Dog-friendly Hotels East Sussex

Experience authentic Sussex village life at this charming 14th-century dog-friendly property in the heart of Ditchling.

This stunning 3 bedroom barn is ideally located just outside of Rye and yet its rural location puts you firmly in the middle of the English countryside with far reaching panoramic views. You’ll see more deer and wildlife than people, but trust the peace and quiet will suit. The sunrises are spectacular and for those looking for a rural adventure your journey starts here. It’s a great base to explore from with several National Trust properties nearby, as well as some of the best vineyards in the south east of England, including Chapel Down and Gusbourne.
Tillingham Vineyard is at the end of the road, a great location with wine, a restaurant, pizza and beer, and The Three Legs micro brewery is 10 minutes’ drive in the other direction offering great beer, hams and cheeses usually between Thursday and Sunday. The Globe in Marsh at the Rye end of the Old Military Canal is a quirky pub with good food. The Hoof, The Standard and Webbe’s Fish Cafe are also good places to eat.
Rye itself is worth a wander with cobbled streets, old shops and cafes, and its own cinema. Tenterden is also worth a visit with the Kent and East Sussex Railway station, micro breweries, shops and cafes.
If you simply want to relax and go for a walk, Partridge Barn is immediately next to Beckley Woods where you can easily walk for an hour without seeing a soul. Camber Sands offers one of the longest sandy beaches in the south and is 20 minutes’ drive from the house. Northiam has a great little cafe next to the river where you can hire canoes, boats or paddle boards. If you’re feeling energetic you can paddle as far as Bodiam Castle. Whether you paddle back is a different matter! Great Dixter House and Gardens is also in the village.
Ashford Outlet Centre is 35 minutes drive and Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal 45 mins away. The local village of Peasmarsh has a hotel with swimming, spa and gym with day membership as well as a supermarket and petrol station for all your needs.
The barn itself can accommodate up to 5 guests and sits in its own one acre plot comprising a paddock, private drive with ample car parking, front deck and rear patios with formal garden. It has two double bedrooms and one single room with an upstairs ‘landing’ study area for those needing to work from home. Downstairs, the open plan style allows for 3x sets of bi fold doors to be opened to bring the outside, in. It has a large kitchen with island and overall offers guests a great place to stay.

The Challoners is nestled in the heart of the East Sussex Weald and redefines what to expect from a premium glamping holiday experience. As you enter through the gate, your two wood-clad cabins greet you unassumingly, but step inside and the lavish attention to detail can really be appreciated. The shepherd’s hut houses the bedroom which offers a sumptuous Hypnos double bed, while delicate finishing touches include softly painted cladding, ornate furnishings, and an antique electric stove heater. Through double sliding doors is a gorgeous en-suite bathroom with roll-top bath. In a separate lodge, just a couple of metres away, are your living quarters. Adorned with chic rustic style, this too is exclusively yours and features an open plan living space complete with large corner sofa and a selection of books, games, and puzzles. For ultimate comfort and convenience there is also a walk-in shower room here along with another washbasin and toilet in addition to those in the en-suite. Both cabins feature underfloor heating throughout for cosy winter evenings in this wonderful self-catering retreat.
Throw open the French doors to enjoy views over the Wealden countryside and your private garden with curved stone loveseat, a covered picnic table, BBQ, and a fire pit where you can gaze at the stars The garden is fully enclosed at this dog friendly accommodation near Bodiam and Battle, making it a perfect rural spot.
The Challoners is a place to enjoy some peace and quiet, so the owners have deliberately left out a TV - the perfect excuse to create your own intimate environment away from the outside world and take some time for you. You may come with good intentions to explore the area and find yourself not wanting to leave this haven all weekend! If you can pull yourself away there are 300 acres of foot and cycle paths to explore in the surrounding area, including access to the owners private 50 acres of woodland with one of the largest badger sets in Europe. A unique boutique countryside retreat for romantic short breaks and pure indulgent escapism.
The pretty village of Robertsbridge is just a mile away and offers a general store, local pub, and award-winning Indian restaurant. Both the local pubs are also dog friendly and the Salehurst Halt has a large dog-friendly garden. Bewl Water is 7 miles away and offers various water sports and the Bodiam Boating Station is 10 miles away which offers river cruises and boat hire for a more relaxed day out or kayaking for the more adventurous. You can also explore Bodiam Castle 3 miles away and a little further afield are Battle, the Cinque Ports town of Rye and the coastal town of Hastings. The area between Robertsbridge, Rye and Pevensey is called ‘1066 Country’ and boasts a host of tourist and leisure attractions, including Great Dixter, Bodiam Castle and Smallhythe Place. For those wanting to venture back to the time of steam trains, visit the Kent and East Sussex Railway and take a trip from Bodiam to Tenterden in one of the lovely old carriages. Visit the moated castle at Bodiam built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, only a 10-minute drive.

These two pretty, beamed, semi-detached holiday cottages, (refs 27442 and 27443) with mezzanine floor, have been attractively converted from former cow byres and are set in the owners’ 14-acre small holding which is home to farm animals including sheep and pigs. On-site is a small children’s play area. A 10-minute walk across the fields brings you into Sedlescombe with its village green and traditional country pub. In close proximity to Battle, with its famous battlefield and abbey, built to commemorate the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Relive one of the most famous days in history, and join the 1066 walk from the doorstep. Take a trip on the Kent and East Sussex Steam Railway from Tenterden, also known as ’The Jewel of the Weald’, through the Rother Levels to Bodiam, one of the most evocative moated castles (National Trust), built in 1385. Discover the one time coastal smuggling town of Hastings and medieval Cinque Port town of Rye with its cobbled streets. Picturesque sand dunes and interesting wildlife can be explored at Camber. Shop, pub and restaurant 1 mile.
Properties 27442 and 27443 can be booked to together to accommodate up to 4 guests.

Cowbeech Farm Cottage is situated in the beautiful grounds of the owner’s farmhouse on the edge of the village which bears the same name. Originally part of the old dairy and very much a working dairy farm back in the 1950s, it has its own enclosed garden off the original farmyard. The stunning farmhouse grounds have featured in the National Garden Scheme, and other magazines, and guests can stroll around the lake and marvel at the unusual Japanese garden. On the boundary of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within strolling distance of the local hostelry, which dates back to the early 1600s. A walkers and cyclists paradise, try the Cuckoo Trail, 19 miles of walkways and lanes that follows the old Cuckoo Line Railway from Heathfield to Eastbourne, and gained its name from the releasing of a cuckoo at the Heathfield Fair.
Michelham Priory, Herstmonceux Castle and its gardens, Drusillas Zoo and the Bluebell Railway are great days out, or spend a Saturday evening stargazing at Herstmonceux Science Observatory. Eastbourne with its beaches and pier is a 30-minute drive, and Battle is 8 miles with good rail connections to London. Should the weather be inclement, there is a leisure centre at Hailsham with flumes, inflatables and ten pin bowling. Beach 9 miles. Shop ¾ mile, pub and restaurant 175 yards.

These semi-detached holiday properties (refs 29887, 29895, 29896, and W43461) reside in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the glorious Sussex countryside and were once part of Vigoes Dairy Farm until the end of the 20th century. Set back from the road, each property has its own individual terrace with furniture, and to the rear of the buildings is a shared grassed area, beyond which is a paddock, an ideal place in which to let off steam, kick a ball around, or have a leisurely picnic. Spot deer, the occasional buzzard, or the very rare short-toed eagle! Walks and cycle routes beckon from the doorstep. See the beautiful Sheffield Park Gardens (National Trust) where, in the 1700s, Capability Brown was commissioned to landscape the gardens. A glorious feast of red and gold in the autumn and where the national collection of Ghent azaleas can be seen in their full glory in the spring alongside the bluebells. In 1876 the third Earl of Sheffield laid out a cricket pitch where the first ever match against Australia was played in 1884! The Bluebell Railway offers an opportunity to stroll amongst the locomotives in the engine sheds and perhaps spot ‘Stepney’ who appears in the Thomas the Tank Engine books, and of course, take a train journey. Stroll through the Ashdown Forest which covers approximately 10 square miles and in fact is not all forest but largely heathland, where cattle and sheep also freely graze for part of the year. It is also famous for the Winnie The Pooh Stories written by AA Milne who lived on the northern edge of the forest with his son Christopher Robin. Attend Glyndebourne, visit the county town of Lewes with its museum, antique shops, and brewery, or head to the coast at Brighton or Eastbourne across the South Downs. Horse riding is available locally. Good rail connections to London from Haywards Heath for further sightseeing opportunities. Shop 1 mile and pub/restaurant 1½ miles.

Originally built in 1896, Spilstead Barn has been converted in 2018 into a delightfully welcoming holiday cottage. Still used for livestock and farming today, the 22 acre estate sets the scene with stables greeting you opposite the front door.
You enter into the open plan living area, with a modern kitchen, shower room and the sitting and dining areas. You can see exposed glimpses of the original barn, with the beautifully restored beams cleverly separating the spaces. An extra touch of luxury has been added too, with new underfloor heating downstairs to keep your toes warm in colder months.
The stairs lead you onto a large landing with soft, deep pile carpets and a cosy reading corner. There are two bedrooms, one a twin with lovely oak furniture, and a master bedroom at the far end with king size bed and fabulous views over the estate. There is also a smart shared bathroom to unwind in after a day out visiting the local towns and natural beauty of 1066 country.
Outside you have a private, fully enclosed garden. With children and dogs welcomed, this is a perfect space for them to play while you relax on the decking and enjoy some shade and a book under the parasol. When you are ready to explore a little further, head out of the gate and the hidden gem of Spilstead Barn is reached by a glorious half mile walk. Stroll past the paddocks on a tree-lined avenue, along the old vineyard which meets the open fields, and you will find the beautiful, secluded private lake. With a picnic table and small rowing boat awaiting, you can dip your toes in the water, enjoy a spot of fishing or even take a leisurely swim around the island.