Name: Abingworth Hall
Address: Storrington Road, Thakeham, Thakeham, Thakeham, RH20 3EF, United Kingdom
Rating: 8

Smoke-free property

Garden

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

General

Free Parking on Premises

Parking

Swimming pool

Pool and beach

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the guest house

Airport Brighton

London Gatwick Airport

Farnborough Airport

Blackbushe Airport

London Heathrow Airport

Victoria and Albert Museum

Loftus Road Stadium

Hyde Park

Buckingham Palace

Big Ben

London Eye

National Gallery

The Shard

Madame Tussauds

Tower Bridge

The British Museum

Tower of London

Abingworth Hall

Thakeham

The holiday was a real mixed bag.   Whilst the bridge lessons were generally well received, our learning would have been improved by sample bidding and a wider mix of set plays. Several of us found that EW got the bulk of contract play, whilst NS won the bidding on fewer than ten our of over forty occasions. Whilst our defensive play improved, more offensive opportunities would have been appreciated. Overall, a good mix of players and abilities, though, with the sessions comprising good humour and companionship.  The hotel was a different matter, though. Other reviews had led us to expect 'faded glory' - although we found it in need of significant refurbishment and change. Much of the exterior was in need of attention, with some doors visibly rotting. Our room as described as 'superior' and seemed anything but. There was no shower, although there was a bath under the eaves. The TV was tiny and often not working properly.  The serving staff were great - helpful and responsive. The food was generally okay, although I think the vegetarians had a different experience.   However, a warmer reception would have significantly improved our experience, instead of the indifferent welcome received. The approach was epitomised by an incident when we asked for coffee, as there was insufficient available during a short and planned twenty minute break in play. After searching the hotel for five minutes, and receiving a curt reply, the coffee was finally ready fifteen minutes into the break. By then, we had gone to our room to make our own - and when the coffee was delivered, the fact that we had not waited was met with an obvious and unnecessary eye-roll.  Thankfully, the person in charge at the end of the week was much more amenable.

A mixed bag.

Excellent art holiday. Painting with Sophia Flowers. Good company. Cannot fault anything 
Good food. Plenty of it.
Friendly and caring staff and comfortable surroundings.
Can recommend.. Very nice atmosphere.
Have been twice and will go again.



Excellent 

Lovely public rooms and grounds. Hotel was warm, comfortable and served good food. The staff and management were excellent. 
Two resident HF Leaders were very helpful giving us advice for our self guided walks.
A higher rating could not be given  because our bathroom was cold (wall heater did not work) and damp.   Bedroom lighting was very dim and the TV the size of a computer monitor. 
A supplement can be paid for a superior room so this would be a way of ensuring a good standard.
I  can recommend visiting Amberley Village and Petworth House. There is good walking on the nearby South Downs with excellent views.

Ideal for short walking/sightseeing break

We were a group of 11 doing a four day self guided walking holiday from Abingworth Hall. The area around is lovely and there are many walks, including a number from the hotel itself. There are also many attractions to visit in the area.
HF are operating the hotel very conscientiously within covid guidelines - table service only, same seating at dinner, limited menu. This means that the traditional HF welcome - freedom dining at dinner and activities are curtailed.
It is very clean and the staff are very friendly. Rooms are comfortable with plenty of hot water, drying room, food is plentiful if bland. My hake and creme brulee were excellent as are the breakfasts with black pudding and traditional porridge on offer. Other meals could have been frozen and supplied centrally.
All in all a nice, safe place to visit during lockdown.

Traditional country house

Lovely house and enjoyed my short break here, in particular walking in the area. Accommodation very clean, comfortable and pleasant. Breakfasts and packed lunches very good with wide choice. However the evening meals were, on the whole, disappointing and not very appetising - tasteless watery plaice, over cooked greasy potatoes, doughy Yorkshire pudding, fatty pork, solidified desert, heavyweight fruit pie with thick pastry, ‘cheap’ ice cream. Bedroom well equipped and great to have a kettle provided. However, although the bath had a shower shield there was nothing on the wall to which the shower handle could be hung. Hence no shower!

Attractive house amidst wonderful scenery

Just returned from a long walking weekend with HF holidays who use this lovely old Country House Hotel.  Rooms were very warm and comfortable.  Staff were so very friendly and helpful.  There are two lounges and a lovely conservatory to relax in after walking.  A well stocked bar and super dining room with a ballroom for our pre walk talks the night before. There was a choice of menu and all the food was varied and delicious. We decied on the guided walks, the guides were knowledgable and took us up into the beautiful South Downs. Every evening the guides laid on a quiz or game if you so wished to join in. Although the weather was not the best we had a super time staying here and would definitely recommend.

Great HF holiday weekend at this warm and friendly hotel

My wife and I enjoyed our self guided weeks’ holiday at the pristine Abingworth Hall. We paid extra for the attractive, spacious, well furnished “better” room 10 on the first floor, and appreciated the comfortable settee. The en suite is similarly spacious, but the showering facilities are disappointing with merely a hand held shower head connected to the hot and cold taps on the large bath.

Generally, the food was good with a choice of about 3 starters, 3 main courses, and 3 sweets at dinner, and as you pre order, there is little delay in serving. The cooked breakfasts are excellent and are promptly and efficiently served by the attentive and efficient staff. Similarly the choice of picnic lunches was also excellent and plentiful.

Breakfasts from 7.45 to 9.00 am and dinners from 7.15 pm are taken communally at tables of 6 or 8 but some 4s which leads to interesting and sometimes informative conversations with the friendly, fellow guests e.g. we learnt about red mason bees, excellent and apparently harmless pollinators which seemingly could redress the well publicised loss in the bee population. 

There was good, traditional HF entertainment in the evenings e.g. quizzes, indoor bowls, and presentations including the work of those on the photography course. We appreciated being permitted to listen to the interesting pre dinner briefings about the following days’ three walks even though “we were doing our own thing”.

Abingworth Hall is superbly situated for nearby short and long walks, some on the South Downs, and within short drives of the stately homes at Petworth (NT) and Parham, excellent Denmans, Highdown and Sussex Prairies gardens, the impressive Architectural Plants, and the south coast, all of which we visited.

An enjoyable holiday

Our first HF walking break.  The hotel is well placed, close to the rolling South Downs, for delightful walks in the beautiful Sussex countryside.  The staff at Abingworth Hall were all very responsive to guests’ needs.  Food was plentiful and wholesome, and special dietary needs were cheerfully catered for.  Our bedroom was quiet, comfortable and with adequate storage.  The outdoor swimming pool was a popular way to refresh before dinner.

Three experienced volunteer leaders each led a walk (of varying length) every day.  Sarah was an outstanding leader, with good navigation skills, knowledge of wildlife and flowers, and a warm manner.  She took great care and concern for the safety and enjoyment of every participant, including the less nimble.  “Shorter Mike” is an ecologist with sound knowledge of flora and fauna and a ready sense of humour.  All walks were linear, with a coach laid on to transport the walkers to and from the ends of the walks.  



Short Walking Holiday 

Abingworth is a very charming English Country House Hotel.  Lovely gardens and pond - Sort of beautiful and unspoilt! Concerned that the liquid soap/shampoo was not replaced on a daily basis in the bathroom, nor was the bed linen changed during the 4 night stay there.  Wi-fi coverage in the area is not accessible.  Thank you however for the hospitality.

A place where Miss Marple would go to recover from a touch of pneumonia!

Abingworth Hall was charming with friendly, helpful and personable staff. The food was absolutely fabulous and exciting with lovely presentation as well as taste, I had the most delicious vegetarian green curry and I didn't miss the meat at all. The fish dishes were different each night and the puddings were divine. The hotel also provided excellent pack lunches for us and the walkers to take with us during our forages out to paint.
My room was in the bungalow, a little away from the main house, it was basic but very clean and with Windows that could be opened! 
Along with our group of artists, were a very friendly bunch of walkers, this made the evenings great fun with the staff providing a variety of parlour type games, which encouraged the groups to mix and mingle. The walkers expressed an interest in our paintings so it was decided to do an impromptu art show with the walkers voting their favourite pictures, this evolved to them voting with spare change which would be put towards the Pathways fund, subsequently we managed to raise £30 for the fund along with egos lapping up all the praise.
The surrounding area is beautiful with a plefora of painting subjects and so with the hotel's friendly efficient support for activity holidays, I would most certainly return.

Abingworth Hall

Main amenities of the guest house

Location

Available rooms

Location

Description of the guest house

What other amenities are there?

Policies

Check-in terms and conditions

Additional information

Payment