Little Whispers

Lodsworth, West Sussex | Sleeps 4 | Bedrooms 2 | Parking: Yes | Pet friendly: No | Wi-Fi: Yes

From £200 per night (Minimum stay varies from 2-3 nights )

Description

Little Whispers is an exquisitely designed, immaculately styled, grown-up retreat – annexed to, but separate from, the owners’ home in the quintessential South Downs village of Lodsworth.

Everywhere the host’s brilliant eye for colour and detail is apparent; rich, vibrant Farrow & Ball hues are offset by cool, calm greys and off-whites. The grey Shaker kitchen is accessorised with glamorous gold-toned handles, and the generous, plum-toned sofas – perfect for relaxing in – are dressed with plenty of cushions in complementary shades, and fluffy throws. Not that you’ll need them, once the cosy wood burner is fired up and roaring.

Little Whispers has been carefully planned with guests’ needs in mind – from the thoughtful selection of cookbooks on the kitchen shelves, luxurious bed linen, selection of books and board games for rainy days, and well-equipped kitchen.

The outside terrace and space is equally dreamy. Although you are conveniently on the edge of a village, you would never know it – the views are of uninterrupted fields, woods, and over to the South Downs. You may even see some deer grazing in the field below the house on quiet mornings. Add delicious breakfast supplies (including, by prior arrangement, the owner’s own homemade sourdough!), an excellent village pub just a couple of minutes’ walk away, and all of the beauty of the South Downs on your doorstep – and you may find you never want to leave.

Features

Welcome basket: Fresh orange juice, tea, freshly ground coffee, home made muesli, granola, natural yoghurt, croissants with organic butter and jam.

Kitchen: Modern kitchen with underfloor heating, induction hob, oven, fridge / freezer, dishwasher, microwave, washer dryer. Seating for 4 people.

Sitting room: Overlooking the garden, vineyard and South Downs National Park. Comfortable sofas, 50” Smart TV with Netflix, a desk, log burning stove, books and boardgames.

Bedroom 1: Super king bed, luxury natural mattress, Hungarian Goose Down duvet, Egyptian cotton bedlinen and towels. Sensational views over South Downs National Park.

Bedroom 2: Two single beds with luxury natural mattresses, toppers, Hungarian Goose Down duvets and Egyptian bedlinen. Views over private terrace and a magnificent walnut tree.

Outside: There is a private terrace with outdoor furniture for 4 overlooking the owners garden and fields behind.

, Parking: off road parking available for up to 2 cars.

Dogs and animals: Due to the high quality interiors, dogs are not allowed at this property. Please note that the owners have a dog which is very friendly and may come and say hello (if you wish). Chickens also live at the owners property and there are horses to pet over the fence.

Children and babies: Children aged 10 and older are permitted at Little Whispers as well as babes in arms (12 months and under). Please bring your own travel cot.  Please note that the owners have teenage children of their own who you may see playing in the garden from time to time.

Pricing: Pricing is based on 2 people in one bedroom. Please note there is a supplement of £10 per night per person if both bedrooms are used or more than 2 people.

Longer stays: A 20% discount will be given for 7 days or more outside Peak months. Pls enquire.

 

 

Location

Lodsworth is a wonderfully picturesque village, blessed with its own village pub and community shop – ideally placed just off the A272 that runs between Petworth and Midhurst, in the heart of the South Downs National Park.

Petworth is renowned for the National Trust Petworth Park House & Gardens, and reputedly has an antique shop for every day of the year! While Midhurst is home to Cowdray Park, home of Polo, and much more besides. You’re not far from the South Downs Way here, and right in the heart of miles and miles of unspoilt Sussex countryside.

Chichester and Arundel are each about half an hour away, and beyond both lies the coast – so a day trip to the beach is well within reach. Nearest stations are at Pulborough (just over an hour to London Victoria), and Haslemere (under an hour to Waterloo) – although a car will allow you to make the most of the surrounding area.

Things to do

This is a great place to try your hand at some traditional countryside pursuits! As well as the Cowdray Park Polo Club, which hosts the ‘Gold Cup’ (one of the highlights of the Polo calendar) every year in July – Cowdray also offers a Polo Academy. Why not take a once in a lifetime chance to have a go at the ‘sport of kings’ for yourself? Clay Pigeon shooting is also available on the Cowdray Estate.

For a more sedate countryside experience, choose a section of the 100-mile long South Downs Way to walk or cycle, and enjoy the Sussex landscape at it’s very best – or choose walks from your door in Lodsworth that run through woodland and fields and boast some stunning views of the South Downs and Rother Valley.

Petworth is a small town, but brims with culture. Petworth Park House has an outstanding art collection, and there are numerous other small galleries selling traditional and contemporary art and sculpture in and around the town. The Petworth Literary Festival is another highlight, which always boasts some well-known names.

Only slightly further afield, Arundel has some wonderful independent shops, and its own Castle; the ‘Collector Earl’s garden’ there is a must see for any gardening enthusiasts. The Goodwood Estate is only about 20 minutes away, and offers events including horse-racing at what is widely acknowledged to be the country’s most beautiful racecourse, motor-racing at the historic Motor Circuit, as well as a health club, restaurants, and golf course.

Food & Drink

The Hollist Arms is Lodsworth’s local pub; thronged with regulars at the weekends and with lots of cosy nooks and crannies, and a lovely open fire. The community shop next door offers a range of lovely local produce and can easily supply everything you need for a weekend away, including fruit and vegetables grown in the village, bread from the local bakery, and milk from the Goodwood Estate.

Only slightly further afield; the Halfway Bridge Inn is an easy walk away from Little Whispers through the woods. There are brilliant pubs with great food in all of the neighbouring villages – the Horseguards Inn in Tillington, with a beautiful garden, the Noah’s Ark in Lurgashall, which looks over the cricket green, and on the way to Lurgashall, the stylish Lickold Inn. In fact, there are brilliant pubs with great food everywhere here, so if you want a recommendation to line up with a country walk, do let us know!

The Cowdray Estate just outside Midhurst has a wonderful farm shop, café, and even a woodfired oven that offers takeaway pizzas. Petworth also has a brilliant deli, the Hungry Guest, which provides excellent takeaway coffee, bread from its own bakery, and even ready meals.

If you want to head to the coast then don’t miss The Boatyard at Chichester Harbour, the wonderful Crown & Anchor at Dell Quay, which boasts a fantastic terrace overlooking the water and an outdoor Crab & Burger Shack during the summer months, and the East Beach Café at Littlehampton, which won a RIBA Architecture prize for designer Thomas Heatherwick and offers modern seafood and delicious homemade cakes.

Reviews

We enjoyed an amazing stay at Little Whispers. It’s a wonderful, tranquil place to rest and enjoy the incredible views out over the Sussex countryside. We’ve walked in all directions from the village and also had a day out at the coast which is in easy reach. Inside, everything was of the highest quality and beautifully arranged. We can’t wait to return! Oh – we must mention the mighty fine brewery down the road.… and Upperton Vineyard on one of those walks.

An absolutely gorgeous stay at Little Whispers in Lodsworth. There are so many beautiful design touches in the property – from seasonal flowers to home-baked sweet treats – and hosts Rachel and Barney go above and beyond to make it feel like a home away from home. Loved seeing the herds of deer and autumnal colours in nearby Petworth Park, visiting the Lodsworth larder to pick up locally-grown ingredients for cooking, and also the Hollist Arms for a tasty Sunday lunch.

My husband and I have just returned from five nights at Little Whispers. We are glowing! It’s a fabulous spot, so comfortable and stylish, a real retreat from the world where we were able to fully relax and reconnect with each other after the past tumultuous year. 
Rachel and Barney are outstanding hosts, more like friendly neighbours, who were attentive and could not have done more for us. 
We’d highly recommend Little Whispers and rate is a firm ten out of ten. Great value for money, beautifully appointed, spotlessly clean… we had lumps in our throats when it came to leaving this morning.
We made such happy memories at Little Whispers, we really didn’t want to come home!
We wish Rachel and Barney every success and I wanted you, Zoe, to know just want a gem Little Whispers is. Thanks to you and to Rachel for your forbearance with our repeated postponements – but my goodness was it worth the wait!
On to our next C&C booking…!

.

Had a much needed weekend away at Little Whispers in the Sussex countryside. What a beautiful home? all the comforts you could ask for and stylish too. The views from the main bedroom were stunning. We stayed with our two boys and the owners were so welcoming. Letting them play on their trampoline and tree house. Rachel, the owner, baked us a fresh loaf of sourdough bread which was delivered to our door on Saturday morning, delicious. Despite the wet weather we managed a walk in the woods from Lodworth and the sun shone over the carpets of blue bells along the way. I would definitely recommend a stay here.

I could not recommend Little Whispers enough. Everything was immaculately clean and beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. I forgot a few toiletries and Rachel provided them quickly at no extra cost. We were given maps and recommendations of local pubs and walk trails to go on which was a lovely touch. My boyfriend was working on one of the days and Rachel and her family very kindly took me on of their walks with their very friendly dog. It is rare to fund such genuine and kind people as these owners, Rachel and Barney. This place is an absolute treat and we cannot wait to go back.

We had a glorious few days at Little Whispers, Lodsworth and it’s got to be one of the nicest cottages we’ve stayed in. The interiors are divine and the cottage is really well equipped for a cosy relaxing retreat with hosts on hand for lots of great recommendations in the local area. We’ll definitely be back!

Little Whispers is honestly fantastic, our stay could not have been better. The house and location is truly stunning and has everything you could possibly need. They were both 10/10 hosts and went above and beyond to make sure we were catered for. We had the loveliest stay possible and will definitely be returning. Thank you again for a fantastic stay x