Ditchling Cabin
West Sussex, United Kingdom
- Cabin for 4 from £320 per night (read our low price promise)
- One king-size bed and two bunk beds in separate bedrooms
Suitable for children of all ages
Pets welcome
Dogs are not allowed upstairs
Overview
Ditchling Cabin is the embodiment of the words, “idyllic lakeside retreat”. Just you and whoever you brought along, alone by a private lake and free to canoe on it, fish in it, jump into it and swim in it. There’s a BBQ outside and seating on the deck that encourage you to live outdoors as much as possible, but inside, the kitchen and the lounge have lake views through the folding glass frontage and the roll top bath upstairs looks down the length of the water. Whether you’re lying on the sofa with the woodburner crackling, you’ve bust out the board games or you’re just making breakfast, the sights and sound of the lake are always with you.
It’ll be hard to leave the sanctuary of the cabin, but day trips down to the beach at Brighton or the vineyards of Ditchling might tempt you out and the South Down National Park offers some great walking and cycling. Local shops and farms (try Mac’s for great organic eggs) can supplement the arrival hamper, or there are lovely country pubs around if you feel like eating out. For the wild chef, Owner Paul can introduce you to fly fishing and you can cook up your catch on the BBQ, assuming you get the action right!
Essentials
The important stuff
- Check in: 3 pm
- Check out: 11 am
- Bring swimming costumes to swim in the lake, torch and wellies in the winter
- There are also wetsuits to use if the water is chilly!
- Please supervise children at all times around the lake
- Firewood for wood-burner and fire pit supplied
- Mobile phone signal. WiFi
- Before you leave, please do any washing up and put it away and put used towels in the bath
- Sleeping arrangements
- One king-size bed and two bunk beds in separate bedrooms
Extra space available
Space for 1 baby no charge. Cot and high chair available
Space for 1 pet no charge. Not allowed upstairs
Kids & Pets
Dogs are not allowed upstairs
Cooking
- Gas hob
- Fridge
- Nespresso and ice maker
- Big Green Egg BBQ with cooking equipment and fuel supplied - check YouTube for recipes!
- Cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils provided
Washing
- Outside hot shower
- Roll top bath in master bedroom
- Flushing toilet in the cabin
- Dishwasher
- Bath and swimming towels and dressing gowns provided
Heating, lighting & bedding
- Wood-burner and radiators
- Bed linen and towels provided
- Electric lighting
- Plug sockets
Entertainment
- Board games including Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble and cards
- Rowing boat, canoe and paddleboard
- Children’s books and toys
- DAB radio
Getting there
Ditchling Cabin, Whiteland's Cottage, Underhill Lane, Hassocks, BN6 9PL
Back door: ///corner.snacking.guess
A SatNav might take you about ½ mile short of the car park, so try using this Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/n8uDzcmW7Xk
On the day, please text Paul with your arrival time (check in is only possible from 3pm onwards). When you arrive he will come to meet you in the car park, which is a 5 minute walk to the cabin.
By car
If you are travelling from Brighton, take London road north until you get to the A273 towards Clayton. Take the second right on Clayton Hill road onto Underhill Lane and your destination is on the right.
Parking is 200m/a 5-minute walk from the cabin.
By public transport
If you get a train to Hassocks, a taxi journey is only 6 minutes to the cabin.
Food & Drink
At Ditchling Cabin
Arrival hamper provided which includes milk, tea, coffee, orange juice, and biscuits. Salt, pepper, sugar, teas and coffee supplied.
Local shops
There is a Waitrose supermarket in nearby Burgess Hill, as well as a Tesco Burgess Hill. There is also a Budgens and a Sainsburys Local down the road in Hassocks.
The Mac's Farm in Ditchling sells amazing organic eggs!
Places to eat
Bull and White Horse in Ditchling
Ginger Fox in Albourne
Jolly Sportsman in East Chiltington
The Griffin in Fletching
Activities
At Ditchling Cabin
Get out on the lake on the rowing boat, canoe or paddle board.
Go swimming! It might be a bit cold but if you're not feeling brave there are kids and adults wetsuits available for guests to use
Fishing - Trout and course fishing
Places to visit
The seaside city of Brighton is a 20 minute drive away
Local vineyards in Ditchling are 5 minutes in the car - Ridgeview and Court Gardens
Local vineyards in Ditchling – Ridgeview and Court Gardens (5 min drive)
Macs Farm in Ditchling - amazing organic eggs
Outdoor & Active
Walks and Cyclers - As well as the activities on the lake, there is a cycle hire near Hassocks station and a lovely surrounding area for walks and cycles, with plenty of places to stop for a coffee.
Golf - Pyecombe Golf Club is just a 20 minute walk away, for an enjoyable round with stunning views across the Sussex Weald.
Qleisure - Qleisure is just a 10 minute drive away and has a whole host of activities. Karting, archery, target shooting, warrior run, clay pigeon shooting, paintballing, bubble football and more.
Meet your hosts
Meet Paul & Lisa
Paul and Lisa bought Whitelands Reservoir five years ago as a place to fish in peace and spend time with their young family away from the hectic pace of their everyday lives. They went on to construct the cabin at one end of the lake so they could use it all year round - and then sleep over. Paul and Lisa live in the nearby village of Ditchling and work in the vibrant seaside city of Brighton - but the lake in Clayton feels like a world away from both of those places - even though it's only a matter of a mile or two!
Paul is a keen fly-fisherman and has taught his children, their friends and some of the cabin's guests to fish. Sometimes even putting one of their catches on the barbecue wrapped in the wild garlic which grows in abundance here. Lisa loves wild swimming and as soon as the sun is out, is in the water - which has a beautiful pale blue colour because of the chalk-fed springs which feed the lake.
We want all our guest to feel at home and enjoy a special stay with us - we are lucky that our friends and neighbours including The Macs Farm - a local organic egg farm and Ridgeview, award-winning producers of English Sparkling Wine among others - our welcome pack includes some lovely local treats - and any special requests can be fulfilled.
Wildlife & Environment
The lake is situated at the foot of the South Downs directly on the border of East and West Sussex between the villages of Clayton and Ditchling and is easily accessible by train from London and Brighton. The cabin is set in woods and fields, by the lake - and is not directly accessible by car. Paul will meet you in the car park in the lane, and carry you and your luggage to the cabin on a quad bike. The South Downs are National Park - and the cabin makes a good stopping off point for anyone planning to walk some of the famous South Downs Way which runs from Winchester in the West to Eastbourne in the east. The woodland surrounding the lake and cabin are a haven for wildlife - with deer, rabbits and bird life aplenty. The lake is stocked with trout too.
There is a kayak, paddle-board and rowing boat on the lake - which are available for guests to use at their own risk - for us it's a place to enjoy simple pleasures, to lure our children away from screens, and spend time with our friends and family in the most gorgeous countryside.
As well as hiking the South Downs Way, there are lots of great opportunities for horse-riding, mountain-biking nearby - as well as the cultural delights of Ditchling with its Arts and Crafts Museum, Charleston, Glyndebourne and Brighton over the downs.
Our guests say...
I booked the cabin for two nights as a birthday present for my husband. It was such a relaxing, away from it all weekend which was just what we needed!
29/03/2019Sophie
We had a wonderful stay, the cabin was beautiful and the surroundings even better! We felt like we were in Canada!
25/02/2019Lilli
Absolutely brilliant, what an amazing weekend getaway, I'm going to have to build my own cabin now... Paul was welcoming and helpful, and the place was just perfect.
09/12/2018Henry
Wonderfully relaxing, peaceful. Beautiful place.
21/09/2018Olivia
From the minute we walked down the winding track towards the cabin, my husband and I immediately went into relaxation mode, which is quite frankly unheard of!! We were well prepared food wise which meant we didn’t have to leave our little cocoon and so we soaked up every last bit that ditchling had to offer. From marshmallows over the fire pit, board games after dinner, swinging & jumping into the lake, riding all manner of boats, fly and carp fishing, sunbathing, getting lost in the 8’ wide bed, early morning reading with breath taking views.......there was nothing not to love about this place!
19/08/2018Hayley
Love this place? Tell everyone!
Booking Terms
Canopy & Stars low price promise
Book with us in confidence knowing you won’t find that place cheaper elsewhere. All of the prices we display are set and matched by our Owners. (In this world of foreign currency, we do have to say 'subject to exchange rates' for some of our European places.)
What does ‘from price’ mean?
Our ‘from price’ is based on a four night stay in low season and designed to help you to compare different prices across our collection. Some of our Owners vary their nightly rates and check in days throughout the year, so it may differ from the rate quoted below the calendar. It is quite common (although by no means universal) for places to charge a little more in peak season or for shorter stays, to cover changeover costs. Consider booking longer stays during the cooler months if you’re looking for the lowest nightly rates.
Agency Terms & Conditions
Except where otherwise specified, we Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd Company No 09088366 of Merchants House, Wapping Road, Bristol, BS1 4RW act only as an Agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. Sawday’s Canopy & Stars is part of the Alastair Sawday’s Group of Companies. We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any services or arrangements you purchase (“Booking(s)”) or for the acts or omissions of any supplier(s) or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any Booking. For all Bookings, your contract will be with the supplier of the Booking in question, and in most cases this will be the owner of the property you’ll be staying at (“Owner(s)”). When making your Booking we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the Owner of the Booking. Your Booking with us is subject to these Agency Terms & Conditions and any specific booking conditions of the relevant Owner(s) you contract with. The Owner’s booking conditions may limit and/or exclude the Owner’s liability to you.
You may decide to make more than one Booking with us at the same time. The price charged in total for more than one Booking will always equal the prices charged separately for each individual Booking. All Bookings are available to be purchased separately at the same price as they are when more than one Booking is made. This means that any multiple Bookings do not constitute a package as defined in the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992.
By making a booking, you agree that:-
- you have read these Agency Terms & Conditions and agree to be bound by them;
- you consent to our use of your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;
and
- you are over 18 years of age and where there may be age restrictions in place, you declare that you and all members of your party are of the appropriate age.
The Canopy & Stars online booking system enables Guests to make Bookings 24 hours a day. A Booking is confirmed on receipt of a 25% non-refundable deposit for all Bookings with check in dates of more than 10 weeks away. For all Bookings that have a check in date of less than 10 weeks before check in, payment for the Booking will be required in full and the entire Booking will be non-refundable. The Canopy & Stars telephone booking line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. When using the online enquiry form, for those Properties without online booking, please allow 24 working hours for us to contact you by telephone to confirm the Booking. If we are unable to reach you by phone we will attempt to contact you by email. We will contact you during Canopy & Stars working hours (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm). Online or email enquiries will be dealt with in the order they are received, but please be aware that we cannot guarantee reservation of your selected dates until the receipt of suitable payment. Therefore, if possible, we do recommend that you book on the Canopy & Stars website using the online booking system.
1. Booking and payments
1.1 In order to confirm your chosen Booking, you must pay a non-refundable deposit as required by the Owner of the Booking in question (or full payment if booking within 10 weeks of the date of your check-in).
1.2 Your Booking is confirmed and a contract between you and the Owner will exist when we receive payment of the deposit and send you a booking confirmation on the Owner’s behalf. This booking confirmation will normally be sent out within 24 hours in the case of email and seven working days in the case of post, and will contain the details of your Booking and of payments made and due. If you have not received your booking confirmation within the specified time, please notify us as soon as possible by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk). Please check your confirmation carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. As we act only as booking Agent, we have no responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where an error is made by us.
1.3 Where a deposit has been paid, full balance payment will be due 10 weeks in advance of your check in date and a reminder will be sent to you two weeks prior to this date, where applicable, by email. We automatically take the balance payment using the same card as used to make the deposit payment. It is your reponsibility to advise us if we should use a different card and to contact us by telephone (0117 204 7830) to arrange for alternative payment method. If the balance payment does not successfully go through as there is a problem with your card, such as it expiring, then we will contact you to try and take alternative payment. If we have been unable to take payment after two weeks of the balance due date, then with regret, we will notify the Owner who may cancel your Booking.
1.4 Except where otherwise advised or stated in the booking conditions of the Owner concerned, all monies you pay to us for a Booking will be held on behalf of the Owner(s) concerned.
1.5 Credit Card payments are processed via Alastair Sawday’s Publishing Co. Ltd who provide merchants services facilities to Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd.
2. Cancellation and Amendment by You
2.1 Any cancellation or amendment request must be sent to us by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk) and will be considered and responded to within one working day of receipt. You are also advised to confirm all changes to our Customer Services Department by calling 0117 204 7830. Please ensure that you have received written confirmation of any changes to your Booking prior to travel. Whilst we will always try to help, we cannot guarantee that such requests will be met.
2.2 Amendments and cancellations can only be accepted in accordance with the booking conditions of the Owner of your Arrangements. The Owner may charge the cancellation or amendment charges shown in their booking conditions (which may be as much as 100% of the cost of the Arrangements and will normally increase closer to the date of departure). The Owner may charge cancellation or amendment charges in accordance with its own booking conditions, however for the sake of convenience only, we have outlined the Owner’s charges at clause 2.3 and 2.4 below. Please note that these are the Owner’s own cancellation and amendments charges, not Canopy & Stars’, and therefore the Owner may vary their charges as they wish, without notice to us. The correct charges will be notified to you at the time of your cancellation or amendments.
2.3 Owner’s General Cancellation Charges:
2.3.1 Cancellation by you at any time will result in your deposit being forfeited, as all deposits are non-refundable.
2.3.2 All monies paid for a holiday (deposit and balance) are non-refundable within 10 weeks before check in date.
2.3.3 Cancellation of any holiday after it has been paid in full and at a date 10 weeks or more in advance of your check in date, will result in forfeiture of your deposit (or an amount equivalent where one was not paid as the holiday was paid in full) and the balance being returned to you.
2.3.4 Cancellation insurance is available but will be a third party arrangement and not involve Canopy & Stars or the Owner in any way.
2.4 Owner’s General Amendment Charges:
2.4.1 Alterations to your Booking can only be made more than 10 weeks prior to the check in date, after which time alterations will be treated as cancellation. All alterations are subject to availability and may incur a £30 adminstration fee.
2.4.2 Differences in the total amount payable resulting from alterations will be refunded to you in the case of a decrease in price and paid by you in the case of increases in price.
Special note: Generally Owners will charge the above cancellation and amendment charges, however we must stress that these are a guide only and charges may differ from those shown here depending on the Owner. The exact charges will be notified to you by the Owner at the time of cancellation and/or can be found in the Owner’s own booking conditions which are available from the Owner on request.
3. Changes and Cancellations by the Owner
We will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if the Owner needs to make a significant change to your confirmed Arrangements or to cancel them. We will also liaise between you and the Owner in relation to any alternative Booking offered by the Owner but we will have no further liability to you.
4. Complaints
Because the contract for your Booking is between you and the Owner, any queries or concerns should be addressed to them. In the event that you have any complaint about your stay, please notify the Owner as soon as possible. If you don’t follow this procedure there will be less opportunity for the Owner to investigate and resolve your complaint and so make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Delays may also mean that amount of compensation you may be entitled to may be reduced. Whether or not your complaint is dealt with satisfactorily, please also contact us as we appreciate all feedback. It’s important to us and the Owner to know that you’ve enjoyed your stay or if anything could have been improved.
5. Pricing
Canopy & Stars reserve the right to amend advertised prices at any time on behalf of the Owner. We also reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices.Special note: changes and errors sometimes occur.
6. Information & Accuracy
The information and prices shown on this website are varied from time to time and may change between the time you first view a property and make a Booking. You should check that all the details are as you expect prior to making a Booking. It is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the properties (including the features and extras available) may be incorrectly described and/or priced. If we discover this is the case after you have made a Booking, we reserve the right to contact you with details of the correct information and/or pricing and will give you the option to:
(1) proceed with the Booking based on the correct information and/or pricing, which may require the payment of an additional amount by you;
OR
(2) subject to availability, change your booking dates to dates when the pricing can be honoured ad so no additional charge to you. In the event that a lower price can be offered for alternative dates then the difference would be refunded;
OR
(3) cancel the Booking. If we do not receive your instructions within 5 days of contacting you, we reserve the right to cancel your Booking without liability to you.
7. Our Responsibility for your Booking
Your contract is with the Owner and its booking conditions apply. As Agent, we accept no responsibility for the actual provision of the Booking. Our responsibilities are limited to making the Booking in accordance with your instructions and acting properly in accordance with our legal duties as an Agent. We accept no responsibility for any information about the Booking that we pass on to you in good faith. However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your Booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the Booking is affected). We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury that arises as a result of our negligence or that of any of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.
8. Pets
Not all properties accept pets. If you wish to take your pet on holiday, please advise us before booking and we can check whether pets are accepted at the property. You must obtain the prior consent of the Owner before taking any pets to the property. A nightly charge may be made by the Owner for each pet and additional terms may apply.
9. VAT
Many of the Owners of properties in the Canopy & Stars portfolio are not registered for VAT in which case no tax is payable. Where VAT is payable, the tax is included in the advertised holiday rental price.
10. Visa, passport and health requirements.
Unless you tell us otherwise, we assume that all members of your party are British citizens who hold or will hold full British passports valid for the entire duration of the Arrangements you chose to purchase. Information on visa, passport and health requirements, where given and applicable, is so given on this basis. Requirements may change and you are therefore strongly recommended to check the up to date position with the Owner of the Booking, Passport Office, appropriate embassy or consulate or your doctor as applicable in good time before the commencement of your holiday.
11. Insurance
You are strongly recommended to take out personal travel insurance for all members of your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details and take them with you on holiday.
12. Special requests
If you have any special requests (for example dietary requirements, cots or room location), please let us know at the time of booking. We will pass on all such requests to the Owner, but unfortunately, we can't guarantee that they will be met and we will have no liability to you if they are not.
13. Group Bookings
Not all Owners accept Bookings for a single sex group (for example, a stag or hen party). Guests wanting to make such a Booking should check with us beforehand to enable us to check whether the Owner is prepared to accept the Booking. We will then advise you accordingly. In event that an Owner does not accept this type of Booking then it is with regret, that the Booking may be cancelled and cancellation fees may apply. It is the Guest’s responsibility to enquire with Canopy & Stars and/or check on our website beforehand to make sure that this type of booking is permitted.
14. Maximum Numbers
Please note that except by prior arrangement confirmed in writing, only the number of persons specified on a booking confirmation may occupy a property. Most owners reserve the right to refuse admittance or revoke a booking if this condition is not observed and you are unlikely to receive any refund.
15. Your Responsibilities
Please note that you have a contract with the Owner of the property. As such you are under a responsibility to behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner whilst staying at the property with due respect to the Owner, the Property and other guests and their property. You are responsible for informing the Owner of any losses or damage to the property as soon as possible. Please note that you will be liable to pay the Owner for any losses or damage to the property caused by you or a member of your party (except reasonable wear and tear). Some Owners will also require damage deposits. You must also leave the property by the check-out time specified on your booking. If any guest behaves inappropriately or improperly (of which the Owner will be the final judge on their Property), or illegally, the Owner reserves the right to ask the guest and their party (at their discretion) to leave the Property before the end of the holiday period and/or refuse any future bookings from you. Any refund for so doing will be at the entire discretion of the Owner. In addition, the Owner reserves the right to sue the guest for any loss, damage or injury caused to the Owner, the Property or to other guests and/or their property. As agent, we will have no liability to you in these circumstances.
16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These terms and conditions have been drafted in accordance with and are governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any and all disputes arising out of these Agency Terms & Conditions.
17. Discrepancies
In case of a discrepancy between these Agency Terms & Conditions and any other Canopy & Stars literature, these Agency Terms & Conditions shall prevail.
18. Validity clause
In the event that a court finds that a condition in these Agency Terms & Conditions is illegal or void, the illegal or void provision will be severed from the remainder of the Agency Terms & Conditions, which will continue to be valid and have full force and effect.
I booked the cabin for two nights as a birthday present for my husband. It was such a relaxing, away from it all weekend which was just what we needed!
29/03/2019