G R E A T E S C A P E S-Country style: Gravetye Manor
TO THE MANOR BORN, CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Breathtaking grounds add to the sense of escapism; the glass-walled dining room brings nature up close; comfort and luxury combine with echoes of the past; fresh produce comes from the manor’s kitchen garden
WORDS: KAREN BARNES. PHOTOGRAPHS: CLAIRE TAKACS (EXTERIOR), PATRICIA NIVEN (FOOD)
WHY IT’S GREAT Imagine the epitome of an English country-house hotel and you couldn’t do better than Gravetye: gravel drive, honeyed stone, wood panelling, the scent of beeswax and freshly picked flowers on the air. Nestled in the Sussex countryside, this Elizabethan manor house exudes an air of peace, gentility and stepping back in time that slows your heartbeat. There’s a seductive sense of getting away from it all that you don’t find in many of today’s clattery chrome-and-glass-style hotels.