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).

Check rates at Travel Intelligence.

Written by  James Dunford Wood.

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