SPOTLIGHT ON

Spotlight on... UCKFIELD & AROUND

Tie the knot in a local hotspot

OCKENDON MANOR HOTEL & SPA

01444 416 111 | www.hshotels.co.uk/ockenden-manor

Ockenden Manor is a charming and tranquil 15th-century Elizabethan manor house set in the pretty village of Cuckfield. Surrounded by nine acres of peaceful gardens and parkland it offers views across the West Sussex countryside to the South Downs. Full of history and character, it boasts an elegant sitting room warmed by a roaring log fire, a cosy bar, an oak-panelled private dining room complete with painted ceiling and stained-glass windows, and a beautiful dining room offering sweeping views of the gorgeous gardens. The hotel has 28 distinctive bedrooms and suites (some with four-poster beds), all individually furnished and each named after a member of one of the two families who’ve owned the building since 1520. There are six luxury spa suites, each with a spacious open-plan bedroom and lounge, plus a roof terrace with exceptional views over Cuckfield Park.

You can say “I do” either in the Drawing Room or the Ockenden Suite. The former is a bright, sunny room with antique furniture, open fire and views of the glorious garden. It can host up to 50 guests. The latter certainly has the wow factor thanks to its spectacular views of the terraces, gardens and South Downs beyond. It can accommodate 90 of your nearest and dearest.

These two spaces can also play host to your wedding breakfast for the same guests numbers, as well as further celebrations for up to 100. Additionally, the Burrell Suite, an oak-panelled room with a door opening out onto the garden can also host a wedding breakfast for 40 loved ones.

The venue can be hired exclusively and offers award-winning cuisine, which utilises locally-sourced ingredients. What’s more, Ockenden Manor Spa was purpose-built inside a 19th-century walled garden. The contemporary spa offers a host of luxury facilities including an indoor pool with swim-through to an outdoor pool, outdoor hot tub and eight treatment rooms.

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EAST SUSSEX NATIONAL HOTEL

01825 880 088 | www.eastsussexnational.co.uk

Nestled amongst 1,100 acres of beautiful East Sussex Countryside, this venue’s location enables you to enjoy spectacular views across the South Downs, ideal for those all-important photographs. Whether you’re planning an intimate occasion or a large event, there’s a space to suit you at East Sussex National and the suites are finished in modern décor acting as a blank canvas for your chosen palette or theme – you can put your own stamp on the place.

If al fresco “I dos” are what you dream of, The Birdcage is set on the south lawns in the Pavilion Gardens offering a gorgeous backdrop. It can accommodate six people within the structure, but has space for many more looking on outside it. Alternatively, inside you can choose between the Pavilion Restaurant, Clubhouse Ballroom and Lynx Suites for guest lists of 150, 160 and 240 respectively.

You can host your celebrations in the Lynx Roundall for 120 guests, the National Suite for a whopping 330 guests or in the Lynx Suites surrounded by anywhere between 20 to 125 loved ones. Maximum capacity for the venue is actually an astounding 750 for a wedding breakfast and reception, so plenty of space to invite everyone you’ve ever met should you wish! The menu will be created by the excellent team of chefs who craft tantalising dishes using seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients, which has earned them two AA rosettes.

To help with your plans and preparations, East Sussex National Hotel offers a carefully designed selection of wedding packages, which include all the traditional elements for your celebration. Created to suit a wide range of budgets the team can tailor them to meet your requirements.

BRIDGE COTTAGE HERITAGE CENTRE

01825 760 734 | www.bridgecottageuckfield.co.uk

Bridge Cottage Heritage Centre is a Medieval Wealden hall house built in 1436 and beautifully restored in 2016. It offers a superb backdrop for those all-important photos, which can be captured from the courtyard to the front of the building. If you hire Bridge Cottage for your special day, you’ll benefit from exclusive use of the whole venue for your ceremony. The cost includes a private room, which will be used by the registrar to speak to the nearlyweds beforehand.

The ceremony room is the Hall Chamber located upstairs, it’s a stunning historical yet light and airy contemporary space and can host 50 nearest and dearest. Meanwhile, the downstairs Main Hall can be used as a reception prior to or following the ceremony. The hire also includes use of the Cottage the day before, for rehearsal and layout/decoration.