The Old Thatch Hailsham

This is The Old Thatch. It's our place just outside Hailsham. It's detached, with the thatch. The roof is thick, so it stays cool in summer and it holds the heat well in winter.

It sleeps four in two bedrooms. Both are doubles. One bathroom with a shower. The rating is 3 Star, so again, it's clean and proper but not a hotel. The stairs are thatched cottage stairs, so they twist a bit and the ceilings are low in places. Just mind your head.

There's an electric stove in the living room that looks like a wood burner. It puts out a good heat. The garden has a separate little thatched building we call Noddies House. Kids seem to like it. It's just there, really.

You're about seven miles from the coast. Pevensey Bay is the nearest, a proper shingle beach. Eastbourne and its pier are a bit further, maybe twenty minutes in the car. Brighton is about forty minutes if you fancy that.

If you like walking, the South Downs National Park is right there. The Seven Sisters and Beachy Head are half an hour away. For history, you've got Pevensey Castle and Battle Abbey nearby. Great Dixter gardens are worth a visit if that's your thing.

The facilities are what you'd expect. Washing machine, dishwasher, WiFi, TV. Bedding and towels are included. There's parking for one car on the gravel drive. You can bring up to two dogs. We ask that they stay off the furniture.

Hailsham has the basics, supermarkets, a few pubs that do food. You'll find nicer pubs out in the villages if you drive for ten minutes.