The summer is proving tough for travellers looking to go abroad or plan a trip around the lingering threat of train strikes, baggage handlers’ disruption and all-round travel and logistics chaos. 

Well, a staycation in beautiful Sussex may well be the perfect answer to these problems. No airport delays, no long journeys and no unexpected costs. All you need is a few days off work and some friends or family members to join you. 

Brits are looking for shorter, more local staycation getaways this summer. So what better way to enjoy the great outdoors locally than to spend the day at the Grade I-listed Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens in Horsham, followed by a stay in the new, luxury overnight accommodation in the stunning Italianate mansion house? 

Many historical aspects of the Grade II-listed Italianate mansion, inspired by the famous woodland gardens estate, are preserved in the new suites and at Restaurant Interlude, the restaurant that is gaining a world-wide reputation for its multi-course tasting menus, designed by Executive Chef Jean Delport. The goal of estate owner, Penny Streeter OBE, is to establish England's top vineyard restaurant with accommodation. 

The Streeter family and Chef Jean have created a memorable evening for both local guests and those from afar, one in which they can relax and enjoy the whole Leonardslee experience, which includes garden tours, classic afternoon tea, and wine tastings. Each of the ten specially-created guestrooms at Leonardslee House delivers a magnificent experience that guests say they will never forget, and the exceptional quality and character of the quintessentially English interior design plays a large part in that.  

Seeking to create the perfect staycation destination, the Streeter family commissioned ten different designers to create the ten luxury bedrooms. Each is unique in its own way. Every one-of-a-kind bedroom features a top British interior design firm's fabric and wallpaper style, with classic themes by some of the most well-known and loved British designers, and the bathrooms are all stunning! 

"We found specialists whose ideas complemented our own, who could secure the finest materials in harmony with the exquisite grounds" says estate owner Penny Streeter OBE. The design project was managed by Johnston Parke Interiors and architects Gould Baxter. 

"To commission and manage designers for each of the bedrooms demanded great knowledge of the British design scene in order to determine who could best fulfil this very ambitious undertaking, whilst also understanding and developing our aims for the project." 

Designers included Lewis and Wood (the Deluxe Magnolia Suite); Penny Morrison, Veere Grenney, and GP J Baker (Superior Rooms); Sanderson and Soane Britain (Superior Classic Rooms); and Nina Campbell, Rapture and Wright, Colefax and Fowler, and Christopher Farr (Superior Classic Rooms) (Classic Rooms). 

The Grade II-listed 19th-century mansion serves traditional afternoon tea as well as exquisite dining at Restaurant Interlude. It features tasting menus that include food foraged and grown on the estate. The tea and refreshment facilities, gift store and delicatessen also feature locally grown produce. 

So, if you're looking for an excuse to take a family break, a weekend away, a special celebration or other treat, this if for you. If it is time for a break from your regular routine, and you want to stay closer to home this summer, Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens is the perfect staycation destination.  

When it comes to fun events, there's no shortage: the estate calendar includes open-air movie nights, guided hikes through our historic gardens, tree walks and the classical music Summer Concert Series.