A floral sofa and armchairs surround a wood burning fireplace and the largest ottoman pouf I’ve ever seen. We quickly discover it makes the perfect chessboard table and pour wine into oversized glasses to settle in for an evening match. A narrow door leads from the living room to a powder-blue dining room (spot the colour theme) with walls that celebrate the original buildings’ exposed brickwork, and a long, grand wooden table, big enough for eight.
There are 3 bedrooms in total, one easily accessible room on the ground floor and two up the kind of staircase you’d find in a stately home, which is lit by a white beaded chandelier, no less. Each is as cosy as the next and I struggle to choose my favourite. Decorated with beautiful, bespoke wallpaper, floral valances and thick, woven herringbone carpet – something I’m especially grateful for on this particular sub-zero day – they’re more than comfortable and furnished with reading chairs and thick woollen throws. Each has its own bathroom (not en-suites but close enough) and two have a grand footed bath overlooking the grounds.
In case it wasn’t already obvious, we were reluctant to leave the comfort of Dairymaid Cottage, but its grounds – all 11,000 acres of them – were too tempting not to explore. Raincoats and welly boots on, we jumped up into our borrowed vintage Land Rover and let our estate guide, Jamie, teach us all there is to know about Goodwood. We managed off-roading and drove the famous Goodwood hillclimb, as well as the rally stage. Drinking coffee from Thermos mugs and indulging in Goodwood’s own sausage rolls felt like the most appropriate pit-stop, and we parked up to enjoy views of the racecourse, even spotting the Isle of Wight in the distance. The hotel, spa and Farmer, Butcher, Chef restaurant are just a 5 minute walk away but we decided to wrap our day with a visit to the farm shop. Back at the cottage, dinner cooks, filling the space with the most delectable smells as we warm ourselves by the fire and settle in for the evening.
