"I Found The Ultimate Country Escape 90 Minutes From London"

There are two things in this world that I adore: a great pub and a sleepover. So it probably won’t come as a shock that few things click more satisfyingly in my head than a night spent somewhere that combines the two. The Woodcote, though, is no longer a country pub — it’s a restaurant with rooms, thoughtfully reimagined for long dinners and slow breakfasts. As a London local, it doesn’t quite feel like an escape unless it’s just far enough outside the city — a weekend trip into the countryside, close enough for ease, but distant enough to lose the scent of London without fully leaving it behind.

An hour and a half from Victoria, The Woodcote offers the rarest thing: a true switch-off.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor

First impressions

An hour and a half from London Victoria, deep into West Sussex, there is an inn called The Woodcote. Upon arrival, weaving in and out of hills and fields, dodging flooding underpasses and fallen branches, you’ll find an unassuming little spot tucked away in a field, not many neighbours apart from the birds that seem to chirp much louder and lovelier here than where you came from.

It is the best kind of country restaurant. Low ceilings, beams, full stocked bar, warmed by a roaring fire in the furnace by the wooden chairs.

What sets it apart

It is the best kind of country restaurant. Low ceilings, beams, a fully stocked bar, warmed by a roaring fire in the furnace, and wooden chairs. As you near the rear end, the dining room is fully encapsulated by wrap-around glass, acting as entertainment for any meals, beers, martinis or imminent breakfasts that you might enjoy.

Outside those windows, the patio promises a suntrap in the summer, but a rainy weekend is just as satisfying as the mist of dew hits your face. What you’d think was a shed popping out from over the hedges, though, is none other than a bundle of rooms, almost organised like stables. Inside, they are anything but.

The perfect spot for tea is the private patio, which looks out onto the South Downs, the mist hovering over the nearby trees as if Mr Darcy might storm through at any moment.

The rooms

What’s special about the rooms is that they are all unique in their own way, in furniture, colour palette, and layout. Our room, Brooks, was of soft greens, with the most subtle of details calling out to leave a mark. For example, I am now saving up for the Rebecca Udall green alpaca blanket, which I wrapped myself up in after dark. The bed was an oasis in itself, fluffy, comfortable, a perfect spot for a tea before slowly peeling out for breakfast.

I take it back, it is not the perfect spot for tea. The perfect spot for tea is the private patio, which looks out onto the South Downs, the mist hovering over the nearby trees as if Mr Darcy might storm through at any moment.

Outside those windows, the patio promises a sun trap in the summer, but a rainy weekend is just as satisfying as the mist of the outside dew hits your face.

The facilities

The facilities are made up by the staff. By that I mean, the infrastructure and services provided to enhance guest comfort start with the people who work there.

You are constantly reminded that you are being taken care of, that you are in a place not only designed for comfort but also for hospitality. You are checked in on, your name is known, your bed is made while you’re away, and pastries are waiting for you in the morning. It is an inn, one that embodies the character of an inn, one that feels like the warmth of an inn, the inn you imagine in storybooks, smoke billowing out of the chimney.

You are constantly reminded that you are being taken care of, that you are in a place not only designed for comfort, but also for hospitality.

Food & drink

Here is the real kicker, though, I know I’ve said so much about the comfort, the ambience, the stellar service, the overwhelming love for this venue, but it is the dining room where The Woodcote comes to life.

Chef Matt Gillan has crafted the menu that positions the South Downs and its offerings from local growers and producers into a bright, white spotlight. A crab tartlet sits beside its lobster bisque, one of the best lobster bisques I’ve had in the UK and absolutely the highlight of the meal (coming from a Mainer, this is the pinnacle of compliments). Rich, creamy, thick, decadent enough to warrant sweeps of torn bread through the bowl, light enough to gladly anticipate main courses.

Crab tartlet with lobster bisque, cucumber, cheese beignet, and hazelnuts

Not without a drink, though. These are some of my favourite cocktails I’ve had in some time. With no expectation of an Uber, a hurried taxi, or a night bus, a cocktail or a glass of sparkling English wine at The Woodcote felt special, like celebrating at home. Brown butter washed bourbon, old fashioneds with cardamom and popcorn lying light under the alcohol, scotch bonnet and honey tequilas, and a fabulous dirty martini — as far as “pubs” go, this one has excelled in cocktails.

With no expectation of an Uber, a hurried taxi, or a night bus, a cocktail or a glass of sparkling English wine at The Woodcote felt special, like celebrating at home.

The mains were nothing short of abundant in local produce and game, with South Downs venison in beetroot ketchup, or Sussex beef in a lentil puree.

Each dish offers a subtle reminder of the sustainability practised on this land, with what felt like every ounce of each product — vegetable, meat, or otherwise — displayed innovatively and intentionally on a plate. The duck using the thigh, the leg, and the skin as granola. The venison with the leg, shoulder, and belly. Not in an overwhelming way, not in a “there is so much on my plate” way. It’s almost as if you’re having small plates… on one big plate. Ideal for someone like me, who wants to try everything.

South Downs venison: leg, shoulder and belly, ragout, beetroot fondant, and beetroot ketchup

Chocolate Crèmeux: burnt pineapple puree, pine nut ice cream, fudge cake

After a sleep induced by vodka and chocolate cremeux with burnt pineapple puree, wake to the sound of those same birds that greeted you, the same tea set out from the night before, and slowly make your way back to the dining room, which lulled you to sleep only a few hours ago. You’ll find fresh pastries, honey from the hives outside, green juices, cappuccinos, and, eventually, an avocado on toast with cured Duncton Mill trout and local eggs, poached for me, a full English for him, before wandering back over to the room, ready to explore.

Each dish proposes a subtle reminder of the sustainability which is practised on this land.

Crushed avocado on toast: your choice of cured Duncton Mill trout, Hallgate farm eggs cooked any style

Fresh pastries, toasted sourdough bread, homemade butter with a selection of jams and Selham honey

Things to do nearby

Petworth is one of the more charming villages in the countryside, home to one of the most amazing National Trust houses and deer roaming its acres. A ramble through the town will have you in and out of countless antique stores, flicking through old posters, and finding trinkets from generations long past. At the very least, it’s a time capsule, inducing a forgetfulness of the city life you left behind for 24 hours, a rejuvenation tactic, an antidote to burnout.

What’s in order is a visit to Petworth House, a walk through the grounds, a mooch around Petworth Antiques Market, and a pint by the fire at The Angel Inn.

Outside of Petworth, though, there’s Arundel Castle, Cowdray Ruins, and clay pigeon at Hownall Shooting. There are walks like Merlin’s Wood, Graffham Circular, Graddham Down, and Bexley Hill. Other pubs like The Duke of Cumberland, The Star and Garter, The Noah’s Ark, and The Swan Inn. My point is, there is a lot to be put on the itinerary, or nothing at all, if you’re looking simply to relax and detach.

My point is, there is a lot to be put on the itinerary, or nothing at all, if you’re looking simply to relax and detach.

The verdict

Now reimagined as a restaurant with rooms, The Woodcote is exactly what you hope a country sleepover will be — and then some. It is warm without being twee, polished without losing its boots-in-the-mud charm. You come for the warmth, the rustic charm, the fantasy of escaping London for a night, but you stay for the food, the cocktails and the luxury of being looked after.

You drink well, you eat even better, you sleep deeply, and you wake to birds instead of buses. There’s something completely restorative about that rhythm: dinner by candlelight, a misty patio tea, a long breakfast before a walk through Sussex.

An hour and a half from Victoria, The Woodcote offers the rarest thing: a true switch-off. Not a grand hotel production, not a flashy countryside statement, just a very good restaurant with rooms, done well and cosily, exactly the kind of getaway I crave while tripping through the noise of London.