Beyond the ruins, Cowdray is famous internationally for polo. The Cowdray Park Polo Club, founded in 1910, hosts prestigious tournaments including the Gold Cup, drawing elite players and spectators from around the world. This vibrant sporting tradition adds a new chapter to the estate’s long story of aristocratic leisure.
Cowdray’s estate also offers modern luxury alongside history. The nearby Cowdray House (a separate Victorian building, restored and still a private residence) and lodges cater to weddings, retreats, and exclusive stays. The estate includes a farm shop, café, wellness center, and diverse countryside pursuits, from fly fishing on the Rother to foraging in ancient woods.
Architectural Features: Echoes of the Past
Even in ruin, the architectural brilliance of Cowdray is evident. Visitors today can admire:
- The North Wing and Kitchen Tower: Robust brickwork and remnants of massive fireplaces speak to the scale of Tudor hospitality.
- The Great Hall: Once the heart of the house, it hosted feasts beneath timbered roofs and was overlooked by a musicians’ gallery.
- The Chapel: Traces of religious life survive, including stone arches and window tracery that hint at once-elegant stained glass.
- Gatehouse and Courtyard: The imposing entrance still conveys power, welcoming guests (now tourists rather than nobles) into the central quadrangle.
These fragments allow us to reconstruct in our minds the pageantry of the Tudor and Stuart ages: liveried servants, hunting parties returning with horns and hounds, nobles in ruffs and doublets processing to Mass in the private chapel. shutdown123