Dower Cottage

Bed and Breakfast

and The Tack Room Cottage and Gate House Cottage

TEL:-   01273 843363

Underhill Lane
 Clayton
 Hassocks  Sussex BN6 9PL

Self Catering
E-Mail
LocationMap

 

Dower Cottage is situated at the foot of the Downs, just below the South Downs Way and is an ideal position for walking, horse riding, mountain biking and many other leisure pursuits.

The house itself has four bedrooms to let, two en-suite family/double/twin rooms and one twin room and one single room with bathroom opposite. All rooms have wonderful views over the Sussex Weald and all have colour televisions with digi boxes.

There is a library for the use of our guests and you are more than welcome to browse through the books at your leisure.

For guests with laptops we have wireless broadband in all rooms.

(A recent mention in the Sunday Times by Mike Roberts, Britain's "king of Fizz" who produces the world's top-rated sparkling wine of 2005 from The RidgeView Estate Vineyard, near Ditchling).

"Mike raves about the nearby Dower Cottage Bed and Breakfast"

 

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THE LIBRARY

Breakfast is taken in our kitchen/dining area overlooking the back garden, where, every morning, our bird table is alive with blue tits, great tits, nuthatches, bullfinches and many others. We even have pheasants and woodpeckers pitching up sometimes. It's better than watching television!!!

We cater for all tastes for breakfast and welcome vegetarians. Our menu includes a fresh fruit salad, (and it is fresh!!), juice, breakfast tea, (fruit and herbal teas and earl grey are available), coffee and toast and full cooked english breakfast,(no fried bread or beans unless you insist)!! We use organic milk and butter and all our eggs are free range.

 

Clayton itself is a very tiny hamlet but it does have a 12th Century church that is well worth a visit as some very old paintings have been uncovered recently and people come from miles around to see them. The queen's couturier, Sir Norman Hartnell, who designed her wedding gown and also her coronation dress is buried in the churchyard.

Clayton Tunnel is also well known for its Victorian folly in the shape of a Tudor fortress. The folly was a house for the tunnel keeper and is quite an unusual sight.

Our other claim to fame of course are the very famous Jack and Jill windmills that have featured in quite a few films. One of the mills has been renovated and now grinds corn and at the weekends the volunteers who run the mill also sell the flour and run a little teashop for thirsty downland walkers.

 



Although Clayton itself is very quiet, for the more fun loving amongst you Brighton is only ten minutes away by car and there you will find all the hustle and bustle that you desire. Brighton Pavilion is a very popular tourist attraction as is the Lanes, where you can browse around the tiny shops selling antiques, jewellry and a whole host of other things including boutique clothes.

We are also very close to many National Trust properties, including Wakehurst Place, with The Millenium Seed Bank, this is a part of Kew Gardens and the seed bank is an £80 million project that is aiming to collect seeds from endangered plants from all over the world. Nymans Gardens and Sheffield Park (where you will also find The Bluebell Railway) are also nearby.

For garden lovers amongst you we are close to some of the most beautiful gardens in Sussex, including Borde Hill Gardens, Leonardslea Gardens with their wonderful azalea collection and High Beeches Gardens. For orchid lovers we are close to McBeans Orchids, the most renowned in England, who always have displays at Chelsea. Another gold winner at Chelsea, renowned for their wonderful carnations, is Allwoods and they are only 5mins away.

If you are coming to Brighton to visit the universities with regards to taking up a course or your children are viewing the universities for their forthcoming studies, we are only 10mins from The University of Brighton or Sussex University. We have many potential students and their parents who have stayed with us and they have always enjoyed their home away from home. This is also true for Plumpton College which is just along the lane towards Lewes.

During the year, because of our close proximity to Brighton, we have many visitors coming to watch the annual races and festivals that occur nearby. The Brighton Festival is on throughout May with many events happening in Ditchling, the London to Brighton bike ride in June, with the exhausted bikers struggling to go up Ditchling Beacon at the end of our lane, then in November, at the other end of the lane you can watch the London to Brighton Veteran car rally, or the Old Crocks race, as it is affectionately known, with many cars having to be pushed up Clayton Hill, the steepest part of the rally, take along a flask of coffee and a sandwich and enjoy the fun!!!!


If you are just passing through on your way to sunnier climes it is well worth noting that Clayton is only 35 minutes from Gatwick and about the same for the port of Newhaven for the Seacat. Even Heathrow is very accessible and can be reached in  an hour1/2 (M25 permitting).


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Hall and Landing

View from Bedrooms

Clayton Church and surroundings

Clayton Tunnel

 

 

 

Single room Min £50.00 Max £55.00
Twin standard room Min £70.00 Max £75.00
En-suite Family room, Double /Twin Min £80.00 Max £110.00

*THESE PRICES ARE ALL FOR 2 PEOPLE SHARING.
FOR EXTRA PEOPLE/CHILDREN IN TWIN ROOMS, PRICES WILL BE NEGOTIABLE*

WE ALSO HAVE TWO SELF CATERING COTTAGES AS FOLLOWS:-

THE GATE HOUSE COTTAGE

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We also have our self catering gate house cottage that is a lovely open plan, double bedded studio cottage for 2 people. It comprises a large open plan beamed lounge with a double bed, seating area with dining table and colour T.V./DVD. There is a separate kitchen with small oven, fridge and microwave oven and an en-suite bathroom. The cottage has lovely views over the garden and guests are welcome to explore the gardens and paddock at their leisure.

Prices are from £250.00 per week in the low season - £350.00 in the high season for two people sharing.

Short lets are available and are priced per person per day.
 
 
 
 

 The Tack Room Cottage.

The Tack Room is another delightful, open plan, double bedded studio cottage with an en-suite bathroom.There is a lounge with a double bed and seating area and a colour television with DVD, a kitchen with small oven, fridge and microwave and an en-suite bathroom and there are lovely views over the garden and paddock.

In the summer, relax out on the patio area and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Prices are from £250.00 per week in the low season - £350.00 in the high season for two people sharing.
 
 
Tack Room Lounge Tack Room Kitchen
 
 
Garden Island
 
 
 
Driving instructions to Dower Cottage.

From the A23 turn onto the A273 signmarked to Hassocks.  Follow the road until you go over a hill and down the other side. (Go slowly at the bottom of the hill as our lane is very easy to miss.)  At the bottom of the hill take the first right hand turn, signposted to Clayton, into Underhill Lane.  If you miss this turning you will either take the next right hand fork which will take you to Ditchling and is a much wider road or you will end up at The Jack & Jill pub, either way you have gone too far.

Once you have found Underhill Lane go along it for about a mile. Go past the church and all the houses and have a little faith as we are there, we are just about half a mile from the hamlet. There is a sign board outside the house.