Dower Cottage is situated at the foot of Ditchling Beacon, on a very quiet lane just below the South Downs Way, and is ideal for walking - with or without dogs - horse riding and many other leisure pursuits. The house has four bedrooms to let on a bed and breakfast basis, two en-suite family/double/twin rooms, one twin room and one single room with bathroom opposite.
All rooms have wonderful views over the Sussex Weald and all have colour televisions. There is a library for the use of guests who are more than welcome to browse through the books.
For guests with laptops (if you really want to keep in touch with the office!) there is a wireless broadband connection in all rooms.
Paws for a Walk visited on a misty Easter day and although our walk to Ditchling Beacon was damp, we could still very easily spot the windmills and enjoy marvellous views across the South Downs and West Sussex heartland.The dogs loved it, the freedom to be off-lead for most of our walk made it rather exciting and a great deal of exercise was had - by dogs and human alike!

Gate House cottage is a lovely
open-plan, double-bedded studio cottage for 2 people. It comprises a large, beamed lounge with a separate kitchen and en-suite bathroom.

The Tack Room is another delightful, open-plan, double-bedded studio cottage with an en-suite bathroom and kitchen.

The two pet friendly, self-catering properties are situated within the beautiful grounds of Dower Cottage. Both properties have a really cosy feel, are comfortably furnished and provide lovely views over the garden.
They are well equipped with everything you need for a short break or longer holiday.

From Dower Cottage itself the bird table is alive with blue tits, great tits, nuthatches and bullfinches, a real pleasure to linger over breakfast... There are 30 Nature Reserves in Sussex and a thriving conservation organisation covering both East and West Sussex. The South Downs is the quintessential Sussex landscape. It is a landscape of outstanding value and an internationally important set of wildlife habitats. From the herb-rich downland turf to wooded hillsides and heather strewn expanses of heathland this is a rich and interesting landscape.

The South Downs Way is one of Britain's
National Trails and is comprised of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs); East Hampshire AONB and Sussex Downs AONB.
It runs for around 100 miles from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne
in Sussex. The majority of the path is a bridleway and so can be used by horseriders and cyclists as well as walkers. Its highest point, at 248m (814ft) is Ditchling Beacon.

Other nearby areas to investigate are Ditchling Common, which lies between Haywards Heath and Lewes and covers 188 acres. It was established as a country park by East Sussex County Council in 1974. Chailey Common is one of the largest commons in the south of England and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its heathland plants and diverse insect and bird communities. Both are within a short drive of the accommodation and well worth the trip.

Clayton is a small village nestling at the foot of the South Downs
in West Sussex. It has a 12th Century church, which is well worth visiting, particularly for its early mediaeval wall-paintings. The village lies approximately 40 miles south of London and 6 miles north of Brighton. Other nearby towns include Lewes, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Hassocks and Ditchling.

Clayton Tunnel, the longest tunnel (1.25 miles) on the London to Brighton railway line, begins in Clayton and runs up to 270 ft below ground. The tunnel was built in the 1840s and cost £90,000. The farmer who owned the land would not grant access to the tunnel unless an edifice was built at its entrance, so the railway company built a castellated entrance around the tunnel.

The attractive little village of Ditchling is close-by with a selection of shops and cafes. Hassocks also has a good selection of shops and restaurants, a golf club, the Ridgeview Vineyard and Washbrooks Farm Centre. Just above Hassocks there are two windmills, known locally as
"Jack and Jill".


Although this is a very tranquil spot, it is centrally located, being only
15 minutes from Brighton for shopping, sight-seeing and nightlife
and only 35 minutes from Gatwick Airport and Newhaven Port.

Centrally located for a number of attractive villages, towns and visitor attractions.

Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.