High Weald self catering farmstay
The Stables, Home farm is set in 80 acres of glorious English countryside one mile east of Ashdown Forest in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Records show a farm on this site going back to the fourteenth century. The current farm, built in Victorian times, includes a Sussex barn, a farm house, farm buildings and the stables. The stables are entirely individual with fenced garden, lawn and pretty flower beds overlooking the owners wildflower meadow and woodland, all maintained for environmental sustainability and accessible to the visitors to the Stables.
The interior has been sensitively restored with many original features including stable doors, beams and a sitting room with a glorious vaulted ceiling.
The Stables are delightfully rural and yet close to amenities and transport. You can walk from your doorstep through the woods or onto Ashdown Forest looking out for deer, badgers and many species of birds on your way. A bus passes the door and the train station is ten minutes away.
The local small towns of Crowborough and Uckfield are nearby (both accessible by bus) with small local shops as well as supermarkets and restaurants. Within easy reach some on foot or by public transport or car are attractive local villages, pubs and local attractions such as Barnsgate Vineyard (tours and winetasting), Wilderness Wood, and Ashdown Forest (home of Winnie the Pooh) and the Bluebell railway, a completely restored steam train. Also close by are Drusilla’s Zoo, Heaven Farm and Lewes Castle all of which make for a great family day out. There are some exquisite National Trust properties and gardens within easy reach, such as Bateman’s, the Jacobean home of Rudyard Kipling. Within three miles are horse riding, golf, and two swimming pools and leisure centres. Brighton and Tunbridge Wells are within half an hours drive (or the regular bus service that passes Home Farm goes there). London is an hour away on the train
There is a good choice of restaurants and farm shops locally ranging from award winning country inns, through Italian, Indian and Thai restaurants to high quality country house hotels such as Buxted Park and Horsed Place Hotel.
The owners are committed to sustainable tourism: solar panels have been installed and logs provided are from the Home Farm woods. The property is a Country Land and Business Award Winner, a member of the Green Tourism Business Scheme and a English tourist board 4 star property.
The Stables offers a superb getaway, for everyone, in a truly unspoilt location.
Rooms, food and facilities
Former stables and bullpen have been beautifully converted into a superb cottage. Many original features including stable doors and beams have been included, and together with the vaulted ceilings in the spacious living room make this charming, high standard and extremely comfortable accommodation. There is central heating, immersion heater and a wood burning stove. Entrance is via the hall (harness room). The bathroom has a bath with power shower overhead, washbasin, heated towel rail and WC.
The excellent fully equipped kitchen has an electric cooker, microwave, food processor, fridge with small freezer and dishwasher. The washing machine and tumble drier are available in the shared utility room next to the stables.
The large living room with wood burning stove at one end has a colour TV, and DVD with glass doors leading to the stables patio. The dining area is situated at the other end of the room.
From the living area, stairs lead up to the gallery with a double sofa bed which can be used as a sitting area or an additional bedroom.
The lovely twin bedded room (in the old hayloft) is beautifully furnished with wardrobe, drawers and en-suite shower room with washbasin, shaver unit and WC. It looks out over the moorhen pond and wild flower meadow.
The double bedroom (old bull pen) is on the ground floor and looks out over the garden and countryside and has its own basin and wardrobe.
The garden has a patio, lawn and pretty flower borders, barbecue, garden furniture and outdoor games. There is plenty of parking with security lights. Also provided is Wi-Fi and Payphone. This property is suitable for the less-able. There is a pond on the farm so children must be supervised.
How to find us
Herons Ghyll is a hamlet on the A26 road between Crowborough and Uckfield, 22miles from Brighton and 10 from Tunbridge Wells.
The 29 bus passes the door travelling between Brighton and Tunbridge Wells. The nearest stations are Buxted (4 miles) and Haywards Heath (14 miles) and you can get a taxi from either.
How this holiday makes a difference
Landscape
The Stables is in a truly beautiful and unspoilt natural environment and we want to share with visitors in the best ways, information about the natural resources at Home Farm. We provide general information within the visitor’s folder about the farm, the wildflower meadow and the woodland. We provide reference books and binoculars for visitors. There are notices on the going into the field by the pond giving information about the wildlife focuses for the month, for example in April drawing attention to cowslips, bugle and yellow rattle.
The woodlands have been opened up and provide more opportunities for walkers at the holiday lets. We provide a folder with walks that are specific to the Stables that take visitors cross the fields round or through the woodlands. These walks also identify out the specific natural features in the woodlands, the badger setts, the trout pool, the bluebell slope the reopened medieval iron and clay working site. The pubic footpath at the top of the woods gives visitors access to an number of walks taking them further afield and guidance is provided.
