I’ll never forget the drive down to Filbert Pod in Arundel, Sussex, last weekend – our first family getaway in ages, and it started with the classic dad blunder. I’d packed the boot of the car like a Tetris champion, wedging in the cool bag, kids’ toys, and my wife’s endless supply of books, only to realise halfway through Crawley that I’d left the bloody satnav cable at home. No worries, I thought, Google Maps on the phone will do. Cue 20 minutes of circling a roundabout while Siri insisted we were in the middle of the South Downs. The kids – little Ollie, five, and Mia, seven – thought it was hilarious, chanting “Lost Daddies!” from the back seat. My wife just rolled her eyes and handed me a satsuma. Proper family chaos, but the kind that sets the tone for a cracking break.

By the time we trundled into Arundel, the sun was dipping low over the castle’s turrets – that massive medieval pile looming like something out of a fairy tale. Filbert Pod sits just a stone’s throw from the town centre, tucked into a quiet spot amid lush gardens that feel like a secret hideaway. Spotting the pod itself was a right treat: this cosy wooden shepherd’s hut, all curved like a giant acorn, with fairy lights twinkling around the door. It’s one of those glamping vibes – proper pod life, but with all the home comforts. We parked up on the gravel drive (crunching tyres adding to the rustic charm), and as I fumbled the key from the lockbox, Ollie declared it “our squirrel house!” Spot on, mate.

Stepping inside for those first impressions? Blimey, it was love at first sight. The space is compact but clever – a double bed piled high with squishy duvets up in the loft, and below, a snug sofa area with a telly and wood-burning stove begging to be lit. The kitchenette’s kitted out with everything: hob, fridge, even a proper coffee machine that had me grinning like a fool. Mia immediately claimed the en-suite loo (“It’s got a shower AND a window!”), while the grown-ups clocked the rainfall shower and that inviting double bed. Outside, our private deck wrapped around the pod, complete with a bubbling hot tub and unbeatable views over the water meadows towards the River Arun. We cracked open a bottle of fizz I’d stashed (miraculously not crushed in the boot), and just sat there, feet up, watching the light fade. No signal stress, no rushing – pure pod bliss.

That first evening set the relaxed family break vibe perfectly. We wandered the five-minute stroll into Arundel for fish and chips from a chippy on the high street – greasy, salty perfection wrapped in paper, eaten picnic-style back at the pod. Ollie managed to drop a handful of chips in the grass, sparking a minor “chip hunt” with torches, which dissolved into giggles as we unearthed them for the birds. Lighting the stove was my heroic moment (five matches and a singed sleeve later), and we all piled under blankets, toasting marshmallows on sticks. Mia sketched the castle silhouette, Ollie nodded off mid-story, and I caught my wife’s eye over the flames. Bit of gentle reflection there: in the mad whirl of school runs and work deadlines, when did we last just *be* like this? No screens, no schedules – just us, a crackling fire, and the susurrus of the Arun in the distance.

First impressions of Filbert Pod? It’s the antidote to everyday grind – simple pleasures like waking to birdsong (no alarm needed), brewing tea in the morning light, and that hot tub calling after a splash in the nearby river shallows. A little lodge life chaos, sure – like wrestling the kids out of their pyjamas for a dawn dip – but it’s the good kind, the kind that knits you closer. Sussex at its laziest, loveliest best. Can’t wait to go back.