Amid the lambs at Hall Court Farm

Georgian elegance at delightful Sussex B&B retreat

My love for Sussex is no secret. Whenever I can, I cross the English Channel from my home in Holland to soak-up the delights of this beautiful county which lies in the South East of England less than an hour from London.

In fact, Sussex is split into two counties: East Sussex and West Sussex, each with its own particular charm and character. The glorious South Downs Way stretches timelessly for some 100 miles across both regions. The chalk ridge of hills providing a dramatic backdrop to the tapestry of quaint rural villages and farms, ancient woodlands, forests and heathland that can be found here. There are rivers and a beautiful coastline to be explored too.

During this adventure, we meandered through East and West Sussex in search of character golfing B&B’s, classic English villages and historical towns. And we found them in abundance. That’s what I love about England – change comes at a very slow pace. Indeed, many of these rural areas have barely changed for centuries.

The Seven Sisters is a breathtaking sight whilst playing golf at Seaford Head GC (above top). Enjoy spectacular views across the Sussex Weald at Crowborough Beacon GC.

It comes as no surprise that the rolling Sussex countryside inspired our ancestors to play golf. Some of their early golf course creations can still be found in the county. Among these treasured golfing gems, which date back to the late 1800s, are Crowborough, Holtye, Lewes, Royal Ashdown Forest and Seaford.

Ancient golfing gems

On this trip, we enjoyed rounds of golf at two slightly younger courses: Piltdown GC, near Uckfield in East Sussex (1904) and West Sussex GC, Pulborough (1931). The early Spring sunshine together with the aroma of freshly-mown grass and bird song on the breeze was a reminder of why this wonderful game is such a joy to play. But more about the golf later. Let’s check-in to our first golfing B&B: Hall Court Farm in the village of Ripe.

Hall Court Farm lies just outside the historic town of Lewes where I was born. The character B&B had been on my wish-list of ‘places to stay’ for a while. Three previous attempts to book accommodation in the early 19th century farmhouse were each dashed by Glyndebourne. The world-famous opera house is just a stone’s throw from Hall Court Farm and attracts a flood of visitors to the area in the summer months.

Elegant Georgian Farmhouse

This time we were lucky. And so it was, after a long, wet winter, that we arrived at Hall Court Farm on the most perfect Spring day. The clock turned back a few decades as we wended our way up the drive. Surrounded by daffodils and fields of new-born lambs, the views were stunning and stretched for miles in each direction.

The silence was almost deafening, broken only by the early evening bird-song and the bleating of the lambs. There was so much space. So much freedom. So far away. Far from the madding crowd. It’s as if Hall Court Farm has been trapped in a time capsule.

The classic Georgian interior, complete with antique furnishings, is so typically English and charming. After 20 years of living in Holland, I’ve been slowly brainwashed into almost liking modern and minimalism. So it was a treat for me to stroll down memory lane and smell the bees-wax polish as we entered the hallway, and marvel at the shine on the huge mahogany dining table.

Maggie, our host for the next few days, made us feel instantly at home in her Georgian farmhouse. Our room overlooked the fields at the front of the house. I say “room”, but in fact it was really a small suite with its own small reading room complete with two-winged armchairs, as well as an en-suite bathroom with double walk-in shower on the other side of the good-sized bedroom . The views from the huge windows towards the South Downs were stunning.

Guests have use of the lounge downstairs and the conservatory which are lovely places to sit and read the newspaper after breakfast. And if we weren’t feeling enough at home already, there was a stunning display of tulips in a tub outside to welcome us.

Hearty breakfasts with local produce

Hall Court Farm is one of three farms that have been farmed by the Hecks family for nearly one hundred years. It is a mixed-arable farm. This year they have 1200 ewes which means a lot of adorable lambs skipping in the fields. A few acres further away they grow barley and wheat. Their dairy cattle, by the way, are on another location, you’ll be pleased to hear.

Maggie has been welcoming B&B guests into her home for 20 years. Many return year upon year. The tranquillity of the listed Georgian farmhouse being one big attraction, Maggie’s breakfasts the other.

There are many ways to cook and serve a traditional cooked English breakfast. Maggie has mastered the art to mouth-watering perfection with her Aga cooker. Her breakfast is as pretty as a picture too. The ingredients are fresh, full of delicious flavour, and, just as important, not greasy. We chose poached eggs to accompany our bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. Absolute delicious! In the summer months , she even serves her very own home-grown tomatoes.

Fresh summer fruits, muesli, Greek yoghurt and fruit juice are also served. The choice is yours – breakfast with or without the ‘full Monty’. You’ll also be given the choice of fresh unpasteurised milk from the farm, if you wish.

“There’s a flower that shall be mine,’Tis the little Celandine.”

– William Wordsworth, “To the Small Celandine”

Alas, the garden was sodden under a carpet of pretty yellow celandines when we visited ruling out any picnics on the lawn on this occasion. England had just had one of the wettest winters on record which had lasted right up until the day before we arrived. Farmers had suffered enormously. Golf courses had been hard hit too – squelching under the excesses of rain. But a few good windy days along with the sun we had brought with us from Holland, meant that later in the week our chosen courses were open for play. And, not only that, they were in great shape.

One of the lovely aspects of staying in a B&B is the chance to chat with your host about everything from ‘where to go’ and ‘what to do’ in the area to discussions about Brexit. It’s also interesting to listen to their local news and marvel at such thoughts as the house-to-house milk rounds making a comeback. It was heartening to hear that the local community is pulling together after the devastating closure of the village pub. Yes, that was one big change that I had not anticipated! The historic Lamb Inn at Ripe called its final “last orders” in January 2015. As the regional newspaper, the ‘Sussex Express’ reported: “The villagers lost their fight to save the Lamb Inn from the chop”.

Thankfully, there are a number of other great country pubs in the area which are still thriving. However, if you do fancy a pint in Ripe, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the creative locals have since rallied together and launched a successful ‘pop-up pub’ and tearooms in the village store (pictured above) run by an enthusiastic team of volunteers.

People of hidden Sussex

Another thing I love about character country B&Bs is the lovely collection of books often found in the room. One especially caught my eye at Hall Court Farm: ‘People of hidden Sussex’ by Warden Swinfen and David Arscott. Interestingly, it was published by BBC Radio Sussex and includes a fascinating mention of Hall Court Farm. Now that takes me back a few years to when I used to report on the golf scene in the South East of England for what later became BBC Southern Counties Radio. Before that I had regular contact with David Arscott during my press office days. Oh, happy radio days!

Thinking about the BBC, a television film crew arrived at the farm whilst we were there. You would have expected them to be filming the new-born lambs for ‘Countryfile’, yet it was even more special. It was all to do with the Royal Wedding in May. They were filming a series about suppliers to the Royal Household. We visited the small Sussex flint barn at Hall Court Farm where we had a charming encounter with the founder’s daughter, design director Genevieve James, and saw at first hand where the bespoke family business of ‘Cornelia James’ makes gloves for the Queen. Absolutely fascinating!

By Royal Appointment ‘Cornelia James’ is official glove-maker to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Using the finest of materials such as silk, lace and cashmere, it’s in the tiny village of Ripe where they create exquisite handmade gloves for customers all around the world. And not only royalty. Apparently popstars Madonna and Rihanna wear Cornelia James’ creations too. The special documentary is to be screened in the run-up to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding on 19th May. It will also be interesting to see if Cornelia James and her family’s incredible story is published in the next edition of ‘People of Hidden Sussex’.

Intriguing Charleston Manor

The leisurely walks over Ashdown Forest and the South Downs (both with and without the golf clubs), the intriguingly interesting and artistic Charleston Manor – home of the Bloomsbury group, the tearooms, the country pubs serving great food as well as Harveys locally-brewed real beer, the visits to the historic town of Lewes bursting with antique shops, the list is endless. In just a few days, we did so much in such a lovely leisurely manner from our rural retreat in Ripe, that we hardly had time to play golf!

We’ll be sharing more of these delightful moments with you in the future. Until then, happy golfing and we hope you love Sussex as much as we do!

Wendy Hoad

Editor

Tempted?

For prices and availability, check out their website: Hall Court Farm (click here).

Contact info: Hall Court Farm, Ripe, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 6AY England

For golfers, the best time to stay at Hall Court Farm is in the Spring (April or May) or at the end of the season (September or October) when the Glyndebourne rush is over. By the way, if you’re not a great dog lover, then don’t worry as Maggie will ensure that their adorable black Labrador and Welsh Collie sheep dog are only very occasionally heard, but not seen.