Cool Place of the Day: The Penthouse, Petworth, West Sussex

Every day, a new place to discover or explore from coolplaces.co.uk

The Penthouse, Petworth, West Sussex

Set on the top two floors of an 18th-century house in the small West Sussex town of Petworth, this self-catering apartment is a unique place to stay in the heart of the South Downs National Park, artfully fashioned from a Victorian photographer's studio and with a beautiful, light-flooded penthouse space at the top of the building. The apartment would be worth staying in alone for its ultra-handy location close to the considerable delights of the National Trust's Petworth House, which is just a few minutes' walk away; and Petworth itself is a really great little market town, surrounded by beautiful countryside and with plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants to keep you occupied whatever the weather. However, the apartment itself is also stunning, with three double bedrooms and a unique vaulted, double-height original studio space which serves as a living area.

The other thing we like about The Penthouse is that the owners run an art gallery, so each room usually has a changing selection of pictures on the wall. We think it's the perfect place to escape to on a Friday evening from London, whether you want to yomp across the Downs (there are loads of nearby walks), just loaf about in Petworth itself – or head down to the nearby coast at Chichester or West Wittering, beyond.

Cool Places is a new website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)