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SEPTEMBER
59
DOWN TIME
CONCIERGE
Splendid Sussex
A stay at The Spread Eagle Hotel is the perfect base from which to
explore the historic market town of Midhurst and the surrounding area
L
ess than an hour away from both
Gatwick and Southampton is the town
of Midhurst, in the heart of the South
Downs National Park. The historic market
town, on the River Rother, has no fewer
than 94 buildings listed for historical and
architectural importance. Most notable are
the towering ruins of the Tudor Cowdray
House, which still leave a majestic mark on
the town.
A historic stay
With the oldest parts of the building dating
back to 1430, The Spread Eagle Hotel is one
of England’s oldest surviving coaching inns.
The inn was originally a perfect midway
stopping point for stagecoaches travelling
from the docks of Portsmouth to London.
The Admiral Lord Nelson was known to have
stayed in the hotel on occasion in the late
1700s, and it was here that the author Anya
Seton stayed while researching her novel
Green Darkness
, set during the Tudor period
and featuring The Spread Eagle.
Today, the hotel is a mix of old and new,
with tapestries and suits of armour
decorating the older areas, while a modern
extension features a pool, sauna, steam
room and Jacuzzi. There are 39 bedrooms
varying from modern, simply-furnished
spaces to historic rooms with wood-
panelled walls and four-poster beds. The
Queen’s Suite even features a 15th-century
wig closet that Queen Elizabeth I is said to
have used during a visit.
Dine under puddings
The dinner menu at The Spread Eagle is
comprised of beautifully-presented plates
of British classics, served in a dining room
featuring a giant fireplace and an ash-
beamed ceiling that, oddly enough, has
Christmas puddings hanging from it. The
hotel fully embraces the Christmas season
and all its traditions, including the Sussex
tradition of leaving Christmas puddings to
hang for a year before consumption.
On 20th November, Executive Chef
Martin Hadden will be hosting the hotel’s
Stir-Up Sunday, the last Sunday before
advent when it is traditional to make that
year’s pud. Guests are invited to either take
their pudding home or hang it from the
ceiling to pick up the following year.
The venue is also perfect for weddings,
with a lovely garden and the 17th-century
medieval stonewalled Jacobean Hall that
can accommodate 120 dining guests.
WORDS AND PICTURES
MARKUS BIDAUX
Above:
The Spread Eagle Hotel
Right:
Cowdray House