What do you do on a grey Sunday afternoon? Head to Tottington Manor in Edburton near Steyning in West Sussex, for a thoroughly indulgent afternoon tea, of course!
Tottington Manor is a Grade II Listed building, parts of which date to the 17th century or earlier. In WWII, it was the regional headquarters for the Auxiliary Units in Sussex. The Auxiliary Units used the status of the Home Guard as a cover for their true resistance activities. These days, it’s a hotel and restaurant that sits right under the watchful eye of the South Downs in a quiet and idyllic location. It was refurbished in 2021 and they have outdoor heated seating with firepits and blankets, and are dog friendly.
Indulge yourself with afternoon tea
Their afternoon tea has everything you want. A selection of sandwiches and savouries, little cakes and scones, a choice of teas and coffees and the option for a glass of bubbly! Our savoury snacks included homemade pork and apricot sausage roll, and goat’s cheese tartlet but they also catered for my vegetarian companion. The scones were soft, warm, and divine and the selection of sweets included delightfully light shortbread and macarons.
Local produce
A bit of a stickler for local produce (you might have noticed), I was delighted when our waiter explained that ingredients were all sourced locally and even more delighted when the chef gave me a moment of his time to list where from. It somehow makes it extra special knowing your tea is from Brighton (Hoogly Teas), your wine is from local vineyards and your bakes are from just up the road.
Their wine list leads with Sussex wines and includes some of the big guns that you might expect such as Ridgeview, Bolney, Albourne, and Kinsbrook but also includes some smaller less well-known vineyards, making it an interesting choice. There are lots of wines from further afield if Sussex wine doesn’t float your boat.
What’s in the area?
The South Downs for a start. The South Downs Way runs along the top of the ridge of the Downs you can see from the hotel. There’s parking at the bottom of nearby Beeding Hill and from there you can walk along to Devil’s Dyke, via Perching Hill and the lost Medieval village of Perching. There’s nothing much that remains of the village now but at one time it had an underground water supply with a well and a mill. There are also plenty of places you can drop down from up high and walk back via Edburton Lane.
Steyning and Bramber are also both nearby and ripe with local history if you fancy a good reccé of the area.
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