A couple of weekends ago when we were having that weirdly hot spell that just didn’t feel right for a February in England we headed out to Standen House, one of the National Trust properties in West Sussex to make use of our National Trust family membership. Standen House is a few minutes drive from East Grinstead and sits in beautiful surroundings.
There is a woodland trail through HollyBush Wood, with a boardwalk that the kids loved to hurtle ahead on. It means it’s a safe and dry walk even in really wet weather! Look out for the wooden dragon! There are also fields of wild flowers as well as the well kept gardens to explore, complete with a pond!
The house itself is just stunning, a traditional Arts & Crafts house with lots to see and take in. There’s a lot of William Morris wallpaper, and plenty of letters and diary entries to read to get a feel for what living in the house would have been like in its heyday! I especially loved the conservatory with the picture windows, full of succulents and cacti!
There is also a Quarry Garden which is noticeably cooler even on warm days, and we had fun going up the rocky steps to the bridge at the top and peering down! There is also a picnic area, which is off to the right of the car park which overlooks the countryside with plenty of picnic benches. We took a picnic which was very organised of us but there is of course a tea room and shop, as well as some plants and herbs on sale too!
Have you been to Standen? I’m looking forward to going back in the summer to see how different it looks!
Here’s where to find it: Standen House, West Hoathly Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 4NE. You can see events and exhibitions and find out more on the NT website.
Near to Standen House you’ll find Wakehurt Place, another absolutely stunning place to spend a day!
What a great place to have fun the family! I’ll definitely add Standen House in my itinerary when I visit Sussex!