Venue
Pekes Manor and its Estate is a wonderful place for your truly memorable Celebration. You rent it just as you see it when you visit; this allows you to plan and provide whatever you wish, set against the backdrop of the old brick houses, the lawns, the large gardens and the rolling countryside beyond. We impose no suppliers, charge no corkage and there are no hidden extras. We have four houses, acres of lawns and gardens and a large Park. Up to 44 staying Guests (and another 100 day Guests if you wish) are good maximum numbers to aim for.
Pekes is in the East Sussex Weald – 52 miles from central London down the A22, 19 miles from Brighton, 14 miles from Eastbourne and just 62 miles from the Folkestone Eurotunnel. The South Downs National Park and the sea are close by.
Exclusivity
Pekes is a quiet self-contained rural estate, centred on its picturesque pre-Tudor Manor house and surrounded by organically-farmed Wealden fields, which offers exclusive privacy for your Celebration. This is very much enhanced when you book all of our houses for your family and friends. Book them all for the whole weekend, and the place is all yours!
Accommodation
Pekes Manor and its three surrounding houses are cleaned and prepared to a high standard for your arrival, and our prices include cleaning on departure.
Facilities
Your guests can enjoy our heated indoor Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi/Sauna (all open all year), tennis court, lawn badminton, croquet and table tennis, sit out on the lawns or wander round our large gardens and park, or walk off into the unspoilt countryside. In the evening you can enjoy the Fire Bowls and Chimineas at the houses.
Pekes prices include all guest linen, towels, etc. in the houses, power, all of our facilities and use of our gardens and park. It’s a fully-functioning facility for you to create your own unforgettable Celebration weekend (and mid-weeks are often available too).
Wedding Celebrations
We have many of these at Pekes, and they are wonderful. Please ask us for our Wedding Celebration notes.
Suppliers
There are many good and reliable specialised local suppliers of everything that you would need for you to choose from. Please ask for our up-to-date Suggested Suppliers list.
Catering
Each house has a fully equipped kitchen; the largest is the one in the Manor house. The Manor house dining room can seat up to a maximum of 28 people. You will probably want a Marquee and an outside caterer of your choice, but you may possibly manage without.
Marquee
Our huge ‘Ducks Lawn’ can accommodate large Marquees, with good setting-up access. We have our own double Bedouin-style stretch marquees, measuring 10m x 10m each, with all necessary tables, chairs, fittings, etc., as well as our own Pekes Bar, and Catering Gazebo.
Power
We feed power to your Marquee from several places near the lawn, and this is usually sufficient. However, if you are having Marquee-based on-site cooking facilities or other power-hungry equipment, you may need a generator. Please consult your suppliers.
WCs
There are four ground-floor level WCs within reach of the main lawn. However, you may feel that you might also want to hire portable toilets, which can be placed out of sight near the main lawn (see Suggested Suppliers).
Music
If you have hired the whole estate, your music won’t disturb ‘the neighbours next door’. However, we have to be aware that sound travels in the countryside, so we do request a bit of ‘volume down’ at about 10, and the Council insist that we ensure that you cease playing outside at 12 midnight; after that softer music in the houses is of course allowed. With a Silent Disco – there’s no problem at all!
Fireworks
Sadly noisy fireworks are now severely discouraged. If you wish to have more gentle fireworks, they must be fired by a professional fireworks company.
Alcohol License
Pekes Bar is fully Licensed. If you will be operating your own paid-for bar, you may need a License. Consult your caterer or bar provider, or talk to the Wealden Council Licensing team on 01323 443555.
Deliveries
If you are organising direct deliveries to Pekes on your behalf, it’s very preferable that you will be there to receive them. If not possible, please check with us that there will be a member of the Pekes team there to receive them on the day.
Pekes official map name is ‘Pekes House’ with postcode BN27 4AD.
What3words: pampering.ripen.toward.
Your Arrival & Departure
You and your staying guests are very welcome to arrive at Pekes from 15:00 hours on your arrival afternoon. Departure is by 10:00 on the Monday morning to allow our housekeepers to get on with their job. You marquee supplier is welcome to set up on the Friday before you arrive, and take down on the Monday after your departure. If any of this won’t be convenient, please ask.
Your Guests’ Arrival on the Day
If you wish, the Pekes main Front Gates from Thundershill (the main road) will be opened on Saturday morning and stay open. Your day-guests will drive along the front drive across our Park, and will park their cars on the edge of the parkland below the house (sign-posted). Of course they can drive up to the house to drop off passengers, but should then return to the parking area, otherwise the house front parking gets too full. We can provide a map for you to send your guests.
The Front Gates are (just) wide enough to allow coaches or double-deckers access.
Disabled access
Two of our houses are single storey – Tudor View and The Wing. They are both accessed by a couple of steps; we have a wheelchair ramp. We just need to know in advance.
Children
Pekes is a safe place; there are no roads or public footpaths or machines or wells. The old pond is very shallow. There is a nice children’s play area with swings, frames, etc. We have cots and high chairs available.
Pets
Pekes is pet-friendly; we welcome well-behaved dogs and neutered cats. Outside, dogs must be kept on a lead in the houses area.
Transport
The nearest convenient rail station is Polegate (see below), with station taxis. There are several taxi companies in nearby Hailsham and they, along with a lot of other local information, are shown on the Pekes Resouces page.
Directions to Pekes are included on our Contact page.
Event Management
Building up to, and on-the-day management, of your event can be complicated and stressful; unexpected things can go wrong – wine can run out, food can get late, more power can be needed, some of many things. Pekes has a dedicated Events Manager, Amy Chessell, who can help you organise everything, both before the day and on it.
How to get there
Address: Nash Street, Chiddingly, Hailsham, BN27 4AD.
By road: turn off the A22 at Golden Cross onto Nash Street. Pekes is on the right in 1 mile, at the cross-roads.
By train: Polegate station on the East Coastway (Brighton to Hastings) line; trains arrive there quite frequently from Brighton, Gatwick, London Victoria and places in between. Taxis are almost always available 24/7. It’s a c. 15-minute ride to Pekes.
The Cost
You pay for staying in our houses, and that’s all, unless you also want to hire our Marquees, Bar, etc. We have price lists for everything running up to 2 years ahead. Price creep, extras and hidden costs? None! Please just ask for them.
Booking Deposit: to confirm your Booking, we ask you for 30% of the Booking cost, and then Pekes will be yours. The Balance is payable 56 days before you arrive.
Damage Deposit: £200 per house payable with your Balance, returned within 5 days of departure if no problem; if there is, we discuss it with you.
Visit
You are very welcome to come and visit Pekes by appointment before and/or after you book.
Contact
Please do not hesitate to Contact us.
Additional on-site contact details for use during your stay are given in the house Welcome Packs and on the Laundry room door.
