Fodor's Expert Review Horsted Place

Set within 1,100 acres of parkland, this luxurious Victorian manor house was built as a private home in 1850; it was owned by a friend of the late Queen Elizabeth until the 1980s, and she was a regular visitor. Today it continues to exude English country-house style, with a magnificent Victorian staircase, elegantly traditional guest rooms, and special touches like the secret door in the Gothic library, which leads to a private courtyard. The dining room serves elegant fare using fresh, local ingredients. The house is six miles north of Lewes.