















Strand House
Rye, Sussex
Hotel
An ancient old house, painted by Turner, with timber frames, lovely owners, a pretty garden and a sandy beach across the fields
13 rooms
Rooms sleep 2 – 4
From
£80 p/n
How to book
If you have any questions or want to enquire about dates, use our form to contact Mary Sullivan & Hugh Davie or see their website for more information.
Pricing
From £80 per night
The
Experience
As you follow the Royal Military Canal down to miles of sandy beach, bear in mind that 600 years ago, you’d have been swimming in the sea. This is reclaimed land and Strand House, built in 1425, originally stood on Winchelsea Harbour. Outside, you find wandering wisteria, colourful flowerbeds and a woodland walk that leads up to the village. Inside, medieval interiors have low ceilings, timber frames and mind-your-head beams. There are reds and yellows, sofas galore, a wood-burner in the sitting room, an honesty bar from which to help yourself. It’s a home-spun affair: Hugh cooks breakfast, Mary looks after guests in style. Quirky bedrooms sweep you back in time. One has an ancient four-poster, some have wonky floors, three open onto a terrace, all have good beds and robes for tiny shower rooms. As for the cottage, airy rooms have more space, and the suite, with its balcony and views across fields, is a treat. The house, once a work house, was painted by Turner and Millais. Local restaurants wait: Webbe’s at the Fish Café, The Kings Head in Rye, top notch food at the Curlew in Bodiam. Dogs are very welcome.
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Essentials
- Swimming pool
- Hot tub
- Garden
- Open fire / woodburner
- Breakfast included
- Breakfast available
- Meals available
- Parking on premises
- Free parking nearby
- WiFi
- Spa
- Central heating
- Limited mobility
- Wheelchair access
- Mobile reception
- Hob
- Bar
- Barbecue
- Licensed premises
- Vegetarian meals
- Paid parking nearby
- Accessible by public transport
- Air conditioning
- Relaxation areas
- Washing machine
- Tennis court
- No smoking
- Credit cards
- Working farm
- Owner has pets
- Pets welcome
Family friendly
- Baby monitor
- Books and toys
- Children welcome
- Babies welcome
- Stair gates
- High chair
- Cot available
Nearby
- Pub/bar within 3 miles
- Restaurant within 3 miles
- Shop within 3 miles
Activities
- Bikes available
- Food courses
- Kayaking
- Other courses
- Sailing
- Surfing
- Wild swimming
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Information
& pricing
Booking information
- Check in
- 3pm-6pm, please get in touch for early or late check in
- Check out
- 11am
- Booking restrictions
- Minimum stay: 2 nights at weekends & in high season. 3 dog-friendly rooms available.
- Closed
- Rarely.
- No smoking
- Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.
- Dogs
Homemade dog biscuits, drying towels and drying room.
Dogs £7.50 per night.
Canal towpath to walk along just in front of the hotel. Lots of local walks and places to eat too.
- Meals
- Dinner for groups by arrangements (minimum 8 people)
Pricing
- Nightly price
- from £80
- Surcharges
- Singles from £60. Extra beds £25 per person. Dogs £7.50.
- 1 Twin/double
- From £80
- 1 Suite for 4
- From £180
- 1 Double
- From £80
- 5 Doubles
- From £80
- 5 Triples
- From £80
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Reviews
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This definitely our favourite place to stay! Always a warm welcome, caring hospitality, beautiful,immaculately clean and fab food. We now visit as regularly as we can and have never been disappointed
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Strand House was everything we could wish for with a relaxing, calm and cosy atmosphere. The house was full for the New Years celebrations, yet Mary and Hugh and all the staff were very friendly, helpful and calm. The room was very comfortable with luscious towels and bedlinen. The sitting room with wood burner was perfect for reading or chatting to the other guests. The new years Eve feast was absolutely delicious, so were the breakfasts and all food was locally sourced. A great place to come back to maybe in the summer to enjoy the beautiful garden.
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We booked our family Christmas - three couples & a single - French & English. It was wonderful. Mary & Hugh were brilliant hosts. Cosy & warm. Marvellous food - including veggie for our son whose Christmas dining was every bit as good as ours. Bedrooms were really comfy & well equipped. We had a great stay - thanks both of you.
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Location
The neighbourhood
Local points of interest from Mary Sullivan & Hugh Davie
- Strand House used to be known as the "Old Poor Houses" and was the workhouse for the town of Winchelsea until 1839.
- This is a great location for gardens, with Sissinghurst, Scotney Castle, Great Dixter, Pashley Manor, Marle Place, Batemans (Rudyard Kipling's home) Hole Place, and the eclectic Marle Place all within half an hours drive.
- If you love steams trains then you are in for a treat, because we are close to the Kent and East Sussex Railway, the Lavendar Line and the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Light Railway, so plenty of steam fun.
- For Art lovers, Hastings can provide the wonderful Jerwood Gallery and the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill as well as a host of smaller galleries in Hastings and St Leonards. Then you can visit the home of the Bloomsbury Group in Sussex at Charleston.
- All kids love a good castle and we have the best of all Bodiam Castle as well as the deserted Camber Castle, Martello Towers and the Redoubt Fortress at Eastbourne. If you want a real live battlefield, then head to Battle Abbey and the Battle of Hastings.
- If you bring your bucket and spade, you can visit the sandy beach and dunes at Camber Sands, the lovely Winchelsea Beach or the eerie landscapes of Dungerness. There is dinghy sailing in the area, a windsurfing centre and horse riding on the beach.
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The Strand House is a great place to stay, rooms are immaculately clean and very charming, breakfast is delicious, Hugh and Mary are very friendly and welcoming. We loved the sitting area with the fireplace! The place is dog friendly and this is another big plus. We will definitely come back.