
My husband was taken here two weeks ago. Amazing care has been provided to him as well as meSue B(Wife of Resident/Service User)

Thank you one and all for taking such fantastic care of my husband. I love you all.Caroline C(Wife of Resident/Service User)


My husband was taken here two weeks ago. Amazing care has been provided to him as well as meSue B(Wife of Resident/Service User)

Thank you one and all for taking such fantastic care of my husband. I love you all.Caroline C(Wife of Resident/Service User)


With its own extensive grounds, Dudwell St Mary is conveniently situated on the outskirts of Burwash Village, East Sussex, a very short distance from both Etchingham and Heathfield, 15 miles from Tunbridge Wells, 16 miles from Hastings and 19 miles from Eastbourne.
Dudwell St Mary is a stunning home based on the site of a former convent, with historic character and beautiful features and is tastefully decorated.
They provide first-class care...
Care Provided by Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home
Primary Care Categories
- Older Person Care
- Dementia
- Visual / Hearing Impairment
Length of Stay
- Permanent Care
- Respite Care
Care Types Provided
- Residential Care
- Nursing Care
- Dementia Residential Care
- Dementia Nursing Care
- For a maximum of 65 Service Users
Dementia Care TypesMild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
Mild Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "mild dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Memory problems such as misplacing items and not be able to recall recent events (however, in some forms of dementia a person's memory may be unchanged)
- Difficulties thinking through problems and planning, making decisions
- Language and communication issues such as finding it difficult to recall the appropriate word in a conversation or following a conversation
- Poor orientation, getting lost in areas previously familiar to them
- Difficulty judging distances (more falls than usual)
- Changes in their normal mood including anxiety and depression
- In certain types of dementia, personality and behaviour changes may be present alongside or instead of issues with memory or concentration.
Moderate Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "moderate dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Worsened memory problems. Not always recognising own family members and friends. Repeating the same questions over and over again
- Worsened language and communication issues, forgetting what they are saying mid-sentence. Not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- More frequent confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Advanced Dementia
Someone living with our definition of "severe dementia" might experience some or all of the following:
- Severe memory problems. Not recognising family members and friends. Not being able to recall their own name
- Severe language and communication issues, not being able to understand what someone else is saying
- Severe confusion, e.g. about the time of day or where they are, including their own home
- Apathy, depression and anxiety
- Believing things that aren't true (paranoia)
- Frequent hallucinations
- Lack of emotional control, quick to anger, fearfulness, sadness
- Loss of inhibition
- Difficulties sleeping or waking during the night and behaving as though it is daytime - loss of circadian rhythm.
Verbally or physically aggressive behaviour
If your loved one displays this type of behaviour you may need a care home that has specially trained staff. Verbal/physical aggression is often defined:
- Consistent shouting and screaming
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
How we define Dementia Care Types
- Mild Dementia
- Moderate Dementia
- Advanced/Complex Dementia
Other Care Provided
- Stroke
- Palliative / End of Life Care
- COPD/Pulmonary Disease
- Convalescent Care
Facilities
- Own Furniture if required
- Pet Friendly (or by arrangement)
- Smoking not permitted
- Close to Local shops
- Near Public Transport
- Minibus or other transport
- Lift
- Wheelchair Access
- Gardens
- Residents Kitchenette
- Phone Point in own room
- Television point in own room
- Residents Internet Access
Funding & Fees
Weekly Charges per Person
This Weekly Fee rate is an indication only of a typical standard fee rate for a resident living in a standard, comfortable room. A final Weekly Fee rate will be confirmed once we have carried out a pre-admission needs assessment. For nursing care, Weekly Fee rate will be dependent on personal needs.
The price(s) shown are provided by the care home. Contact Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home for full pricing details and T&Cs.
Contact Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home to confirm what's included and get a personalised quote:
Funding Types Accepted
- Self-Funding (Private)
- Local Authority with Top-up
- Local Authority
- NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC)
Good to Know
Group / Owner
- Barchester Healthcare Ltd
- Private Owned
Person in charge
- Anthony Butler (Senior General Manager)
Local Authority / Social Services
Admission Information
- Mixed with both male-only and female-only unit(s)
- Ages 65+
Care Home Design/Build
- Purpose Built: Yes
- Last Refurbishment: 2022
- Number of floors: 3
Room Information
- Single Rooms (61)
- Couples/Companion Rooms (2)
- Single Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (43)
- Couples/Companion Rooms with ensuite Wet Room (2)
Visiting
- Dudwell St Mary is situated in the heart of 'Kipling' country with large extensive grounds that overlook the Dudwell river valley. Why not arrange a visit to see for yourself, guests are always welcome to visit and to join residents for lunch. The home is situated just one mile from Etchingham station
Parking
- Dudwell St Mary Care Home have own on site parking facilities.
Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home Reviews (126)
Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home has a Review Score of 9.7 (9.702) out of 10, based on 18 reviews in the last 2 years.
Over all time Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home has 126 reviews.
We left feeling very happy that our dear friend was happy and being so well looked after.
We are so grateful to you for your feedback as it is so important to us. You are always welcome and cannot wait to see you the next time.
The staff are very pleasant. They are professional, respectful, kind, and patient. The food is excellent freshly prepared and nutritious. Standards in the home are very high.
Thank you for your wonderful review. We love getting to know you and your husband and are astounded by how well he is doing and is a firm favorite amongst all the community with his peers. It is truly wonderful to see how he enjoys all activities and engages well with everyone around him. Thank you so much for becoming a part of our lives.
My father had excellent palliative care the staff were very patient with his fussy ways and accommodating and always kept me up to date. I don’t however feel the doctor from local surgery made enough visits and was dismissive.
Thank you for your review. I will ensure that your comments regarding the surgery are fed back to the practice manager. We were very privileged to look after your father and will miss you all greatly. Do pop in to see us anytime.
Dudwell St Mary has a very nice ambience, great location, the staff are lovely, smiles abound and yet, in our case the care just was not there. Our family group has considerable experience of care and nursing, and a relative recently in other local care home, so our expectations were very realistic.
My mother, very elderly and with dementia, went there from care at home. It was initially to be four weeks respite, with the intention that it would become long-term. In the event, we brought her home after one week. There was a catalogue of failings, they were recognised by senior staff at the time, apologised for, but nothing seemed to get better. Effective communication between staff seemed to be almost entirely missing.
Thank you for this review. We are sorry to read this feedback so long after your mothers stay. I do agree there were areas of improvement taken and found during her stay and as promised and as discussed the clinical team worked with the care team to resolve the difficulties that were found. Sadly...
Every single person on the team at Dudwell St Mary was outstandingly caring, from our first day onwards. We couldn’t have asked for more. The team really cared for my father, giving him all the care, attention and support that both he and we needed. I couldn’t recommend the team and facility more highly for those in need of the care that Dudwell St Mary offers.
We were so humbled at being chosen to look after dad at this time and loved getting to know every single one of you. We will miss him greatly and hope you feel you can all pop in for a coffee in the future. Thank you for your kind words which I will pass on to all the team.
We took great comfort in knowing that Mum was being taken care of so beautifully.
Thank you so much for your kind review. We were privileged to have gotten to know you all, and we will miss spending time with her. You are always welcome for coffee and cake and thank you once again for choosing us at Dudwell St Mary.
Mum needed respite care at short notice, and the management couldn’t have been more helpful at a time of considerable familial stress. On admission, the staff executed their process with considerable care and attention to detail, and we left the home very assured about Mum’s safety and comfort. Throughout her 11-day stay, she was kept comfortable in high-quality surroundings. But most striking was the quality of the staff. Nursing, care, support, estates, admin: everyone we met went out of their way to make Mum’s stay as comfortable as possible, which allowed the family to make the necessary arrangements at home free from worry. It’s invidious to single out staff members for particular praise each was superb. Those who between us we can recall include, excellent senior management; The gentleman in estates; nurses and the lady in care/support and everyone else who made this respite stay so successful.
We would like to thank you for your kind words and also for choosing us to support mum. It was wonderful getting to know you and hope you pop by to see us for a coffee sometime. Best wishes.
Communication with the family is excellent and the experience has been positive for all.
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I shall ensure that I pass this review on to the team. We are so pleased that we gave you such a positive stay with us.
Her needs were complex however the staff made huge efforts to understand her care needs and give her the most comfortable, dignified end.
Not only was Mum cared for but the staff cared for us too. Nothing was too much trouble. Having a comfortable place to sit, drink tea and discuss care needs was so important after being in an open hospital ward for two weeks. The clinical lead was exceptional, understanding our family's needs for information and providing it in a clear and considered way.
The clinical lead and the whole Dudwell St Mary team are the best and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
Dear Johnathan, thank you so much for your kind words of which I will share with the team. We were only too pleased to support Mum with her wishes and feel honoured and privileged to have been chosen to do so and to look after her and you all. Our deepest condolences and love we send at this time.
From my first phone call to her sad death, everyone was so kind, helpful and could not do enough for my family.
This really is a special place, on the top of the ridge in Burwash.
Thank you to all the staff - you made a difficult time easier.
Dearest Kate, We were very honoured to be able to look after mum and feel very treasured to have had gotten to know you and your dad in this short time. Always here and pop by anytime.
Visited today to see a client I used to care for! The home is very warm and welcoming, staff are always available to help and guide you to where you need to go, refreshments offered and the offer of sitting in a lounge instead of their bedroom, which we took the offer of and was pleasantly surprised with how comfy and homely the area was. To see my ex-client happy and smiling was lovely to see.
Hi Sharon, thank you so much for your warm and kind review and we so loved you visiting us. We can't wait for you to visit again soon.
The nursing and care teams looked after my mum at Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home for several months. She received genuinely excellent care which I witnessed on many occasions at first-hand. It was refreshing to see such kindness shown to someone, my mum, who could be difficult (she had advanced dementia) and I know Mum grew to be very comfortable in this environment. I could not have wished for more.
Thank you for your lovely feedback of which I have shared with the team. It was a real privilege to look after your mum and for us to be chosen to be her care team. We will miss her greatly.
She was seen and treated as an individual. Mangement scores relate to an incident specifically.
Thank you for your lovely words; we are apologetic in regard to management that has now changed at the home. Our senior manager would be happy to discuss any outstanding concerns if the resolution had not been provided by the previous management at the home.
I am extremely grateful to all the staff on Memory Lane for taking good care of my husband but also communicating with me. The activities staff are fantastic and pay close attention to detail when responding to the needs of an individual. They show kindness and humour which is so important to me.
Thank you so much for everything you do, all your hard work and for enabling me to know that my husband is safe in your hands.
Dear Alison, thank you so much for your very kind words, we appreciate how important peace of mind is when it comes to the care for a loved one and if we have made you feel this way then we are doing our job right. However, this is more than just doing the job right, it's about your loved one...
My husband was transferred from the hospital to Dudwell St Mary and was there for the last four weeks of his life. I was kept informed of his condition at all times and the care and attention he received from all the staff were exemplary. I cannot praise them enough and I thank them sincerely.
Thank you so much for your review, we are pleased that your mother is being well looked after at the home and I will ensure that the care staff are aware of your kind comments. I have also taken on board your comments about laundry and we are working hard to resolve these issues, although the...
Very caring staff, friendly atmosphere. Stimulating environment, beautiful surroundings. Well furnished and comfortable room.
Thank you for the very kind review, the team are so pleased that you have found your experience of the home to be positive and I can assure you that we will continue to provide the highest possible care to you and your loved one.
I am so impressed with Dudwell St Mary Care Home and am delighted to know my aunt is getting the best care. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a care home for their family member; the team are very caring.
I endeavour to provide a home away from home and the highest possible care standards and knowing that you as a family member are happy makes us equally happy.
Our Dad initially moved into Dudwell St Mary for a period of respite after a traumatic six months of ill health and prolonged hospital treatment. After his respite time came to an end he decided to become a permanent resident. As a family, we cannot fault the excellent care that our Dad is receiving. He often remarks on how happy and settled he feels and he certainly looks better than he has for a long time. Nothing is too much trouble for the Dudwell’s staff and we couldn’t have found a nicer place for our Dad to live.
Thank you so much for the very kind words, my staff and I find it very gratifying to receive feedback from residents and their loved ones and to know that what we are doing makes such a difference. What makes our job so easy is having wonderful residents who are a pleasure to look after and your...
My mum recently has a hip replacement and needed aftercare, the home could not have done enough for her. Although we could not visit due to covid, through our calls we were delighted to hear from her about how wonderful the home was and she was very happy. The respite gave her confidence when she needed to go home. Thank you to all the staff you have been amazing.
Thank you so much for your review and very kind words. We are so pleased that we were able to provide you with the package of care that ideally met your needs and that your experience of the home is so positive. We aim to provide a comprehensive service that is bespoke to the needs of each...
My husband has had two respite stays at Dudwell St Marys, one of one week and one of two weeks. I have had other experiences of care homes with my parents and Dudwell St Marys far exceeds those. All of the staff are friendly, caring and efficient. The standard of care is excellent and the facilities are also excellent. My husband enjoyed his stays, bearing in mind that he was reluctant before he was admitted. I would have no hesitation in using Dudwell St Marys again.
Regulatory Rating
Care Quality Commission (CQC) Rating
Date: 28 September 2018Good
- CaringGood
- EffectiveGood
- ResponsiveGood
- SafeGood
- Well-ledGood
Inspection ratings
We rate most services according to how safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led they are, using four levels:
- Outstanding - The service is performing exceptionally well.
- Good - The service is performing well and meeting our expectations.
- Requires Improvement - The service isn't performing as well as it should and we have told the service how it must improve.
- Inadequate - The service is performing badly and we've taken action against the person or organisation that runs it.
- Not rated - we have not yet rated this area of the service, this is normally because the assessments we have carried out have been focused on other key questions.
Bed Vacancies
Please contact us for latest vacancies.
News (26) & Events (1)
- 17 Jul 2026
Our Employee of the month for June is … our amazing Chef Jon Jon received many nominations from staff, residents and relatives Jon received so many heart warming comments about...
- 17 Jul 2026
We were delighted to be supporting our amazing Managing directors Michelle and Duncan in raising money for our Barchester charitable foundation Michelle and Duncan where involved in the Cook off,...
- 17 Jul 2026
We had the pleasure in welcoming Zoie for her weeks work experience at Dudwell St Marys Zoie is currently studying at Bexhill academy, Zoie had really lovely feedback about her...
- 07 Sep 2026Organiser: Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home
Awards / Recognitions (60)
- 11 Aug 2026Recipient: Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home
- 09 Jun 2026Recipient: Barchester Healthcare Ltd
- 09 Jun 2026Recipient: Barchester Healthcare Ltd
Accreditations
There are no accreditations posted yet for Barchester Dudwell St Mary Care Home.
Meet the Team (11)

Hi. My name is Anthony Butler, and I am the General Manager at Dudwell St Mary.
I have been working for Barchester Healthcare since 2011. I started my journey as a Carer at Dudwell St Mary's all those years ago. I progressed to become a South Operational Trainer for the Company, and in the following years, I completed my Level 5 management training.
In 2024, I was promoted as the new General Manager at our sister home, Lydfords, and now it is wonderful to do a full circle, and I am back here within the Dudwell family as the now current GM.
I am dedicated to supporting our staff to deliver excellent person-centred care to all our residents and families.

When people ask me what I do, I often smile before answering.
Yes, my job title is Clinical Deputy General Manager, but what I really do is help people — residents, families, and colleagues — navigate some of the most important moments in their lives.
I started my career as a nurse at the National Health Service for 15 years, driven by a passion for patient care and a belief that healthcare should be as much about kindness as it is about clinical excellence. Over the years, my desire to work with elderly people I realised that leadership roles gave me the chance to influence not just one resident’s journey, but the systems and teams that care for hundreds every day.
Becoming a Clinical Deputy General Manager was a natural step — it allowed me to combine my clinical expertise with strategic leadership, ensuring that our services are safe, effective, and truly patient-centred.
The role can be demanding, balancing operational pressures with the need to maintain high-quality, compassionate care is not easy, but the rewards are immense, seeing the resident journey, being supportive, watching a team member grow in confidence, or implementing a change that improves safety for everyone.
Healthcare is evolving rapidly, and so is the role of a Clinical Deputy General Manager. From digital transformation to new models of care, there’s never been a more exciting — or important — time to lead.
For me, it’s not just a job. It’s a privilege to be part of a team at Barchester that makes a real difference every single day and also providing a premium caring experience, which is delivered by our team to those we care for.

I have worked at Dudwell St Mary for 20 years in my role as Administrator, and in that time I have seen Dudwell change and grow.
My role involves working with both staff and residents and is very busy and varied, but I really enjoy being in the Reception, meeting and greeting both Residents and their families. I enjoy my job very much, and I am lucky to work with a really good bunch of people.
I work part-time, which enables me to spend time with my lovely family and indulge in my love of horses and dogs and anything to do with the great outdoors.

Hi, my name is Caroline, and I joined the team here at Dudwell in February 2011. My role as Administrator involves managing payroll, accounts and HR, in addition to the financial and business systems in the home, working closely with the General Manager.
I enjoy meeting residents, old and new, along with their loved ones, and building these relationships.
I am supported by two members of the admin team to ensure that we deliver a high standard of work.

Soraia is our wonderful Unit Manager Nurse for our St Mary's nursing unit. Soraia has been with Dudwell for approx. 10 years now, and is a well-respected member of our team. She does a fantastic job with the staff rota, care planning and is a great support role/mentor to our RGNs. Soraia is passionate about all aspects of elderly nursing care, and we are grateful to have her working with our team as she brings compassionate care to the forefront.

My name is Jamie Butler, and I am a Care Practitioner here at Dudwell St Mary's with nearly 15 years of dedicated service. I began my career as a Care Assistant, progressing through the roles of senior carer and care practitioner, and I am currently undertaking training to become an Advanced Care Practitioner. My passion for providing high-quality, person-centred care and my commitment to continuous learning have been at the heart of my career journey.
I take great pride in supporting residents and their families, building meaningful relationships, and helping to create a caring and compassionate environment.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my lovely husband and our four beautiful children, who keep me busy and make my days off truly special.

My name is Augustine, and I am a Senior Care Assistant and Speak Up Champion at Dudwell St Mary.
I have been working in the care industry for 3 years. I absolutely love my role, and I find fulfilment in caring for and assisting the residents.
Since working at Dudwell St Mary, I have received a great amount of training and support. As a Speak Up Champion, I can support residents and colleagues to speak up on areas of concern and need for improvement within Dudwell St Mary.

My Name is Linda, and I am one of the Activities Co-ordinators at Dudwell St. Mary care home.
I joined Dudwell St Mary in April 2008 as a Housekeeping Assistant and later became the Head of Housekeeping. In 2018, I became an activities coordinator, where I brought lots of new and exciting ideas to the role.
I am passionate about my role within the home and aim to bring a smile to all our residents’ faces through different types of activities. My personality is bright and bubbly, so I aim to share this each day at work.
As I gather the resident's likes and dislikes, if you would like to come and chat with me about your family member, please contact the home to arrange.

Hello, my name is David, I am the Head of Maintenance at Dudwell St Mary. This role is varied and challenging to keep the home environment to the highest standard possible and to ensure that both residents and staff can enjoy their surroundings safely. I started this role in July 2020 after working as the maintenance manager of a holiday park for six years. When I was made redundant, I decided to pursue a more rewarding career in the care home sector, and I am very happy I did! Previously to this, I have been self-employed as a handyman, and I am a fully qualified electrician.

Hi, my name is Nicky, and my role at Dudwell St Mary is Admin Assistant. I have worked for Barchester for 3 years and enjoy every day here. When I’m not at work, I’m a mum to a teenager and enjoy family time. I’m a big animal lover, and I also have dogs and cats in my family. Next year I’m getting married, so that is taking up a lot of my spare time with planning.

Hi, I have worked for Barchester and Dudwell St Mary since 2018. I started as a Housekeeper and am now Head of Housekeeping. My role includes keeping the home safe and clean for everyone. I really enjoy my role as every day is different. I take time to get to know the residents and also their lives before they lived with us. I worked as a carer in the community for 13 years, so I understand all elements of the role.
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