Next time someone asks you what you’d like for Christmas, here’s an idea: a cabin getaway in Sussex. I don’t know about you, but when leaves start falling from the trees, my thoughts turn to hibernating, leaving the city chaos behind and retreating to the woods. Living in Brighton we have the lush South Downs scattered with cabins on our doorstep, which makes playing out this fantasy easy. So for you dear readers, I’ve picked out 12 of my favourite cabins in Sussex, each within a 30-minute drive of Brighton or two hours of London.
Cosy cabins in Sussex
1 The Hyde is an elegant barn-style cabin for two. It’s located near the village of Cuckfield in West Sussex which has a fascinating little museum and a great local pub. Inside, it looks like a mini rustic French farmhouse – white wood panelling, dried flowers, vintage rugs, and sheepskin throws. Reviews say it’s much bigger than you anticipate and has an amazing power shower. The real plus is its setting on a private lake and a patio hung with string lights! Watching the orange sun dipping behind the trees at sunset or tumbling out of bed, down the jetty for a sunrise boat ride, must be magical. £125/night
2 Looking Glass Lodge in the village of Fairlight near Hastings looks like a sleek, cool, and calming open book. It was built by a local couple, Rik and Lindsey, in an RSPB nature reserve founded by Rik’s parents in the 1960s. The floor-to-ceiling glass design means that you feel part of the woodland when you’re inside the cabin, creating a sense of calm. Just looking at pictures of it I feel the stress melt away! There are luxuries like fluffy robes, a giant bathtub, built-in speakers, a record player and vinyl to play. I love the look of the floating log burner for toasty nights and the idea of flinging open the doors onto the deck in summer. £590/two-night minimum stay
3 Hut Therapy is a wholesome vegan B&B cabin. It’s tucked away in a secluded part of owner Gilly’s lush garden in the tiny village of East Chiltington (not far from this lovely pub). Each morning, she delivers you a delicious macrobiotic breakfast – think pancake stacks and granola with berries – to set you up for your day of adventuring. She’ll also make you a packed lunch and dinner, too. Nearly everything in the cabin is reclaimed, including the cabin itself made from an old Sussex barn. It sleeps three in a double bed and a single roll-out mattress. A great choice for a writing retreat, too. £83/three-night minimum B&B stay
4 Ditchling Cabin is luxurious and otherworldly. It’s set close to ancient woodland at the foot of the South Downs National Park between the chocolate-box villages of Clayton and Ditchling overlooking its own private four-acre fishing lake. A stay here is a proper wilderness adventure, in that it’s inaccessible by car. To get to it, Paul, your host, gives you and your luggage a lift on his quad bike from the car park at the top of the lane leading down to it. The spacious cabin sleeps four, two in an eight-foot bed! – and has lots of board games and books to read if you want to unplug, or Wi-Fi, TV and DAB Radio if you prefer staying connected. £320/night
5 At first, I thought The Salty Shepherd on Romney Marsh near Camber Sands looked out on a limb in the middle of the owner’s farm field. Then I realised what a cool spot it is for watching sunsets and storms. Inside it’s simple and rustic, with English oak floorboards, French linens, a little fire, and a cosy double bed facing a picture window – one reviewer says they sat in bed watching owls at night! The location is awesome, too: a short walk to the beach at Camber Sands, great pubs like The Gallivant (also a cool Hamptons motel-style hotel) and The Owl, and visiting the surreal landscapes at Dungeness, the only desert in England. £100/night
6 You’ll find The Longview on Eight Acre Meadow in a quiet corner of the working Swallowtail Farm six miles from Rye. It’s unique in that it has an incredible-looking fold-away glass wall. “You can lie cosy in bed, with the glass wall folded away, and let the fresh meadow air rush over you as you sip your morning cup of tea. Not a care in the world,” says Weekend Candy. It’s perfect for couples or families alike – the sofa somehow becomes bunk beds. I also love how it’s cleverly split into a bedroom, dining and lounge space using the chunky rustic headboard as a room partition. Outside, there’s a fire pit for toasting marshmallows, and a hot tub (you pay extra to use it). £360/2-night minimum stay for 2 people
7 Indulge your inner Heidi with a stay in either Penfold or Wood, two pretty red-painted Swiss-style log cabins also on Swallowtail Farm. The website says they’re set far enough apart for seclusion. Looking at the picture though, I think they’d make a better place for a group trip: they’re set on either side of a shared kitchen and dining space. Depends on how sociable you are! Neither has Wi-Fi so a stay here is ideal if you want minimal distraction. Neither is there running water – you source this from the shared kitchen. Each cabin has its private bathroom tucked in the woods behind. From £250 a two-night minimum stay
8 Off-Grid Lakeside Cabin looks like it’s been plucked straight from the American wilderness, don’t you think? Those chunky dark-wood wood beams, the log stack on the side, the red-and-burgundy checked linens, antlers on the walls. The best bit: is the porch overlooking the lake popular with ducks, geese, and the odd kingfisher. Most reviews say you’ll spot deer roaming around the woodlands, too! The décor and facilities are simple. There’s a dresser filled with crockery, a little kitchen, a cute table for two, and an armchair next to a log burner, which easily warms the cabin. £180/night for 2 people
9 Set near the Ashdown Forest in the Sussex Weald, Idaho Cabin, is part of an eco-retreat called Forest Garden Shovelstrode, set on land that’s been part of the owner, Lisa’s family home since 1971. It looks straight out of a storybook, surrounded by trees, with its pitched roof and porch complete with rocking chair. It’s great for a family holiday as it sleeps four on a mezzanine and sofa bed. It’s built using western red cedar which omits relaxing phytoncides (wood essential oils) that apparently make you feel relaxed. The only catch: you share a shower and toilet in a block a short walk away. From £95/night for 2 people
10 Copse Cabin, a Modernist-style black clapboard structure, is simply designed inside and out. Somehow it neatly blends into its fern-filled woodland surroundings. Inside, it’s white, light and airy, decked out with vintage finds sheepskin rugs and blanket. There’s a tiny kitchen. The bathroom has organic toiletries and an incredible floor-to-ceiling window looking into the ferns. The fridge is full of local ingredients for breakfast. Annoyingly, to read a full review, and find out the exact location of Copse Cabin you have to pay to register with Kip Hideaways, which I haven’t done. From £135/night for 2 people
11 The walk to Jessie Shepherds Hut in Sedlescombe near Battle takes you along a winding path through crab apple and cherry trees. Sounds idyllic, don’t you think? It’s set in between these orchards on a big bit of secluded farmland and looks out over open Sussex Weald countryside. It’s compact and homely inside. Like most cabins, it has a log burner. There’s also a full kitchen and they welcome dogs. It’s perfectly located within hiking distance of a good pub, The Queens Head, that serves beautifully presented dishes like sticky soy chicken and blood orange and white chocolate cheesecake. From £100/night for a two-night minimum stay
12 Full disclosure: Best Log Cabin is just over the Sussex border in Surrey. However, I simply had to share for its Americana-good looks and the fact it’s your own island retreat for up to four people! It’s in the middle of a fishing lake – you get to it by a rustic footbridge. It’s also on five private acres within a working farm you share with resident Highland cattle. It’s spacious with room to spread out in: a cosy lounge with a slouchy sofa has two sets of doors onto the deck; the bathroom has a giant copper bathtub. The full kitchen comes complete with a Smeg fridge and outside there’s a herb garden. Might not come as a surprise this is the most expensive cabin on the list! From £325/night minimum three-night stay
New here? Head over to check-in for a welcome tour, join other curious travellers and subscribe to the Ellie & Co blog via email or follow my stories on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.