Mulberry Barn - Guide Book

Melanie
Mulberry Barn - Guide Book

Neighbourhoods

An introduction to the area: Vineyards We are very lucky to have so many local vineyards near us, some of which are in stumbling distance! Our favourites are; Ridgeview – Ditchling Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rose is by far my favourite Summer wine! The Vineyard hosts wine tasting, Vineyard tours and has a gorgeous wine terrace with light menu to enjoy the Summer sun. Booking is a must. www.ridgeview.co.uk Court Garden Vineyard – Ditchling Courtgarden is another firm favourite and their white wine is divine (and award winning). Their wine tasting and vineyard tours are excellent and the team very knowledgeable. Booking is a must. www.courtgarden.com Bolney Vineyard – Bolney A bit further afield but a great opportunity to explore another small Sussex village. Bolney has wonderful dog walks and the Café at the vineyard is very dog friendly. Bolney hosts regular talks, tours and wine tasting events. www.bolneywineestate.com Pubs & Eateries The Bull – Ditchling Recently awards ‘Best Pub in East Sussex’, The Bull has something for everyone. The garden has a play area, excellent children’s menu and an outside Pizza oven whilst the inside serves slightly posher fayre but children still very welcome. Booking in the garden not required but recommended for inside and Sunday Lunch. The outside is dog friendly. www.thebullditchling.com The Whitehorse – Ditchling The Whitehouse is the underdog of the village pubs but still well worth a visit! The Sunday lunches are fantastic and it has an adjoining local shop selling local produce, yummy cakes and takeaway craft beer. Normally there is no need to book www.thewhitehorseditchling.com The Green Welly - Ditchling A lovely spot for a brunch or lunch. A great beer garden and has both a vegetarian and vegan menu. No need to book. The Nutmeg Tree – Ditchling Step back in time to a 1920s tea room & bakery! A lovely spot for lunch where once upon a time you may have seen our most famous resident Dame Vera Lynn. She may no longer be with us but they always play her music in this tea shop! Lovely cakes and door step sandwiches. No need to book. The New Inn – Hurstpierpoint Venturing slightly further afield in Hurstpierpoint (another Downland village), The New Inn has a great beer garden and lovely food. Please check its opening hours and booking recommended. www.thenewinnhurst.com The Anchor – Barombe Mills The Anchor slips into being one of our favourite pubs despite serving fairly average food as it has a wonderful beer garden! It backs on to the River Ouse and hires row boats by the hour. This is one our children (and dog’s) favourite days out as on a warm day they can jump from the banks and enjoy wild swimming. Its also a great place for paddle boarding (further up the river – this is not allowed directly from The Anchor). No need to book and dogs welcome. www.anchorinnandboating.co.uk Local walks We live in a beautiful part of the world and in the middle of hundreds of walking routes. We use www.my.viewranger.com for plotting new routes but our favourites from Ditchling are; Oldlands Windmill – an easy walk taking in many of the sites of Ditchling. Jack and Jill Windmill – a difficult walk but there is a car park next to the windmills for those who want a less strenuous walk. Ditchling Beacon – a difficult walk but amazing views. South Downs Way Streat – A relatively flat easy walk Plumpton Racecourse – A relatively flat easy walk but further away You will find lots of people walking in Ditchling. Everyone is very friendly so its always worth asking locals for their favourite walks! Cycle Hire Beacon Bikes E Mountain Bike Hire & Café – Hassocks www.beaconbikes.co.uk Hassocks Community Cycle Hire www.hassockscommunitycyclehire.com Brighton During the day the lanes are a great place to explore with lots of interesting & quirky shops. The Pier is a retro place to while away a couple of hours to play on the machines and visit the fair at the end! Its at night when Brighton really comes alive! Some of our favourite restaurants include; Riddle & Finns (Fish Restaurant) The Coal Shed (Steak Restaurant) Petit Pois (French Restaurant) Browns (Nice family restaurant) The Ivy Booking is recommended everywhere in Brighton! Nearest Good Beach If you are looking for a day out at the beach its probably best to avoid Brighton! We love Shoreham Beach, Goring Beach and (if you want a sandy beach and don’t mind the drive) West Wittering although during peak season you will need to book parking at West Wittering and there is only one car park! https://www.justpark.com/uk/parking/west-wittering-west-sussex/s/west-wittering-beach-car-park-pound-road-west-wittering-west-sussex-po20-8aj/?countryCode=uk&citySlug=west-wittering-west-sussex/ Children’s Activities There are lots of great children’s activities both in the village and beyond. In Ditchling itself there is a large play park and fields with streams suitable for paddling. This is just off East End lane and can be accessed via Farm Lane. Macs Farm can be accessed through the many footpaths behind Mulberry Barn with one footpath leading you directly through the chicken field. This chickens are very used to be handled and will happily run to you to be stroked and to peck your toes! Macs farm run regular children’s clubs (www.theoutdoorsproject.co.uk) and also have a reptile snake shack on site for reptile lovers! Free range organic eggs and other local produce are available every day. Adastra Park in Hassocks is a great park for young and older kids with a thriving skate park where children can scooter or skateboard. Hassocks also has an excellent Go Karting track aimed at children aged 8+ www.qleisure.co.uk For days out further afield, we enjoy mackerel fishing in Brighton www.rossboats.co.uk Horse riding in Pycombe www.3greys.co.uk Drusillas (a zoo and some rides) www.drusillas.co.uk For rainy days our children love Jumpin in Burgess Hill (our nearest large town). It’s a huge inflatable centre that is guaranteed to tire the children out! www.gojumpin.com Crawley is about a 40 minute car journey away but it has some excellent indoor ‘rainy day’ activities for children including; Cinema (www.cineworld.com) Bowling (www.hollywoodbowl.com) Lazer world (www.lazerworld.com) Restaurants of note Ockendon Manor The Pass & Camellia – South Lodge Takeaways and Delivery We are lucky enough to have a few restaurants deliver to us in Ditchling. Website www.justeat.co.uk offers most of them (please use 43a East End Lane, Ditchling, BN6 8UP) when ordering. Local Villages Ditchling Our lovely downland village. Stunning scenery and lots of lovely walks. Some excellent places to eat and a very small high street. It would be remiss of me not to mention Poison Ivy, much more than a florist with some wonderful home pieces and gifts (closed during August). David at the Post Office is the heart of the village. Here you will find newspapers, cards and some essentials. To get a real understanding of Ditchling the Arts & Crafts museum is well worth a visit! Hassocks The neighbouring village has a much larger high street than Ditchling. This is a great place to stock up on essentials from Budgens (as well as normal supermarket goods you will find lots of local produce) and also has a useful Sainsburys. The Bakery (Bakeout) has cheese straws that my children adore! Our local train station with direct lines to Brighton and London goes from Hassocks. Hurstpierpoint Another lovely downland village with a busy high street of coffee shops, butchers, gift shops and hairdressers. Please do let us know if you find any other lovely days out, we would love to share it with our other guests
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Ditchling
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An introduction to the area: Vineyards We are very lucky to have so many local vineyards near us, some of which are in stumbling distance! Our favourites are; Ridgeview – Ditchling Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rose is by far my favourite Summer wine! The Vineyard hosts wine tasting, Vineyard tours and has a gorgeous wine terrace with light menu to enjoy the Summer sun. Booking is a must. www.ridgeview.co.uk Court Garden Vineyard – Ditchling Courtgarden is another firm favourite and their white wine is divine (and award winning). Their wine tasting and vineyard tours are excellent and the team very knowledgeable. Booking is a must. www.courtgarden.com Bolney Vineyard – Bolney A bit further afield but a great opportunity to explore another small Sussex village. Bolney has wonderful dog walks and the Café at the vineyard is very dog friendly. Bolney hosts regular talks, tours and wine tasting events. www.bolneywineestate.com Pubs & Eateries The Bull – Ditchling Recently awards ‘Best Pub in East Sussex’, The Bull has something for everyone. The garden has a play area, excellent children’s menu and an outside Pizza oven whilst the inside serves slightly posher fayre but children still very welcome. Booking in the garden not required but recommended for inside and Sunday Lunch. The outside is dog friendly. www.thebullditchling.com The Whitehorse – Ditchling The Whitehouse is the underdog of the village pubs but still well worth a visit! The Sunday lunches are fantastic and it has an adjoining local shop selling local produce, yummy cakes and takeaway craft beer. Normally there is no need to book www.thewhitehorseditchling.com The Green Welly - Ditchling A lovely spot for a brunch or lunch. A great beer garden and has both a vegetarian and vegan menu. No need to book. The Nutmeg Tree – Ditchling Step back in time to a 1920s tea room & bakery! A lovely spot for lunch where once upon a time you may have seen our most famous resident Dame Vera Lynn. She may no longer be with us but they always play her music in this tea shop! Lovely cakes and door step sandwiches. No need to book. The New Inn – Hurstpierpoint Venturing slightly further afield in Hurstpierpoint (another Downland village), The New Inn has a great beer garden and lovely food. Please check its opening hours and booking recommended. www.thenewinnhurst.com The Anchor – Barombe Mills The Anchor slips into being one of our favourite pubs despite serving fairly average food as it has a wonderful beer garden! It backs on to the River Ouse and hires row boats by the hour. This is one our children (and dog’s) favourite days out as on a warm day they can jump from the banks and enjoy wild swimming. Its also a great place for paddle boarding (further up the river – this is not allowed directly from The Anchor). No need to book and dogs welcome. www.anchorinnandboating.co.uk Local walks We live in a beautiful part of the world and in the middle of hundreds of walking routes. We use www.my.viewranger.com for plotting new routes but our favourites from Ditchling are; Oldlands Windmill – an easy walk taking in many of the sites of Ditchling. Jack and Jill Windmill – a difficult walk but there is a car park next to the windmills for those who want a less strenuous walk. Ditchling Beacon – a difficult walk but amazing views. South Downs Way Streat – A relatively flat easy walk Plumpton Racecourse – A relatively flat easy walk but further away You will find lots of people walking in Ditchling. Everyone is very friendly so its always worth asking locals for their favourite walks! Cycle Hire Beacon Bikes E Mountain Bike Hire & Café – Hassocks www.beaconbikes.co.uk Hassocks Community Cycle Hire www.hassockscommunitycyclehire.com Brighton During the day the lanes are a great place to explore with lots of interesting & quirky shops. The Pier is a retro place to while away a couple of hours to play on the machines and visit the fair at the end! Its at night when Brighton really comes alive! Some of our favourite restaurants include; Riddle & Finns (Fish Restaurant) The Coal Shed (Steak Restaurant) Petit Pois (French Restaurant) Browns (Nice family restaurant) The Ivy Booking is recommended everywhere in Brighton! Nearest Good Beach If you are looking for a day out at the beach its probably best to avoid Brighton! We love Shoreham Beach, Goring Beach and (if you want a sandy beach and don’t mind the drive) West Wittering although during peak season you will need to book parking at West Wittering and there is only one car park! https://www.justpark.com/uk/parking/west-wittering-west-sussex/s/west-wittering-beach-car-park-pound-road-west-wittering-west-sussex-po20-8aj/?countryCode=uk&citySlug=west-wittering-west-sussex/ Children’s Activities There are lots of great children’s activities both in the village and beyond. In Ditchling itself there is a large play park and fields with streams suitable for paddling. This is just off East End lane and can be accessed via Farm Lane. Macs Farm can be accessed through the many footpaths behind Mulberry Barn with one footpath leading you directly through the chicken field. This chickens are very used to be handled and will happily run to you to be stroked and to peck your toes! Macs farm run regular children’s clubs (www.theoutdoorsproject.co.uk) and also have a reptile snake shack on site for reptile lovers! Free range organic eggs and other local produce are available every day. Adastra Park in Hassocks is a great park for young and older kids with a thriving skate park where children can scooter or skateboard. Hassocks also has an excellent Go Karting track aimed at children aged 8+ www.qleisure.co.uk For days out further afield, we enjoy mackerel fishing in Brighton www.rossboats.co.uk Horse riding in Pycombe www.3greys.co.uk Drusillas (a zoo and some rides) www.drusillas.co.uk For rainy days our children love Jumpin in Burgess Hill (our nearest large town). It’s a huge inflatable centre that is guaranteed to tire the children out! www.gojumpin.com Crawley is about a 40 minute car journey away but it has some excellent indoor ‘rainy day’ activities for children including; Cinema (www.cineworld.com) Bowling (www.hollywoodbowl.com) Lazer world (www.lazerworld.com) Restaurants of note Ockendon Manor The Pass & Camellia – South Lodge Takeaways and Delivery We are lucky enough to have a few restaurants deliver to us in Ditchling. Website www.justeat.co.uk offers most of them (please use 43a East End Lane, Ditchling, BN6 8UP) when ordering. Local Villages Ditchling Our lovely downland village. Stunning scenery and lots of lovely walks. Some excellent places to eat and a very small high street. It would be remiss of me not to mention Poison Ivy, much more than a florist with some wonderful home pieces and gifts (closed during August). David at the Post Office is the heart of the village. Here you will find newspapers, cards and some essentials. To get a real understanding of Ditchling the Arts & Crafts museum is well worth a visit! Hassocks The neighbouring village has a much larger high street than Ditchling. This is a great place to stock up on essentials from Budgens (as well as normal supermarket goods you will find lots of local produce) and also has a useful Sainsburys. The Bakery (Bakeout) has cheese straws that my children adore! Our local train station with direct lines to Brighton and London goes from Hassocks. Hurstpierpoint Another lovely downland village with a busy high street of coffee shops, butchers, gift shops and hairdressers. Please do let us know if you find any other lovely days out, we would love to share it with our other guests

Vineyard

Ridgeview – Ditchling Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rose is by far my favourite Summer wine! The Vineyard hosts wine tasting, Vineyard tours and has a gorgeous wine terrace with light menu to enjoy the Summer sun. Booking is a must. www.ridgeview.co.uk
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Ridgeview Wine Estate
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Ridgeview – Ditchling Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rose is by far my favourite Summer wine! The Vineyard hosts wine tasting, Vineyard tours and has a gorgeous wine terrace with light menu to enjoy the Summer sun. Booking is a must. www.ridgeview.co.uk
Court Garden Vineyard – Ditchling Courtgarden is another firm favourite and their white wine is divine (and award winning). Their wine tasting and vineyard tours are excellent and the team very knowledgeable. Booking is a must. www.courtgarden.com
Court Garden Vineyard
Orchard Lane
Court Garden Vineyard – Ditchling Courtgarden is another firm favourite and their white wine is divine (and award winning). Their wine tasting and vineyard tours are excellent and the team very knowledgeable. Booking is a must. www.courtgarden.com
Bolney Vineyard – Bolney A bit further afield but a great opportunity to explore another small Sussex village. Bolney has wonderful dog walks and the Café at the vineyard is very dog friendly. Bolney hosts regular talks, tours and wine tasting events. www.bolneywineestate.com
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Bolney Wine Estate
Foxhole Lane
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Bolney Vineyard – Bolney A bit further afield but a great opportunity to explore another small Sussex village. Bolney has wonderful dog walks and the Café at the vineyard is very dog friendly. Bolney hosts regular talks, tours and wine tasting events. www.bolneywineestate.com

Local Pubs & Restaurants

The Bull – Ditchling Recently awards ‘Best Pub in East Sussex’, The Bull has something for everyone. The garden has a play area, excellent children’s menu and an outside Pizza oven whilst the inside serves slightly posher fayre but children still very welcome. Booking in the garden not required but recommended for inside and Sunday Lunch. The outside is dog friendly. www.thebullditchling.com
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The Bull Ditchling
2 High St
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The Bull – Ditchling Recently awards ‘Best Pub in East Sussex’, The Bull has something for everyone. The garden has a play area, excellent children’s menu and an outside Pizza oven whilst the inside serves slightly posher fayre but children still very welcome. Booking in the garden not required but recommended for inside and Sunday Lunch. The outside is dog friendly. www.thebullditchling.com
The Whitehorse – Ditchling The Whitehouse is the underdog of the village pubs but still well worth a visit! The Sunday lunches are fantastic and it has an adjoining local shop selling local produce, yummy cakes and takeaway craft beer. Normally there is no need to book www.thewhitehorseditchling.com
The White Horse
The Whitehorse – Ditchling The Whitehouse is the underdog of the village pubs but still well worth a visit! The Sunday lunches are fantastic and it has an adjoining local shop selling local produce, yummy cakes and takeaway craft beer. Normally there is no need to book www.thewhitehorseditchling.com
The Green Welly - Ditchling A lovely spot for a brunch or lunch. This local café has a great garden and has both a vegetarian and vegan menu. No need to book.
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The Green Welly
1 High St
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The Green Welly - Ditchling A lovely spot for a brunch or lunch. This local café has a great garden and has both a vegetarian and vegan menu. No need to book.
The Nutmeg Tree – Ditchling Step back in time to a 1920s tea room & bakery! A lovely spot for lunch where once upon a time you may have seen our most famous resident Dame Vera Lynn. She may no longer be with us but they always play her music in this tea shop! Lovely cakes and door step sandwiches. No need to book.
The Nutmeg Tree
6-8 West Street
The Nutmeg Tree – Ditchling Step back in time to a 1920s tea room & bakery! A lovely spot for lunch where once upon a time you may have seen our most famous resident Dame Vera Lynn. She may no longer be with us but they always play her music in this tea shop! Lovely cakes and door step sandwiches. No need to book.
The New Inn – Hurstpierpoint Venturing slightly further afield in Hurstpierpoint (another Downland village), The New Inn has a great beer garden and lovely food. Please check its opening hours and booking recommended. www.thenewinnhurst.com
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The New Inn
76 High St
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The New Inn – Hurstpierpoint Venturing slightly further afield in Hurstpierpoint (another Downland village), The New Inn has a great beer garden and lovely food. Please check its opening hours and booking recommended. www.thenewinnhurst.com
The Anchor – Barombe Mills The Anchor slips into being one of our favourite pubs despite serving fairly average food as it has a wonderful beer garden! It backs on to the River Ouse and hires row boats by the hour. This is one our children (and dog’s) favourite days out as on a warm day they can jump from the banks and enjoy wild swimming. Its also a great place for paddle boarding (further up the river – this is not allowed directly from The Anchor). No need to book and dogs welcome. www.anchorinnandboating.co.uk
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Anchor Inn
Lewes Road
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The Anchor – Barombe Mills The Anchor slips into being one of our favourite pubs despite serving fairly average food as it has a wonderful beer garden! It backs on to the River Ouse and hires row boats by the hour. This is one our children (and dog’s) favourite days out as on a warm day they can jump from the banks and enjoy wild swimming. Its also a great place for paddle boarding (further up the river – this is not allowed directly from The Anchor). No need to book and dogs welcome. www.anchorinnandboating.co.uk