Arundel, United Kingdom

The Pig in the South Downs

Price per night from$231.45

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (GBP183.33), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

A fine vintage

Setting

South-facing Sussex estate

The eighth and, by all accounts, final addition to the Pig universe (a bit like the Marvel one only trading planetary peril and wise-cracking superheroes for high-grade hospitality and casual country charm) The Pig in the South Downs is a porkin' corker. Tucked neatly down a winding country lane, just beyond the castle-topped town of Arundel, the hotel is made up of an inviting manor house and a series of artfully upcycled outbuildings – lofts, stables, sheds, fruit stores, wagons – all bedecked in trademark mix 'n' match styles (there's even the odd avocado bathroom – and it works a treat). The menu at the lawn-side restaurant is another locally sourced marvel, featuring even more than usual from the kitchen garden owing to its bounteous proportions and, in a Pig first, there's even a verdant vineyard, so if you squint a little on a sunny day, you'll think you've trotted off to some quiet corner of Provence. 

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

A bottle of Pig Cut wine

Facilities

Photos The Pig in the South Downs facilities

Need to know

Rooms

28

Check–Out

11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 4pm.

Prices

Double rooms from £220.00, including tax at 20 per cent.

More details

Rates do not include breakfast (between £14.95 and £18.95 each).

Also

All common areas are wheelchair accessible and there are a number of ground-floor rooms available on request.

At the hotel

Kitchen garden, vineyard, two treatment rooms, south-facing lawn terrace, free WiFi. In rooms: TV, larder stocked with locally sourced drinks and snacks, coffee and tea-making kit, air-conditioning and Bramley bath products.

Our favourite rooms

With a litter as good as this, it's hard to pick a favourite. In the main house, the roomy Room 2 (an Even Bigger Comfy Luxe) has unrivalled views over the vineyard, out by the stables the charming Chicken Shack had us clucking with delight and, for the ultimate romantic retreat, we'd be circling the Garden Wagons.

Spa

Tucked away at the back of the walled garden and through the old greenhouse are two Potting Shed treatment rooms. Naturally all treatments – mud wraps, revitalising facials and a range of restful rubs and scrubs – use only the most, well, natural products, with inspiration coming from the the soothing powers of the (nearby) sea.

Packing tips

Such are the restorative powers of the South Downs, the Bloomsbury Set would regularly decamp here in search of inspiration in the early 1900s, so some EM Forster or Virginia Woolf would make for fitting reading material.

Also

The estate's original landowner Sir George Thomas lived in the main lodge while his architect, Joseph Bonomi, crafted something even grander. Such was Bonomi's local renown at the time, his name is even mentioned in Sense and Sensibility.

Pet‐friendly

You're most welcome to bring dogs for walks around the grounds (avoiding the kitchen garden and other animal residents for obvious reasons) but they can't join human guests inside the hotel or restaurant. See more pet-friendly hotels in Arundel.

Children

Very welcome. Kids portions are served in the restaurant, milk and baby food can be heated, extra beds can be added to some rooms (on request) and there are some interconnecting options in some of the outer buildings.

Sustainability efforts

The Pig group long ago raised the bar for environmentally responsible hospitality and this latest outpost continues the admirable work. Sporting one of their largest kitchen gardens yet means even more from the famed 25-mile menu travels mere metres, the on-site mushroom house uses waste coffee grounds as fertile fungus-growing soil, and free-roaming chickens provide the eggs. There are small touches like the recycled-paper menus being themselves repurposed as napkin rings and coasters, and big-picture projects running apprentice schemes, supporting Hospitality Action and local children's charities too.

Food and Drink

Photos The Pig in the South Downs food and drink

Top Table

There are few better spots on a sunny day in Sussex than at one of the terrace tables looking out over the lawn and the vines beyond.

Dress Code

As relaxed as it gets, but pack a few florals and you'll pair nicely with the parasols; a dash of burgundy and you'll blend in with the grapes.

Hotel restaurant

It's fair to say that the Pig hotels have single-handedly changed our views on the humble conservatory. Here, a sweepingly widescreen one is home to the hub-of-the-hotel restaurant where chef Kamil Oseka and his team of foragers and gardeners combine to craft a 'What on Earth do I choose?' menu from the finest ingredients in the surrounding 25 miles. The colossal walled allotment plays a starring role, providing vegetables, herbs, mushrooms and fruits (it even has a kiwi tree) for all manner of dishes – everything else is fetched from nearby farms and fishermen. To keep things even more local, this is the very first Pig with its own vineyard, planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vines that should provide around 4,000 bottles a year (and a nickname for this outpost, perhaps: Porc au vin).  

Hotel bar

Arundel-brewed beers, garden-garnished cocktails and a wealth of wines (including plenty of English blends, and the Pig Cut: a holiday-in-a-bottle collaboration with Tuscany's Tenuta Fertuna Winery) are served in the cosy lounge bar, with its resplendent red walls. There's also plenty of room on the terrace for alfresco sipping and a few further indoor nooks to cosy up in – we loved the fire-warmed, painting-lined art room. 

Last orders

Breakfast is served 7–10am (half an hour later on weekends), lunch is noon to 2.30pm; dinner (for which bookings are a must) is between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. Food is served in the bar from noon until 9pm; drinks are available until midnight.

Location

Photos The Pig in the South Downs location
Address
The Pig in the South Downs
Madehurst, Arundel
Arundel
BN18 0NL
United Kingdom

The Pig in the South Downs is in a quiet corner of West Sussex surrounding by rolling hills and chocolate-box villages, just 48 miles from London.

Planes

You're conveniently placed for Gatwick airport, about an hour or so's drive away. Southampton airport serves fewer destinations but is similarly close.

Trains

Amberley and Arundel stations are equally close to the hotel but Arundel is better placed for picking up a taxi and served by more routes. Trains there run from three major London hubs – Victoria, Blackfriars and London Bridge – and take no more than an hour and 35 minutes.

Automobiles

The entrance is down a narrow country lane so be sure to stick to the 20mph limit and be prepared for the odd hasty reverse to a passing place. There's a sizeable car park when you arrive and you're well placed for some South Downs daytripping.

Worth getting out of bed for

Virginia Woolf herself summed it up when she wrote that the South Downs were ‘enough to float a whole population in happiness if only they would look.’ With deliriously green hillsides, whimsical rural villages, and fabled chalky cliffs ascending from the sea, it’s no wonder that so many writers found solace here. Trace the footsteps of Tennyson on the Black Down and Serpent Trail, through ancient woodland and belts of heather, or, if you’re feeling particularly sprightly, take the 87km West Sussex Literary Trail, where the spirits of Blake, Shelley and Keats lie amongst England’s pleasant pastures seen. If all that walking has left you parched, refuel with a glass of English sparkling (or even a full afternoon tea) at the Tinwood Estate or try the tasting rooms at Digby. A short drive away, Chichester Cathedral is home to rare medieval sculptures, roman mosaics, modernist masterpieces and contemporary offerings alike – keep your eyes peeled for Marc Chagall’s imposing stained glass window. Whilst you’re in the neighbourhood, Goodwood is home not only to all manner of automobile antics throughout the year (with the famed Festival of Speed in July and Revival in September), but also to a superb art collection with works from Van Dyck, Canaletto and Stubbs, along with the personal collection of Louise De Kérouaille, King Charles II’s favourite (and most expensive) mistress. No trip to South Downs is complete without a visit to Arundel, a fairytale town complete with a majestic 11th-century castle, a resplendent Gothic-Revival cathedral, Jacobean gardens and many antique, militaria and artisan boutiques. Head south to see Sussex’s greens fade to blue with miles upon miles of coastline, beaches (the secluded shingle of Climping is just eight miles away) and nostalgic seaside towns. For a bit more buzz, Brighton is about 50 minutes drive. 

Local restaurants

Local favourite, the Parsons Table in Arundel specialises in bold, French-influenced cuisine with a focus on seasonal ingredients. Seafood fans with an eye for architecture will be well served at the Thomas Heatherwick designed East Beach Café on the shores of Littlehampton. The Highdown, in Goring-on-Sea adds lashings of grandeur to its gastro-pub trappings – just the place for an indulgent Sunday roast. 

Local bars

The Black Rabbit is a quintessentially English pub overlooking the Arun river. In warmer months, enjoy something chilled in the shade of a weeping willow. Come winter, take refuge among the lanterns, cosy oak beams, and roaring log fire inside. (For a taste of the countryside, try the Badger beer, brewed in Dorset since 1777.) For something closer to home, visit the George and Dragon, a 13th-century pub, reputed to be amongst the oldest in Sussex. It’s said that King Charles II stopped at the pub when fleeing the Battle of Worchester and, with exceptional views over the Downs, an impressive wine list, and a variety of cask ales to boot, we’d be tempted to do the same. If you become partial to the locally brewed beers being served at the hotel, stop in at the Brew House Project to sample a few at source – you might even catch some live music. 

Reviews

Photos The Pig in the South Downs reviews
Chloe Lamford

Anonymous review

By Chloe Lamford, Theatrical traveller

We drove up the winding lane to the Pig in the South Downs in the late afternoon, just hitting golden hour with incredible timing. The setting of this boutique stay – one in a litter of Pigs – is so lovely, with a beautiful view across rolling fields and dense woodland. Large wooden lounge chairs face the afternoon sun, and there’s a gentle, restful feel to proceedings from the get-go. The main picturesque stone manor house is accompanied by rooms in various converted farm buildings (a coop, apple store, stables, the odd rustic wagon) dotted around the grounds. I was dying to sit out and gaze lovingly at it all while nursing a hot drink; but we arrived in February, and to do so with our squirming one-year-old on my lap would clearly have been terrible parenting. 

The caveat was, you see, that we had to bring our little Smithlet with us, and thus we expected there would probably be less stylish lounging around and more managing of small hands dropping crumbs and quelling loud burbling noises. I was quite nervous of inflicting our over-zealous little one on other guests and prepared to be apologetic or to hide out in our room as needed; but all my new parenting worries were immediately soothed by the wonderful staff, who were so utterly accommodating and friendly.

We chose to stay in the Chicken Shack, a lovely long wood-panelled space set away from the main house, divided up by old wooden beams. It was all so delightfully rustic and oh-so charming, with a separate sitting room, enormous super-king-size to snooze in and – oh, dream of dreams – a rolltop bath tub in the bedroom (my absolute favourite thing that had me immediately plotting to sneak in a quiet soak). We instantly felt right at home. 

We decided, after scattering baby toys everywhere and letting our wee Smithlet press all the light switches repeatedly on and off (sorry if we made you think it was a distress signal, neighbours), that we needed a stiff shrink, so we ventured out to the bar. Set in the main house, it’s a welcoming, well-dressed space with warm red wallpaper, roaring fires, big snuggly old sofas, and cosy corners. I instantly fell in love with the large glazed cabinet behind the bar, which was filled with various antique glasses – a design idea I plan to copy back home. We indulged in a couple of Old Fashioneds and let Smithlet nibble on some olives – she’s incredibly well behaved, so we had another round before heading to the restaurant for our early dinner feeling slightly squiffy. Again the staff were so delightful with our little one – I worried about her making lots of noise and mess, but thankfully a high-chair had been discreetly set up in a quieter corner for us. 

The Pig’s farm-to-table food (all sourced within 25 miles, if not in the grounds) was heavenly, as was the red wine; and after a splendid pork loin, cod and chips, and a jam roly-poly we were all three very happily full and headed back to the Chicken Shack for baby bedtime. The staff had put out a comfy cot with her own soft blanket and child-friendly bubble bath – top treatment all round. After lights out, Mr Smith and I retreated to the sitting area in our bedroom to watch a film and polish off the wine. The beds were the most comfortable I’ve ever experienced, which made it all the harder to be repeatedly woken up by a very small person – suffice to say, I’ll be coming back without her some day to sleep for 12 hours straight, thank you very much. 

Now, I’m a huge hotel breakfast fan, and boy did the Pig not disappoint. They have a grazing table, homemade smoothies, freshly squeezed juices, house granola, and delectable hot dishes from the à la carte, all made using hyper-local ingredients of the highest quality. It was breakfast heaven here, and I was a little annoyed that I couldn't stay there all day; but we had booked ourselves in for hot-stone massages (one at a time so we could take it in turns to walk Smithlet round the kitchen gardens and give her a chance to talk to the resident chickens). After we were each pummelled into a blissful state in the amazing greenhouse-set treatment rooms, we rolled blinking back out into the winter sunshine and ended up napping happily alongside our Smithlet back in the Chicken Shack. 

We also spent some time exploring Arundel and the nearby countryside before returning to the bar for some moreish Hambleton English sparkling wine, charcuterie and some even more moreish little potatoes to snack on. We nearly ruined our dinner, but being the seasoned pros that we are, we managed to fit in a splendid shepherd's pie each as well. An excellent way to end the day.

We really didn’t want to leave this idyll – the Pig in the South Downs has a divine setting and it’s such a relaxed and beautifully conceived hotel. Even better, they were so caring towards our little one too – although, as appreciated as that was, when we do return, we’ll be leaving her behind and upgrading our stay with a few lie-ins.

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Price per night from $231.45