An estate of grace

There was the mandatory four-poster bed, to the east a three-piece suite and telly, at the south end three huge picture windows giving a glimpse of the Victorian secret garden (about which more later) and tucked around to the western end a bathroom with 17 Molton Brown products and 12 white, fluffy towels.

Of course, most of this was wasted on the three under-sevens. But the grand piano was a winner. Over the next three days, at every opportunity, the little one would make a beeline for it, pop himself on and bash away, closely followed by his brother and sister. It was a good job the walls were made from thick stone - quarried from the grounds in the 1920s when the Sisters of Notre Dame bought the house from the Henniker family and built a huge extension.

I spent my secondary education in various convents, but I've never seen such an opulent one. Ours was definitely the mother superior's room, but everything at Ashdown Park, from the grounds (186 acres of prime East Sussex countryside) to the silver service, is on a grand scale.

But does that make it a great place to go with young children? Yes, with a few caveats. Good weather is a must because the grounds are spectacular. We arrived on one of those recent days when the sky was a brilliant blue and sat ourselves down on the terrace. The lawn swept away to a trout-filled lake with a jetty. Dotted around were tall, ancient trees. The children scampered off to a putting green 50 yards away.

We sat, watched and listened and let London fade away. Tea arrived - I counted 14 pieces of individual silverware and crockery - and with one eye on the children I indulged in some eavesdropping on the Russians at the neighbouring table who were downing vodkas before midday and talking about their girlfriends. Great fun and a perfect way to relax.

Yes, the hotel has a helipad, an 18-hole golf course, a wine menu as thick as the Hutton inquiry, a clientele to match and caters for two weddings a week, but at least it isn't west-London-in-the-shires, like so many modern country hotels. In fact, I found the formality of Ashdown all the more charming because there was little concession given to the children - and yet they seemed to rise to the occasion.

While at home they manage to deposit half their food on the table or floor, in the grand surroundings of the Anderida restaurant (the hotel's only one) they practised their (limited) French with the Parisian waiters, kept hold of their starched napkins and actually ate without having to watch CBeebies.

So mealtimes became a great lesson in How To Behave. Of course, the twoyearold was the slight exception. One morning I asked for a simple boiled egg for him. A huge silver dome arrived underneath which lay two brown speckled eggs. The boy looked aghast and refused to have anything more to do with them.

And yet apart from two dodgy Dover soles, the food, especially at breakfast, was very good - lots of thick hot toast, runny scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. I silently recalled childhood holidays in the Lake District in the Seventies in draughty old B&Bs where it was all Rice Crispies, warm milk and cold brittle toast - and wondered how my three would remember this.

Doubtless they would not remember the homemade biscuits that came with tea, the comfy beds or the Molton Brown energising seamoss shower gel. The truth is young children are philistine funseekers with massive egos. But perhaps they would recall playing Pooh sticks on the original Winnie-the-Pooh bridge deep in the Ashdown forest where we had 10 glorious-minutes of it to ourselves before the minibus brigade arrived.

Ignoring the Gatwick flight path, you could lean over the bridge and view a piece of England that has remained unchanged since AA Milne first experienced it for himself. Or maybe they would remember the afternoon we played hide-and-seek in the Victorian secret garden and Alice got her hair caught in the brambles.

Or more probably the fun we had every day in the spotlessly clean indoor pool with the floats and toys. So, I asked the eldest George, what was it to be? "The best bit? Putting on the lawn."

I knew it. There is a Pontins in Lancashire near where my sister lives that has a great pitch 'n' putt. The children probably wouldn't know the difference, but of course that would be no fun for us. As hotels near London go, Ashdown Park is that great combination of good food and facilities (spa, pool, tennis courts, walks, golf and so on) set in a fantastic location with loads of possible day trips such as nearby Hever Castle, the Bluebell railway and a llama park.

If you fancy a last-minute break, there are family deals to be had (for as little as £110 a night) so it needn't cost the earth. We had a quick tour, and all the bedrooms are pretty roomy and smart. However, if you are offered an upgrade to the master suite with the baby grand, politely decline. You'll literally never hear the end of it.

Ashdown Park Hotel's Winnie-the-Pooh package includes overnight accommodation for two adults and two children, Winnie-the-Pooh afternoon tea, themed goodie bags, Winnie-the-Pooh walk through Ashdown Forest, three-course table d'hote dinner for two adults and use of the country club. Valid until 30 September based on two adults and two children sharing a large suite. From £225 per room Sunday-Thursday; £240 per room Friday-Saturday.