The Reading Rooms, Wisborough Green

About this property

A holiday cottage with character and a charming history, located in the quintessentially English village of Wisborough Green - a perfect location for a getaway for two with Petworth nearby.

This listed cottage was formally the parish reading rooms for the village of Wisborough Green providing separate rooms for ladies and gentlemen to catch up on their literary perusals. The Reading Rooms has since been converted into a lovely holiday cottage for two retaining original features such as the unique two chimneys.

The Reading Rooms' accommodation is all on the ground floor and the open plan living and kitchen area has a double height ceiling and windows on three sides, giving a lovely feeling of space and height. There is a leather sofa to relax on with Freeview TV and WiFi available. The fully fitted kitchen has a dining area for two and is perfect for a cosy evening meal.

The light filled bedroom is spacious and has a comfortable double bed and solid wood furniture. The clean and bright bathroom has a full size bath with overhead shower, basin and WC and a towel heater for those chilly mornings.

There is shared access to a seating area outside the cottage and you are just a minutes walk from the green where cricket is played throughout the summer months and various fetes take place. You can take a seat at one of the two welcoming village pubs and have a bird's eye view of the village activities.

Wisborough Green and beyond

The Reading Rooms are located in the centre of the beautiful village of Wisborough Green which is in the Sussex Weald and on the edges of the South Downs National park. Beautiful landscapes, walks and countryside activities are on your doorstep.

From your base in the village, you can easily access numerous pathways and trails which encompass rivers, canals and nature reserves. Close by The Reading Rooms is the Wey Arun Canal , which is part of the Wey South path a walking route of some 36 miles from Guildford to Amberley. This path utilises almost all of the canal's towpath and is recognised as a natural heritage asset as well as providing a haven for wildlife. There are several ongoing restoration projects and lengths of the canal are now in water, you can now even take a boat trip on the idyllic Loxwood section of the canal which is just 4 miles from Wisborough Green.

For keen walkers, there are also options at the Pulborough Brooks. There are many excellent walks across the Brooks and along the banks of the River Arun offering uninterrupted views south towards the South Downs. Part of the Brooks contains one of the rspb’s major reserves in the south and is just eight miles from the The Reading Rooms.

Just 6 miles away is the beautiful town of Petworth, an historic market town which is best known as the location of the stately home Petworth House and deer park which was landscaped by Capability Brown. The house and its grounds are now owned and maintained by the National Trust. The magnificent country house contains an internationally renowned art collection with numerous works by Turner. The town is full of quaint houses and cottages, many within their own courtyard settings. They are interspersed with antique shops and tea rooms so it makes the ideal place for a stroll following your enjoyment of Petworth House and Park.

Further on from Petworth you will find Midhurst nestling next to Cowdray Park. The Cowdray Estate is most famous for its polo club particularly in June and July when the polo set meet for the Gold Cup. The Cowdray ruins are also of note since they were important early Tudor courtiers' palaces built from 1520 and form an impressive backdrop to Midhurst.

Only 30 minutes by car and you can discover the wonderful National Trust property Nymans. An outstanding 20th Century garden set around a romantic house and ruins in beautiful woodland. Theatrically designed with plants from around the world Nymans is internationally renowned for its garden design, rare plant collection and intimacy. Visit the Messel family rooms in the house and see the dramatic ruins that form a magnificent backdrop to the main lawns.

Places to visit

Petworth House and Park

RSPB Pulborough Brooks

Wey and Arun Canal

Warnham Nature Reserve

Nymans Gardens

What's on

Petworth Festival — July

Cowdray Polo — July

Local shop —150m Wisborough Green

Nearest supermarket — 3 miles Billingshurst

Nearest restaurant — 6 miles Petworth

Local pub — 100m The Cricketers

Mainline rail service 3 miles away at Billingshurst for services to Gatwick Airport, London Victoria and Portsmouth

Gatwick Airport — 25 miles