St Cuthman's Hermit Huts

The Hermit Huts

The two 'Huts' in our grounds are available for guests who wish to be entirely independent of the main house:

The Chapel Hut (for residential use) ...

overlooks the lake and is not far from the House and Chapel. It has a single bed, a desk, settee, wardrobe space, bookshelves and wall mounted heater. Linen and towels are provided. The washroom has a mains toilet and a sink with hot water. Guests staying for more than 2 nights are offered access to a bathroom elsewhere upon request. Whilst usually set up for single occupancy, a 'z-bed' is available for a second person.

The small kitchen has a fridge with small freezer compartment, some cupboard space and a 1 cu.ft. capacity convection oven / microwave with grille, enabling basic items to be properly cooked rather than simply re-heated (for safety reasons there is no ‘cooking ring’ or similar). There is also an electric kettle, toaster, hairdryer, wind-up DAB digital /FM radio and small torch (guests may wish to bring their own), plus basic microwavable cooking equipment, china and cutlery. We ask guests not to bring any electrical equipment or cooking appliances to the Huts - the essentials are provided.

The Cricket Field Hut (for day use) ...

is on the far side of the property, looking across a field where sheep graze, to the lake. The main room has sofas, easy chairs and a desk with chair (see photo). This Hut has electricity and cold running water but no flush toilet. Guests have access to a toilet in the 'Bothy' outbuildings. Firewood is available to order in advance for the log fire.

The Cricket Field Hut can accommodate individuals or up to four people for the day, arriving from 10am onwards and departing at the end of the afternoon (by 6pm).

There is a wall mounted heater and an open fireplace - logs and kindling are available to purchase if ordered in advance. Given that the Cricket Field Hut is used for day visitors only there is no cooking equipment (apart from a kettle to make refreshments) and for safety reasons we ask guests not to bring any on site - including electrical items of any kind. A wind-up DAB digital /FM radio is provided.

This internal view of the Cricket Field Hut was taken with a wide-angle camera to give an impression of the furniture and setting. The actual floor area is not very great, so please bear this in mind when considering use by a small group.

The Chapel Hut ...

has a radio link to the house in case of emergency at night. It is possible to use mobiles but the signal can be variable. There is a payphone in the house. Guests staying for more than 2 nights are offered access to a bath. Please note that no smoking is permitted in any building on site, but guests may smoke with great care outside, away from the buildings.

We would remind guests that the Huts are sited in the grounds and, naturally, field mice, squirrels and other wildlife are all around. We would advise anyone with an aversion to such creatures (they will often be heard scurrying around - particularly at night) that the Huts are possibly not the place for them !

Due to the proximity of our tenant farmers' sheep, dogs are not permitted anywhere on site.

Guests will understand that we have to sympathetically manage the grounds and that grass cutting & path clearing by machine and other work is often governed by weather conditions and other factors. We make every effort to minimise disturbance to our guests but sometimes this is unavoidable.

Milk and bread ...

can be ordered in advance for residential guests and frozen food stored in our freezers. The nearest shops at 'Buck Barn Crossroads' on the A24 (2.7 miles), or in Billingshurst (3.5 miles), are accessible by car only. There are also several daily bus services between Coolham and Horsham (30 minutes each way) or Storrington (20 minutes each way).

The site ...

is rich in bird and plant life and is designated by West Sussex as being of Special Nature Conservation Importance. There are quiet places to sit around the grounds and lake. There are also lovely walks in the surrounding countryside, such as to Shipley Mill and church, home of the Knights Templar, and to the Blue Idol Quaker meeting house.

Please telephone to check availability It is often possible to book at quite short notice.

To download a Booking Form for the Huts click here

For further information contact:

St Cuthman's, Cowfold Road, Coolham, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 8QL
Tel 01403 741220 Fax 01403 741026
Email: stcuthmans@dabnet.org