cuckfield. It has its own natural underground spring
- The spring water feeds a spa with an outdoor hot tub, two pools and their walk-through rainforest shower
- It is surrounded by nine acres of beautiful gardens, with glorious views across the West Sussex countryside
If the hustle and bustle of the daily grind has left you feeling worn-out, you may be fantasising about jetting off to a far-flung destination.
But practicalities like work, booking expensive weekend flights, and day to day obligations don't always allow for this.
Thankfully, there is a closer-to-home option perfect for those who don't have time to holiday. Ockenden Manor's 'A 24-hour escape from London' package comes with a ready-made itinerary – decision-making can be so shattering – of unwinding activities which should see you ready to take the world on again by breakfast the next morning.
Just over an hour's drive from London, Ockenden Manor itself is a charming Elizabethan house, surrounded by nine acres of beautiful gardens, with glorious views across the West Sussex countryside to the South Downs
Nestled in the West Sussex countryside in the pretty Tudor village of Cuckfield, this country house hotel also boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant and a spa
Nestled in the West Sussex countryside in the pretty Tudor village of Cuckfield, this country house hotel also boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant and a spa.
I turned up with three equally-stressed pals in tow, eager to savour the 'serious me-time' which the spa promised would leave us 'returning to the city refreshed and ready for the next challenge'.
Just over an hour's drive from London, Ockenden Manor itself is a charming Elizabethan house, surrounded by nine acres of beautiful gardens, with glorious views across the West Sussex countryside to the South Downs.
The charm of the manor is accentuated by the modern spa complex which sits alongside it, and visitors have the option of staying in whichever better suits their mood. We opted for the clean and contemporary white spa, where we immediately headed to our rooms to kick off our shoes, and dive into our robes.
The open-plan spa suite, which was large and light, but punctuated with a few dashes of deep colour, had a calm but sumptuous feel. Our hands-down favourite element, however, was that the bathroom had shutters which opened up onto the bedroom, meaning we could enjoy a wonderful view of the stunning countryside from the roll top bathtub or walk-in shower.
It has its own natural underground spring, which feeds a spa with an outdoor hot tub, two pools and their walk-through rainforest shower
There's a modern spa complex next to the more traditional manor and guests can choose between the two. In the spa, there's also a flotation tank
After settling in, we hit the spa, which boasts an outdoor hot tub and a huge pool flooded by natural light thanks to floor to ceiling windows. It also has a walk-through rainforest shower (all fed by Ockenden's own natural underground spring), as well as a sauna, steam room, fully equipped gym and floatation room.
Next it was time for our treatments. I enjoyed an 'energising and detoxifying' body scrub and a facial dubbed 'Rainforest Rejuvenation Face Therapy' from organic brand ila.
The former was a scrub-come-massage, which at times, felt like tiny creatures were crawling over my skin. I'm not sure if it 'stimulated the lymphatic system, aided circulation and eliminated toxins' as billed, but it certainly left my skin feeling silky smooth.
The facial, which uses Amazonian plant extracts, was equally as luxurious and indulgent.
After hours of pampering it was time to discuss our treatments over a pre-dinner aperitif while perusing Ockenden's impressive menu.
On offer was hand dived scallops or home smoked mackerel to start, and everything from venison and partridge for mains.
The Michelin-starred restaurant offered everything from hand dived scallops or home smoked mackerel to start, and everything from venison and partridge for mains
We indulged in three courses of gastronomic bliss. Our party started with scallops, which were served with smoked salmon and Savoy cabbage, and homemade ravioli.
This was followed by seabass for me - which was served alongside braised chicory, onion purée, forestière sauce-and Newhaven landed cod for my friends.
For dessert, I opted for the poached pear which came alongside delicious servings of cinnamon crumble, toffee sauce, honeycomb, fudge and pear sorbet.
After clearing our plates, we sank into bed after an exhausting day of being pampered.
The buffet breakfast the next morning was not up to the standard of dinner, but we left the manor feeling fabulous after being cocooned in a cosy bubble, even for such a short time.
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Nice house for sure!
by Samsung the future 4