Garden Retreats at The George in Rye

"The George is in many ways the perfect hotel"
- The Evening Standard

"I wish the Clarkes' version of The George had been there when I needed it in my youth. But it's here now"
- The Sunday Telegraph

At The George in Rye we're especially pleased that Spring is here as, having emerged from its Winter dormancy, we can now enjoy our Courtyard garden serving delicious lunch and dinner al fresco using the freshest local ingredients.

We like to think that East Sussex, like Kent, deserves the title The Garden of England, as the county is full of the loveliest gardens there are- from the dramatic and panoramic, to hidden wildflower meadows and woodlands carpeted with bluebells. In particular, East Sussex boasts perhaps the most famous garden in England : Great Dixter. Home of late gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd, Dixter is daring and experimental, but always elegant. Even if you know absolutely nothing about gardens you'll enjoy wandering between all the different parts of the grounds, each with their own striking identity. You can see a pictoral tour on the Great Dixter website.

With spring out in full force, we thought that now would be a good time to introduce a Garden Retreat break at The George, for avid gardeners as well as those who just want to get out of the city and into clean air and beautiful scenery.

The package offers two nights in a standard room, a full English breakfast each morning, three course dinner in our dining room on each night of your stay, and tickets for four gardens: Pashley Manor, Sissinghurst Castle, Merriments and Great Dixter. The package starts at £205 per person and upgrades are also available with a supplement. More details on the break and each of the gardens can be found here.

Another nearby garden, Greyfriars in Winchelsea, is to be the setting for a performance at dusk of Puccini's opera, La Bohème, on Saturday 23rd June. We thought this would be a lovely midsummer event that some of you might enjoy, so have created a one-off weekend stay. This includes your room on Friday and Saturday nights, with tickets and transport to and from the opera as well as a lobster and Champagne picnic, starting at £275 per person. Further information can be found here.

And next month we'll be introducing you to our Head Chef Rod's new summer menus, which will herald in the forthcoming bounty of English fruit and vegetables.

Best Wishes

Alex and Katie Clarke

The George In Rye
www.thegeorgeinrye.com