'Filling up on the good stuff' with Crafted at Powdermills

Words by Mel Elliott

Hotel photos by Euan Baker and Milo Hutchins

I love somewhere to stay that’s a little bit different, and running Get Hastings is very rewarding but is also hard work and stressful at times - so I jumped at the chance to pay a visit to Crafted at Powdermills in Battle. The team behind Crafted describe it as a ‘life-friendly hotel where you can be yourself and fill up on the good stuff’. Deep into the winter months, the good stuff was exactly what I needed so I didn’t take much persuading. 

Joel was my tour guide and he told me of Crafted’s ethos. “It’s not really a spa hotel, we’re about wellness. We want to encourage people into the countryside and to really switch off.” Crafted is set within 70 acres, surrounding a 7 acre lake. A bit of the lake has been sectioned off for cold water swimming. Next to it is a cold plunge pool, a wood-fired hot tub and sauna cabin. The lake also has a jetty, used for paddle boarding and kayaking.

Photos by Euan Baker

Inside, the decor is outstanding, with decadent, glamorous and cosy rooms for chilling (one of them even has a record player and a vinyl collection for guests to put on while they sip their after-dinner brandy). A shared workspace has soundproof booths for business calls and a large entertainment room has a stage where they’ll be putting on live music. When I visited, an outdoor kitchen was being built overlooking the swimming pool: great for summer stays!

Holly Dawes of Wonki Pot (see Winter ‘25/26 issue) has a studio within the woodland, overlooking the lake, where she teaches pottery. I joined her and some pottery novices for a candle-lit lesson in which we made espresso cups using a technique where you hollow out a lump of clay before purposefully hacking chunks from the sides. It was such a calming activity: a small group of people, quietly carving away, candles twinkling, darkness outside other than the moon gently spotlighting the lake. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would return at a later date to collect my pots following their firing.

Photos by Euan Baker

’Local’ is a word used a lot at Crafted. From local artists adorning the walls, to local wines, fish from Hastings and Rye, meat from Beak and Tail and there’s a very down-to-earth pub that Joel tells me has been full of friendly local faces from the get go.

“It’s really important to not just rock up and ostracize the locals” he says “You have to become a part of the community, that’s so important to us and it’s surprising how many businesses forget this.”

When I first visited, two padel courts were being finished and the gym and pilates/yoga studio were in full use. “This machine is as close as you’ll get to rowing on actual water” the gym manager tells me. Now the padel courts are in full use with a regular padel club and tournaments for Crafted members.

Back inside, the hotel’s formal restaurant is light-filled and opulent, with a large central banquette seat and it's one of the few areas where dogs aren’t allowed. Yes, dogs are permitted at Crafted and four-legged hotel guests are welcomed with dog beds, treats, food and open arms to enhance their stay. “Since covid, everyone has a dog” Joel says “and we have to look after them too!”

Photos by Milo Hutchins

In the restaurant, I ate Kingcott Blue (a Kent cheese) fritters served with a walnut dip, followed by hearty cavatelli pasta with cavolo nero and walnuts, all washed down with a Pinot Noir.

After a very restful night aided by a comfy bed, a serene location and my favourite pyjamas, I began the day like a healthy person with a turmeric, ginger, carrot, orange and coriander shot.. I then reverted to my usual self with a cuppa, pastries and jam. Other options included spinach and chard on toast, eggs florentine, a full veggie breakfast, kimchi eggs, trout and of course, a Crafted full breakfast.

It was sauna time. Towels and hats are provided in the sauna cabin and the actual sauna overlooks the lake. It was a very frosty morning but sunny too and egrets and cormorants looking for their breakfast entertained me through the large window while I sat peacefully, my temperature rising. I’ve never sauna-ed so tranquilly. 

There are cold showers outside for when overheating occurs but jumping into the lake is the done thing by all accounts . ‘Jumping into a freezing cold lake? On my own? Not on your nelly!’ I thought. Maybe I would be brave enough to do this when I returned to collect my pot.

I did go back to collect my pot and I returned to the sauna while I was there. This time I had someone with me and I wouldn’t say I exactly leaped into the lake but I did enter it whilst shouting a very rude word. Despite the shock and the swearing, it felt amazing! It was truly exhilarating and I felt so proud to be out of my comfort zone.

They were right, Crafted isn't a spa hotel (although treatments are on offer), it’s much more about wellness. I had filled-up on amazing food and wine, peace, tranquility, sumptuous surroundings, crafts, relaxation, nature and my own thoughts. I felt well… I guess this is the ‘good-stuff’ they were on about.

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Crafted at Powdermills is just a 15 minute drive from Hastings town centre and if you take the train to Battle, they have a vehicle that picks you up.

Membership entitles you to full use of the gym, pool, padel courts, sauna lake and working areas as well as a discount on all food and drink.

Battle station is also an easy journey from London or Brighton.

Check out https://www.staycrafted.com/ for membership details and room bookings

Photo by Milo Hutchins