Russet is one of two luxury, architect-designed eco-homes at Orchard Barns, both with stunning views of rural East Sussex.
Relax in a light-filled, double-height living space with a king-sized bedroom, kitchen, luxury shower room, and air conditioning throughout.
Enjoy your private deck and cosy fire pit—just a five-minute stroll from a 16th-century country inn.
The space
Russet is one of a pair of architect-designed luxury eco-cabins conceived to maximize the connection with the surrounding Sussex countryside while minimizing their environmental impact.
There is a high-ceilinged living and dining area, which incorporates an open-plan kitchen.
Air conditioning and heat-recovery ventilation serve every room in the property. In winter, the air conditioning is inverted to provide air-source heating. The property is purpose-built and insulated to a very high standard. A bank of solar panels on our neighbouring barn provides significant power to the units. Thanks to the eco-construction and associated solar panels, Russet has an environmental-impact rating of A and is carbon-negative, producing more renewable energy each year than it consumes.
A luxury bathroom provides under-floor heating, a heated towel rail, a large shower, and an illuminated vanity mirror by the basin. High-quality bed-linen and towels are provided.
The bedrooms is on the ground floor, with direct access to the deck at the front of the property.
There’s an alfresco dining area on the deck, along with a fire pit that doubles as a barbecue. We provide a stock of wood along with kindling and firelighters, so it’s easy for you to enjoy a fire as you watch the sunset.
Guest access
There is a dedicated parking area directly behind the holiday let. An EV charger sits in the parking area and serves both of our holiday lets. It has two connection points and charges at speeds up to 11 kWh, depending upon the capability of your vehicle and charging cable.
EV charging is controlled via the Monta app at 45p per kWh. Rates may vary; please ask for current rates at time of booking. We have a fast-charging cable available to borrow. If needed, please let us know, and we’ll ensure it is placed in your unit upon arrival. If you plan to use the EV charger, please let us know before you arrive, and we will send a guide to ensure the process is as easy as possible.
To the front of Russet, there’s a large wooden deck. Beyond that, there’s a small gravel area with a gate onto a fenced-off meadow, which is for the exclusive use of guests. The meadow is shared between the two holiday lets, while the decks and gravel areas are private.
As you can see from some of the pictures, this site has two holiday lets, collectively known as Orchard Barns. Screens and fences ensure sufficient privacy and separation for each unit.
Access from the road is via a separate entrance from our main house, which is over 200ft (70m) away from the holiday lets. This ensures that guests have a completely separate and dedicated area.
Other things to note
The holiday lets are in the heart of the small village of Cowbeech in the East Sussex countryside. Cowbeech has a pub, The Merrie Harriers, which is usually open from Wednesdays to Sundays and serves food and local ales. Please check The Merrie Harriers' website for the latest opening and food serving times.
The Merrie Harriers has sixteenth-century origins. Don’t be fooled by the plaque over the door that says ‘1624’; that’s a later addition! It’s a traditional country pub with roaring fires in the winter and a spacious garden for summer drinking and dining.
Cowbeech is a perfect spot to explore everything East Sussex has to offer. You can reach the nearest beach by car in just over 15 minutes. And you’re right in the middle of East Sussex wine country. It’s only an 8-minute drive to the nearest vineyard of Henners in Herstmonceux. There are many other vineyards nearby, too, including Rathfinny, which boasts two restaurants and a walking trail.
The town of Battle, with its famous abbey, is less than 25 minutes away by car. Lewes is driveable in around half an hour, and Brighton can be reached in less than an hour (though it may be easier to hop on a train at Polegate, which gets you to Brighton in around 32 minutes).
You can explore famous natural landmarks like the Seven Sisters, Beachy Head, and the South Downs and enjoy cultural highlights like the Towner Gallery, Glyndebourne, Charleston, and the Hastings Contemporary. And that’s just the start of the list!
Of course, you can also relax in your holiday home and enjoy the views of the surrounding countryside. You might see owls or kites hunting over the nearby fields or one of the Spitfires that flies over regularly on south-coast leisure flights.
