The Story of East View — And How The Quiet Acre Fits In

Where It All Began

East View Riding Centre didn’t start as a business.
It started as a way of life.

Back in 1974, on a working fruit farm in Chelwood Gate, there were just a handful of horses. Friends and neighbours would come by, ask for a ride, and head out across the surrounding countryside. Nothing formal. Nothing planned. Just people, horses, and open land.

But something about it stuck.

Word spread. More people came. What began as a simple hobby quietly grew into something much bigger — a place people returned to again and again, not just to ride, but to feel part of something.

Over time, East View became what it is today: a family-run yard, now into its third generation, built on a shared love of horses and the outdoors.

A Place People Keep Coming Back To

Set on the edge of the Ashdown Forest, East View has always been about more than riding.

Yes, people come for the hacks — the wide open views, the forest tracks, the feeling of being out properly in nature. But what keeps them coming back is something harder to describe.

It’s the atmosphere.
The familiarity.
The sense that this place hasn’t lost what made it special in the first place.

From those early days on the farm to now welcoming riders of all levels, the core idea hasn’t changed: keep it simple, keep it real, and let the land do the rest.

Evolving With the Times

But no place stands still forever.

Like many rural businesses, East View has had to adapt — not by losing its identity, but by building on it. The world has changed. People are busier, more connected, and often further removed from nature than ever before.

And that’s where the next chapter begins.

The Quiet Acre — A Natural Next Step

The Quiet Acre isn’t a departure from East View.
It’s a continuation of the same story.

For years, people have come here for a few hours at a time — to ride, to escape, to breathe a bit. And almost without fail, they say the same thing:

“I wish I could stay longer.”

The Quiet Acre exists because of that.

It’s about opening the gate a little wider — giving people the chance to experience not just the ride, but the full rhythm of life here. Slower mornings. Evenings by the fire. Time to explore the woodland, watch the horses, and settle into the landscape rather than pass through it.

More Than Just Diversification

in practical terms, The Quiet Acre is about diversifying income.
That’s the reality of running a modern rural business.

But that’s not the whole story.

This is about making better use of what’s already here — the land, the atmosphere, the quiet moments that riders only get a glimpse of. It’s about creating something sustainable that supports the future of East View while staying true to what it has always been.

Not overdeveloped. Not overcomplicated.
Just thoughtfully expanded.

A Shared Experience

The same things that built East View are what shape The Quiet Acre:

• A connection to animals
• A respect for the land
• A belief that time outdoors matters

Guests don’t just stay here — they become part of the setting, even if only for a short while. Waking up alongside horses. Walking through woodland. Letting the day unfold without needing to fill it.

Looking Forward

East View has always grown in a natural way — from a few horses on a farm to a place known and loved by many.

The Quiet Acre is simply the next step in that journey.

Not a reinvention.
Not a change of direction.

Just a way of sharing more of what’s always been here.

From 1974 to now — it’s still the same idea at heart.
Horses. Land. People. And a place to step away from everything else.