Built back in the 16th Century, Pound Cottage had called out across the centuries and cut through the jumbled world wide web to work its charms on my weaknesses for gravel driveways, beams and an Aga-fueled country kitchen.
Despite the impressive range of competition in the region for rental cottages, online photos had me hooked. Not sure if it was the Aga or the claw-tub bath under the eaves which sealed the deal, or maybe the promise of a walk to the pub and a central position along a hedge-lined lane on the edge of the picturesque West Sussex village of Kirdford.
A promise of taking my cup of tea on the lawn backing open fields didn't disappoint. As predictable as it may well sound, right on cue, a cacophony of hot air balloons (complete with union jack design) did indeed float right by the back of the cottage that first afternoon. A classic clip-clop of horse shoes sounded from the lane out front as doves deftly cooed in the huge, bushy thickets of trees and shrubs that entirely surrounded the cottage and its ample grounds in this nostalgic embrace of quintessential English country life.
Already mentioned the hobbit-house doors and how many times I smashed my poor head whilst traversing the wriggly stairs. And the bats. Protected species,naturally, perfectly at home in the peaceful rafters! Not a bit bothered by the sudden invasion of Anglo/Americans. The fact that there was barely any cell phone coverage (except at the end of the gravel driveway, slightly straddling the lane which was perhaps not surprisingly populated with open top sports cars given the demographic of the area's prolific stud farms and apparent literary, media and sporting personality country retreats) and internet cables still a concept of the future, to say that this was a secluded place would be about right. Not isolated exactly, but superbly secluded. It did cross my mind that this would be the ideal house to hole up in one winter, stoke the fires and write the book I keep saying I'm going to write.
Thought the boys would have a hissy fit on lack of contact with the outside world, and though this was the start of our month away from the modern comforts of their tech-fuelled home, withdrawal symptoms were minimal as we supped at the kitchen table for 10 long into the light, summer's evenings, walked the moonlit ancient footpaths that weaved through farmland from village to village and kept a close eye on one another's company for ever-so-slight sense of unseen ghostly guests!
I'm a little bit susceptible to the supernatural - my sister and I stopped in our tracks when her toddler daughter suddenly froze at an open doorway into the darkened, four-hundred year old reception room, after racing round the flagstones of the kitchen with her little, pink toy stroller. She'd taken at least 10 turns of the kitchen before she took a look through the doorway, freezing in place with the strangest look on her face, unable to budge from her spot.
Plucking up with courage (with hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention at this point) to take a peek myself, nothing spooky was apparent as I moved my niece on to the sunny brick pathway at the side of the house for a quick change of scenery.
Would like to know a lot more of the history of the house, but sometimes it's just as satisfying to imagine the past.
Cooking with the fabulous, oil-fueled, radiant Aga stove fulfilled yet another of my many domestic fantasies of cottage life in the English countryside. No timers, no heat seating knobs or buttons, just a trusting dose of common sense in serving up a cottage-cooked fish pie and fruit cobbler. Even made my trademark scones early one morning for breakfast, prepping by the open window watching larks dart across the lawn. Wouldn't do here in California, though, the heat from the stove warms the entire room to such an extent that an English summer's eve would be unbearable indoors without windows and doors flung open wide (hence the visit of one adventurous bat mentioned in a previous post).
Ah, brings back memories. What a fabulous time we all had. And so many amusing tales we'll never forget from the Pound Cottage weekend experience!
Posted by: lindsey | Thursday, July 23, 2025 at 09:19 AM