Detailed Review
Hidden away for 900 years near the picturesque village of Amberley in the chalk South Downs, Amberley Castle is a magnificent historical treasure that offers a truly unique experience. Through the Portcullis and 60 ft curtain walls you will find beautiful landscaped gardens, fine examples of medieval architecture and an unrivalled atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. Since 1988, the Cummings family have made Amberley Castle their home, and with flair and imagination have transformed this splendid hideaway into a luxurious, multi-award winning Country Castle Hotel and Restaurant with an international reputation. Amberley Castle offers 19 luxurious bedrooms and suites, many with four-poster beds and all featuring Jacuzzi bathrooms. Facilities include two restaurants, lounge areas, tennis court, croquet lawn, gardens and lakes, 18-hole professional putting course and a stunning thatched roof tree house complete with rope bridge. Wait up until midnight and you’ll be treated to the spectacle of the awesome two tonne oak Portcullis being lowered for the night. The Cummings Family and all the staff offer guests the warmest of personal welcomes and invite you to share the delights of Amberley Castle.
Independent Reviews
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“The walls of this 12th-century castle are authentically crumbling, but inside it’s regal four-poster beds and an ambitious menu.”
Amberley Castle
By Jamie Dunford Wood
You can’t beat staying in a real 12th century castle (1103 AD). Or can you? This one certainly has the history and the romanticism, if you ignore the distant roar of the trains, the over-elaborate cooking and the rather strange cuddly toys in the four poster bedrooms. The hotel is run by castle enthusiasts Joy and Martin Cummings, who have installed peacocks on the lawn and coloured lights in the haunted tower in the ancient walls to give you a scare on a moonlit night. Each guest room is plushly decorated in ’castle’ style and has its own un-castle-like jacuzzi, ideal for sipping a gin and tonic in. Ask for a room in the main building, as the ones in the wings can be windy to get to. The ’highly creative cuisine’ in the 12th-century Queen’s Room Restaurant is ambitious. The neighbourhood is a plus for this castle hotel. It’s situated in wonderful english countryside less than two hours from London, handy for opera at Glyndeborne, theatre at Chichester and racing at Goodwood and Fontwell. Local historic houses include Arundel Castle, Petworth House, Parham House and Goodwood. The coast and Brighton is not far away, and the whole area is swimming in wonderful antique shops (see Petworth and Arundel in particular).
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