High Weald luxury bed and breakfast, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
The garden at The Bell has been created to be the best possible environment for local floral, fauna and wildlife. Boxes for bats, dormice, hedgehogs, tits, robins and wrens as well as spotted fly catchers have all been incorporated into a creative planting scheme. A wild bird feeding station ensures that any bird making its home at The Bell will be well looked after.
The plants and trees have been chosen for their berries, nuts and flowers for birds, bees and butterflies to feast on. In time, there will be bee hives producing honey for the kitchen.
The plants are interspersed with old roots and sculptured wood, all harvested from managed ancient woodland. A dead hedge has been planted of Sussex faggots, along which wild briar roses, wild honeysuckle and Kentish hops will grow. Guests walk through a stumpery arch from the car park, a tradition beloved of Victoria gentlemen to demonstrate their prosperity.
In summer, Mulberry trees will provide shade on the terrace and an arch of Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides) will invite children to roll around the newly created hillocks or lush green grass.
As much of our rubbish as possible is recycled. All our food is sourced locally so food miles are kept to a minimum. We aim to encourage our hotel guests to travel by public transport. There is a good rail service to Wadhurst, with a bus taking travellers literally to The Bell's door.
Community
The truth is, The Bell belongs to the community. We have a duty to provide local people with a place to meet and chat, to escape and sort things out. And we will reinvest 1% of our operational profits back into local causes every year via The Bell Charitable Foundation. £5,000 has already been pledged from day one.
Our wonderful staff all come from the nearby villages and have been put through our rigorous training programme to help them become the best they possibly can be and give our guests a memorable service experience for all the right reasons. Our kitchen is full of local produce, be it beef from Coopers Farm in Stonegate or apple juice grown in orchards yards from our back door. And we like to help these and other businesses grow their customer base by hosting food and craft fairs. From artists and willow weavers, to silversmiths and knitters with a few sausages and cup cakes thrown in for good measure, our fairs are events for the community by the community.
We hold many and varied cultural events, sometimes bringing friends from London and Brighton to perform for us but often tapping into a wealth of local talent.
Landscape
Located in the heart of the Sussex Weald, we encourage our hotel guests to explore and enjoy this area of outstanding natural beauty.
In each bedroom an iPad provides a link to local events. Guests are also offered maps of the High Weald and information on local walks.
Whether sailing or windsurfing on Bewl water, riding in Bedgebury forest, walking through ancient woodland and happening upon Roman slag heaps, we aim to provide the back story for our guests to enjoy these delights to the full. The Bell’s connection with Kipling is well-documented. Our rooms are named after a line from one of his poems, so of course our guests are encouraged to explore Batemans and the many other National Trust and English Heritage properties in the near vicinity.
1of10
