My Favourite Times of Year to Visit Holiday Cottages in Sussex

I love the Sussex Downs. And I love staying in holiday cottages in Sussex, where you can really relax and get back to nature. I do a lot of walking, a lot of bird watching and of course I’m not above the occasional visit to a traditional country pub – with which Sussex is fortunately full of!

A lot of other people love the Downs too of course. So there are times of year when it is best to go visiting. I find it’s best to get in just after the Easter holidays, when everything is open locally but the kids have gone back to school (I have nothing against kids you understand, but with many families unable to get away during term time you can get cottages for less and you’re never fighting with tourists for the last loaf of bread in the local store). Or at the end of the summer season, around October time, when half term hasn’t yet happened and the weather is still theoretically fine.

I don’t have a specific preferred location for holiday cottages in Sussex – as long as I get one in or around the Downs I’m happy. And there’s so much to see and do all over the area that it can be nice to make a point of visiting different ones each time you go down. Last time, for example, I stayed around Beachy Head, and enjoyed a classic British seaside holiday. This year I might go further up the Downs and have a more walking and bird spotting type of break.

I’m a sucker for old castles too – and if there’s one thing Sussex has more than its fair share of, it’s forts and ruined castles. A lot of them are actually in pretty amazing condition, either still inhabited or finely preserved. So you can wander through them and get a real sense of the old days of King Harold and the Norman invasion, Herstmonceux Castle, which I believe is still inhabited, is one of the most impressive in all the UK.

Of course some holiday cottages in Sussex are more about the cottages themselves than the surrounding attractions. Little romantic places perfect for honeymoons and special weekends away. You can visit the neighbouring towns for a special meal and for the rest of the weekend, it’s just you and that special someone. Pick the right time of year again and all you need is the right company, a couple of bottles of champagne and a picnic hamper!

Holiday cottages in the area offer great holidays all through the season, but there are some special times when the weather is right, there are fewer tourists and the local attractions are all open.