No need to fight over rooms here either: all bedrooms are a treat, though if you do get first choice we’d recommend the one with the mezzanine, which has dreamy views over the garden and its own bath.Ĭhallens Yarde is suited to all seasons: for the cooler months there’s an open fire, blankets and a large TV (plus others dotted around the bedrooms), while in the summer you’re likely to spend lots of time in the huge garden, cooking on the barbecue and sipping drinks at the outdoor table. Upon arrival you’re treated to a hamper of goodies from the Cowdray Farm Shop (think fresh bread, butter, cheese, chocolate and juice), beds are exceptionally comfortable, and bathrooms come kitted out with ila products and snuggly white gowns. The cottage is the perfect balance of homely and luxurious. With four spacious double bedrooms (three with en-suite bathrooms), a kitchen, a snug, a living room and a dining room, it’s well-suited to groups of friends or families after a weekend of relaxation, good food and fresh country air. If you were to draw the perfect British cottage, we bet it would look something like Challens Yarde: honey-stoned, with a pretty green front door and large private garden. Our home for the weekend, though, was Challens Yarde: a four-bedroom country home just down the road from the main estate.

There are also various cottages dotted around, and a collection of four newly opened treehouses, each sleeping two adults. The largest is Cowdray House, an exclusive hire venue with 22 bedrooms often used for weddings and retreats. Across the 16,000 acre plot of land you’ll find a farm shop, a restaurant, a polo club and a wellbeing space, plus the famous Cowdray Heritage Ruins, one of England’s most important early Tudor houses.įor those who want to stay overnight, there are a number of different options. The estate has been in the family for many generations, and is currently helmed by Viscount Cowdray, who took over in 1995 alongside his wife Marina, building an estate business which focuses on environmental land management. Just an hour’s drive from London, Cowdray is a beautiful part of West Sussex found beneath the South Downs. Review: Challens Yarde, Cowdray Estate STAY Ellie Smith gave it a whirl, discovering Cowdray is just as well suited to cosy winter weekends as it is to lively summer events.

The historic estate is home to a number of houses, lodges and treehouses where guests can book to stay – including Challens Yarde, a picture-perfect, Grade II listed cottage which recently became available for rental. There’s always a great atmosphere, with world-class polo and plenty to do and see – but what people might not know is that Cowdray makes a lovely place to visit year-round. Every summer, over 15,000 people flock to Cowdray Estate in Sussex for the British Open Polo Championship, one of the biggest events of the social season.

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