SEPTEMBER 2024
During our July England trip we had the perfect summer itinerary in the South of England: visiting Rye and the two gorgeous gardens of Pashley Manor and Bateman’s. I absolutely loved having Rye as our base to explore the surrounding villages and gardens. In this blogpost I will tell you all about our experience!
Where we stayed
We stayed in the Old Borough Arms in the center of Rye. It was really difficult to find an affordable three-person room in Rye, which is why I was happy that I found a room in this hotel for about € 150 a night. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the expectation I had. Breakfast wasn’t included in the room rate, which added an extra € 50 per day to our bill. The restaurant and bar was only open during the day, so we couldn’t do any drinks in the hotel bar while Hugo was sleeping. So not the experience I expected. The room was quite old, a bit smelly, not the best bed, so would not recommend.
Absolutely loved the location in Rye though, a short walk from the famous viewpoint and many good restaurants.
Rye
Rye was a real highlight! It is such a picturesque, charming town, lots of old buildings, original shops and good restaurants. It seems like the inhabitants of Rye really love their gardens, as these were greatly maintained. A few recommendations in Rye: viewpoint in Mermaid Street, alleyways at Church Square, the old cemetery, the gun garden, high street, the Quarter house & the landgate. Just take a few hours exploring and you will encounter these spots.
In Rye you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants. We were able to try two.
The Old Bell: Typical pub, with a focus on Greek food. Interior is super cute and cozy and they have a good terrace as well. The most affordable meal we had in England, served quickly, nothing too special.
Hoof: A burger and steak restaurant, they have interesting meal combos, which I would highly recommend. Super kid friendly, very good children’s menu. Overall delicious and very good service, but more expensive than the Old Bell.
The Fig: The Fig was on my list, but we didn’t end up visiting as a fancy sharing meal wasn’t ideal with a kid. Looked very atmospheric though, so check it out if you are without kids.
Pashley Manor Gardens
Pashley Manor Gardens isn’t the most famous garden in the Kent/Sussex area, but definitely a good visit! We loved walking around the premises and had the best lunch of our holiday here. We were a bit late to catch the roses at their best, but the vegetable garden was amazing. Oddly, there is a swimming pool in the gardens, but visitor’s are not supposed to use it. Tickets costs 14,50 pounds per person and there is plenty of parking near the entrance.
Bateman’s
Bateman’s is a National Trust property, it is a small, but interesting visit. It used to belong to Rudyard Kipling, who wrote the Jungle Book, so plenty of nodds to that. The house feels really intimate, you can sense how people have lived in it. There is a beautiful pond overlooking the main house, with a rose garden next to it. Some herbaceous borders, a vegetable garden. And the staff of the National Trust is lovely as always and gives lots of information per room. It isn’t that big, so you can see everything in 1-2 hours, but I loved the vibe of it. Bateman’s is not particularly kid friendly, but I have a son with botanical interest, so we were fine anyway.
Leave a Reply