Wallpaper* checks in at the wonderfully unfussy Swan Inn, Fittleworth

After lying dormant for more than four years, The Swan Inn in the UK’s South Downs has been brought back to life by Sussex-born owner Angus Davies, previously of Chez Bruce, Lorne, Sorrel and the Bib Gourmand-winning The Hollist Arms. Once a retreat for the likes of Turner and Constable, the 14th-century coaching inn had fallen into decline before a painstaking two-and-a-half-year restoration revived it as both a boutique inn and a proper village pub. Its 12 characterful rooms – ten in the main house and two in the annexe – are each named after its former famous guests.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Swan Inn, Fittleworth

What’s on your doorstep?

Set in the heart of the South Downs National Park, The Swan Inn makes an excellent base for exploring rural West Sussex. Within a few miles are Petworth House with its Capability Brown grounds, Cowdray Polo Park, and the Goodwood Estate. For walkers and cyclists, the inn is perfectly placed, with some of the best routes in southern England starting on the doorstep.

But it’s not all about exertion: this is Turner and Constable country, and it still delivers the same pastoral views that inspired them. Easels and paints are available for guests who want to try their hand at sketching the landscape, while after dark, the South Downs’ status as a dark-sky reserve makes it one of the best stargazing spots in the UK. Pulborough station is a five-minute drive with direct trains to London Victoria, so a bucolic weekend is within easy reach of the city.

Who is behind the design?

The interiors were overseen by local designer Zanna Westgate, who worked closely with Davies to create a quintessentially English ambience that they describe as 'classic and cosy'. Of course, it helps when you’re also friends with globally renowned designer Martin Brudnizki, who, Davies reveals, was always on hand to pass an opinion on paint samples and fabric swatches. The architecture was handled by Diego Perez of Prime Meridian Architects, with historic building expertise from Ben Kirk, while the gardens were landscaped by Elizabeth Tyler, known for her naturalistic planting schemes.

The result is an English country pub idyll, rich with colour, pattern and eccentricity. The dining room retains its original 1920s wood panelling, stripped back from the battleship greys of a previous renovation. The pub’s warm ambience is created with the help of Edward Bulmer natural paints – Trompington yellow, Jonquill pink, and Red Acre red – shades chosen for warmth and depth, not trend. A vast parquet-brick inglenook fireplace dominates the bar, where locals cluster with pints.

Charming details are everywhere: book-style key boxes designed by artist Miki Lowe nod to the inn’s literary past, while handmade lampshades by Imogen Pope and Birdie Fortescue bedspreads add texture. Antique prints and vintage china plates dot the walls, many of which have stories attached. Artists once paid for lodgings here with their work, and some of those paintings still hang today in the dining room.

On our visit, we admired details such as a stone gargoyle mounted on the pub door, its mouth doubling as the letterbox slot and guaranteed to raise a smile on arrival. Branding and stationery are accented with a bold saffron orange – a nod to ‘Cowdray yellow’, the distinctive colour chosen by the 1st Viscount Cowdray to mark his estate properties, now a signature across the area. Meanwhile, the long-lost guest books, recently rediscovered, date back to the 19th century and feature sketches and signatures from the likes of John Constable, Millicent Fawcett and JM Barrie.

The studio to book

There are 12 bedrooms in total: ten in the main house and two in a converted stable block, both of which are dog-friendly and have private gardens. Each is named after a notable figure linked to the inn’s history – Rudyard Kipling and Emmeline Pankhurst are among them. Antique furniture, patterned headboards, and tactile fabrics from Penny Morrison, Volga Linen, and The Cloth Shop set the tone, while Enchanted House mattresses and indulgent roll-top baths in seven of the rooms ensure a boutique level of comfort.

The pick is room number eight, ‘Sambourne’, tucked under the eaves at the top of the house. This small apartment-sized room has a private balcony with sweeping views of the Downs, plus a telescope to make the most of the area’s dark skies. For families, the stable-block garden rooms are ideal: practical, spacious, and with outdoor access for children and pets.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Food is the beating heart of The Swan. Davies has created a menu that celebrates British country cooking with a modern touch. Starters might include Spenwood gougères, crispy artichokes with aioli and sage, or devilled kidneys on toast. Mains are hearty and seasonal: a suet crust venison and bacon pie, or wild mushroom, celeriac and ricotta cannelloni, alongside unpretentious pub classics like the cheeseburger.

Sharing dishes include roasted monkfish or a whole shoulder of South Downs lamb designed for conviviality, while desserts such as a choux bun with honeycomb parfait or profiteroles arrive in generous towers. The Sunday roasts are a draw, from Barlavington pheasant with game chips to White Park sirloin with horseradish.

At the bar, local breweries are given prominence: Burning Sky and Harvey’s beers are on tap, alongside Two Orchards cider and English sparkling wine from Ambriel and Kinsbrook. The wine cellar runs to over 150 bottles, chosen to be drunk rather than displayed, while no/low options are well represented, including Lucky Saint on draught.

Where to switch off

Beyond walking, cycling and stargazing, the simplest pleasures are often the best. The Mediterranean-inspired garden, opened this summer, is a natural gathering spot, planted for long views and dappled light, and designed to withstand children’s games and muddy paws. The boules pitch is a convivial addition, while firepits extend the outdoor season well into autumn. Inside, the pub’s inglenook fireplace offers the perfect counterpoint, with dogs stretched out in front of the log burner while locals perch at the pewter-topped bar.

The verdict

The Swan Inn is that frustratingly rare thing: a historic coaching inn with boutique polish that still feels, at its core, like a really good pub. It’s wonderfully unfussy – you’re just as free to drop in for a pint and a packet of crisps at the bar as to check in for a weekend of country walks, roaring fires and a menu that celebrates British cooking at its best. The restoration has been handled with sensitivity and character, blending antique detail with quiet modern comforts, and the welcome is genuinely warm.

The Swan Inn at Fittleworth is located at Lower St, Fittleworth, Pulborough RH20 1EL. Double rooms from £195 B&B.