I think we have established that I am passionately in love with Sussex. I have lived here for over 20 years and - although I sometimes daydream of mountains and such - I can't actually imagine moving away. Admittedly there are hundreds of reasons why I love it here, but one of them is for our beautiful landscape. There is always something to love pretty much on the doorstep and you are never far from something different either. From coastal paths and beaches to rolling hills and glorious countryside, by way of countless picturesque villages and towns, Sussex has a little bit of everything. We are also close enough to London to make it an easy enough journey both in and out...
I could go on endlessly, and happily will if you would like me to, but that is not the purpose of this post. For those of you who are close enough to want to come to visit and stay, I'd love to introduce you to Cabins & Castles, with their handpicked selection of unique holiday homes located in and around Sussex.
I have worked with Cabins and Castles since before their launch providing photographs of Sussex locations, so when owner Zoe invited us to stay at one of the properties on their books, I knew we were in for a treat.
We spent a weekend at Camber Sands Cottage, as the name suggests, it is just behind the sand dunes at Camber Sands, with only a short walk to the beach.
The house can sleep up to 13 with plenty of spaces to gather. The lounge is comfortable, though as a family we are always drawn to a fireplace so spent as much time around the stove and at the dining table beside it. Sunlight streams through the windows on this long wall too making it the perfect place for a cosy morning or two.
It is also dog friendly, needless to say that Maud was in her element between sunbathing and fire bathing...
The interiors at the cottage were designed by Atlanta Bartlett and Dave Coote. Filled with beautiful details and characterful pieces, vintage furniture and linens are an integral element of the design. The cottage is light and bright but welcoming with it. It invites you to stay a while and enjoy the peace of the space.
We could have happily stayed for longer, between the house, the beach and Rye there is a lot to love about this location.
I found the fruit laden trees in the garden joyful, I couldn't resist a few photos of them. I imagine they must be beautiful in springtime when wearing their blossom.
One of the joys of winter is that sunrise is at an achievable hour. On the first morning I took Anna and Maud for a run on the beach and a climb on the dunes. We have visited Camber many times but never made it for sunrise before so it was a perfect excuse for a wander before breakfast, the sunrise itself was beautiful. And cold. Which was then the perfect excuse to go back for porridge and coffee...
The second morning might have been a little slower to get going.
The kitchen is fully equipped with the appliances being cleverly hidden out of sight, yet everything is readily at hand. There are bar stools around the island and the large dining table is just beside the kitchen. This all lends itself to being a space that works well for gathering without falling over each other in the process.
Those of you with children and dogs will know exactly what I mean there!
We added a few shells to the collection in a jar in the hall. It seemed the polite thing to do, leaving small tokens of our stay. Camber sands is a brilliant place for collecting shells as they are plentiful. We always notice how they seem more abundant here than at home, only 30 miles along the coast.
One of my favourite corners of the house is the reading nook below. It can be used as a bedroom, but for us it was a sunny corner to sit with a book.
Camber is less than ten minutes from Rye, so of course we took a trip over there while we stayed. I don't think I have eve been to Rye without a wander along Mermaid Street. I do love it in all seasons, but was happy to find the last of the red ivy still hanging on to the vines on The Mermaid Inn.
A stay at Camber Sands Cottage also includes a lovely discount at the Pale & Interesting store in Rye. If you love the aesthetic of the interiors as much as I do, there is always something to be found there.
I will add a link below if you would like to have a look some of what is available there online - and if East Sussex is too far for a visit, they will deliver too!
Cabins and Castles cater for a variety of budgets and number of guests, you can find out more about the beautiful locations on their books through the links below. Theres a beautiful Roundhouse, a shepherds hut, a barn. There's even a house on the beach a stones throw from my in laws, so I can tell you whole heartedly that it's a great location.
I thoroughly recommend a visit to Sussex, and if you need any advice on what to do while you are here, just let me know! J x
links
Atlanta Bartlett - Interior design
Dave Coote - Interior Design
