Rooms

Emma has done a great job mixing flea-market finds with Gallic chic in the the four mini-barns. Expect exposed floorboards with cowskin rugs, pale pastel Farrow & Ball shades, postwar posters, wooden Pepsi crates repurposed into bedside tables, and gold antlers gazing benignly down. It all speaks of great love and a sense of fun - and if the vintage alarm clock is stuck at ten to eight, then (as my wife pointedly observed) at least it is right twice a day.

The Lodge (for 2-4) is the newest and largest: double height, with an open-plan kitchen-living-bedroom space downstairs, a bathroom with a tub and rainshower, and steep paddle steps up to a cosy mezzanine intended for older kids (but not for toddlers, the elderly or the light-sensitive, as it is only partly screened from the main room). Our son slept in obligingly late, while we sprawled on the kingsize bed beneath Sunday papers and down duvets.

Little Lodge (also for 2-4) is the next largest. Its glassed-in living room-cum-kitchen has high eaves, grey striped blinds for privacy, and a daybed which pulls out to a double. There's a cosy double bedroom and a compact bathroom which comes with a rolltop tub and the word WASH spelled out in giant gold letters, in case the Ren toiletries and steaming hot water make you forget what you came for. We think it's perfect for a couple with (or without) a child, who want self-catering facilities and a bit more space.

Of the two smaller rooms, The Nook is Emma's favourite - an exquisite couple's hideaway with a kingsize bed and black-slated shower - while The Sailor's House, a brick outhouse which was formerly Bell's studio, is now a compact double room with a narrow shower room behind sliding doors. The two lack kitchens, but come with coffee- and tea-making facilities and mini-fridges, as well as TVs, fluffy towels and WiFi.

Features include:

• Central heating
• Cots available
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Toiletries
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

If you're staying in The Sailor's House or The Nook, breakfast is delivered to your door in a brown paper bag with your choice of homemade bircher muesli, croissants, sausage/crispy bacon sandwiches, fresh berries, or a cooked veggie breakfast, all served with fresh juice to wash it down.

If you're in The Lodge or Little Lodge, you'll get a small but well-equipped kitchen where you can rustle up breakfast and simple meals. Expect an electric hob and oven, pots and pans, ceramic butcher's sink, Nespresso machine, retro kettle and toaster, and a fridge. They each have compact dining areas; in good weather, eat outside at the pergola-shaded courtyard table.

If you're booking the whole property, you'll get use of the cosy Cabin, which has a sitting room with distressed leather sofas, a dining area, a simple kitchen, a covered verandah and a fire pit. It's a great space for socialising.

There's no shortage of good eateries nearby, including Bill's in Lewes for fresh seasonal café food, and The Ram in the time-stood-still hamlet of Firle - where we enjoyed juicy burgers and homemade soup, before walking home via Beddingham Hill. Just ask Emma and Bryony for their latest recommendations; or they can prepare a bespoke feast for you by prior arrangement.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Picnics on request
• Private dining
• Room service
• Welcome hamper
• Kitchens in 2 rooms

Activities

• You're on the South Downs Way, so grab your boots (or mountain bikes) and head up to Firle Beacon for lofty views over the glinting Channel; or follow the trail west to Brighton
  
• Drop down to Charleston Farmhouse, another Bloomsbury hangout (once Vanessa Bell's home), now an art gallery-cum-historic house and gardens, which hosts regular literary festivals
  
• Don't miss Lewes, one of the loveliest towns in southern England, with its uncommercialised High Street (secondhand bookshops, independent chocolatiers, vintage clothing), its hilltop Norman castle over the Ouse Valley, and its 16th-century timber-framed Anne of Cleves House
  
• If you haven't walked the Seven Sisters, now is the time: a spectacular rollercoaster of chalk cliffs dropping sheer to the sea. At Beachy Head you pass the Belle Tout lighthouse which, remarkably, was moved 20m inland by hydraulic jacks to avoid erosion. Take your National Trust cards if you want to park at Birling Gap, and stop for tea in pretty Alfriston on the way home
  
• Glyndebourne Opera House is just 5 minutes' drive away, and if you want to do it in style, ask Bryony for her bespoke picnic service (delivered and set up - complete with table - by two valiant porters)
  
• Other highlights include the beautifully landscaped Sheffield Park & Gardens (National Trust, 20 minutes away); the rare steam trains of the Bluebell Railway (near Uckfield); and bustling Brighton, with its famous Pavilion and pier

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Mountain biking
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets
• Well being
• Yoga

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome, and there's lots to do locally including beaches, family-friendly farms, traffic-free cycle routes, and a castle and freshwater pool in nearby Lewes.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Lodge is best for a family of 4, with a downstairs double bed in the main room, and a mezzanine twin bedroom reached via steep stairs (note we do not recommend this for those travelling with toddlers). The Little Lodge is great for a couple with one child, having a double bedroom and a sofabed in the sitting room, which can be pulled out into a double bed if necessary.

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available, Family Rooms

Distances:

• Airport: 45 minutes (Gatwick)
• Shops: 5-10 minutes (Lewes)

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Blue Door Barns are in East Sussex, 3 miles / 5km south of Lewes, near the junction of the A26 and A27.

By Air:
Gatwick Airport is 45 minutes away by car; Heathrow is 80-90 minutes away. If you want to hire a car, see our car rental recommendations.

By Train:
Lewes has good train connections to London (about 1 hour) and Gatwick airport (about half an hour). From the station, it’s a 5-10 minute taxi ride.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.