Cotswolds-dupe village near the seaside with award-winning pub is a magnet for celebrities
TUCKED away in the English countryside is a quiet village that has attracted some big names.
It has pretty cobblestone cottages, traditional pubs all with the backdrop of rolling green hills and no, it’s not in the Cotswolds – but it looks like it could be.
East Dean, a small village in East Sussex, has become the country’s ‘quietest celebrity hotspot’, according to The Telegraph.
Artist Grayson Perry, interior designer and hotelier Olga Polizzi, and Line of Duty actress Gina McKee are all said to call the area home.
It was also once home to Edith Nesbit, the author of The Railway Children.
Most famously, it is the location where Sherlock Holmes retired.
The fictional detective said in the last novel, called His Last Bow, that he retired to “a small farm upon the Downs, five miles from Eastbourne”.
Author of the series Sir Conan Doyle lived nearby too.
There’s even a blue plaque outside the house on the green that reads “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective and bee keeper, retired here 1903-1917.”
200 years ago, the village wasn’t exactly a celebrity hotspot – instead it was used by smugglers.
What is now the village pub apparently served as a secret meeting place and retreat for contraband runners.
It’s called The Tiger Inn and sits at the centre of the village on the green and has been described as a ‘quintessentially English pub’ by visitors.
Previously, it’s won Rural Pub of the Year for the South East and has had multiple recognitions from the South East Sussex CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) – including winning Country Pub of the Year.
It serves up very British dishes too from Ploughmans, to fish and chips and sausage and mash.
One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor that it’s “an incredibly beautiful place, one of the best pubs in the South East.”
Another described it as an “amazing village pub on the green.”
It’s not just food – visitors can book a stay at the inn from £90 – or £45pppn.
There are other options when it comes to staying in the village too, including camping at Newhouse Farm Wild Camping which has 72 pitches.
You can pitch on the grass from £30 per night for two adults.
There are also four pods including The Sett, which can sleep up to four people from £100 per night – or £25pppn.
The village is actually quite close to the seaside too – in the car it’s a four-minute drive to beauty spot Birling Gap where you can look out over the Seven Sisters cliffs.
If you fancy taking a walk, you can start at the Tiger Inn and venture towards the sea front which will take around an hour and a half.
For more of a beach, there’s nearby Cuckmere Haven, which is a 13-minute drive away.
The beach was voted one of the best for spring earlier this year thanks to its mild temperatures and incredible views.