Our facilities

At Chestnut Tree House we have a huge range of facilities to support each child's individual need and help families. Read more below about the different ways we can support you and your child.

Rooms for children, young people and families

There’s six children’s rooms (all named after characters from The Gruffalo) where our team of nurses and healthcare assistants provide individual care for the younger children aged between 0 and 12 years old. Each bedroom is individually decorated to appeal to children and has specialist equipment including hoists.
Our teenage wing has four bedrooms and a communal lounge which have been designed to accommodate the particular needs and lifestyles of the young people we support. This gives them their own space, facilities, identity and independence.
Families are always welcome to stay at the house too giving loved ones the opportunity to rest and relax in the knowledge that their child is being looked after. We have six family bedrooms, all accessible by a lift. They have en-suite facilities and we have a fully adapted shower equipped for disabled use. We also have a family lounge and kitchenette.

Fun facilities

We want to make sure all children have a great time when they stay out the house, and these facilities are available alongside our rota of activities for anyone visiting. The children’s wings include a main lounge where communal fun happens, a computer room – including an Eyegaze (assistive technology that lets the user control a computer with their eyes), music room, soft play area, sensory room, wet and dry play areas.

A sensory room with bright lights and infinity mirrors

Our hydrotherapy pool

Our indoor hydrotherapy pool is open for use by all of our children and young people and their families. The pool is a safe, accessible, and soothing space everyone can enjoy. The warm, bath-like water is kept at around 33°C, helping to relax muscles, ease joints, reduce pain, and make gentle exercise much easier.

We have two fully accessible changing rooms and hoist, making sure that all children are able to get in and out of the pool safely.

A child floats in a hydrotherapy pool wearing a mermaid tail

Stars bereavement suite

Our bereavement suite is called ‘Stars’. Families can use this special, homely space for their child to lie at rest. It provides complete privacy, and has its own dedicated family garden too. Any family can use Stars – their baby, child, or young person doesn’t need to have been cared for by the hospice prior to their death.

Here at the house, we acknowledge when a child has died by placing stars at the entrance and on the door of Stars. Read more about the support we can offer following the death of a child.

A chair set by an open door looking out on a garden

The woodland walk and accessible playground

Chestnut Tree House is situated just outside Arundel and from every window you can look out over beautiful Sussex countryside. Our gardens are maintained by a team of gardeners and volunteers, making sure the grounds are interesting and attractive all year round. The woodland walk is our accessible woodland where all children can enjoy being out in nature in a safe way.

We also have an accessible playground filled with specialist equipment for children of all abilities, including: a trampoline, swings, a slide, and big wooden fort with climbing net, steps and a pole to slide down. For children and young people who use wheelchairs, there’s a wheelchair trampoline and a wheelchair swing meaning no one misses out on outdoor fun.

A new kitchen garden was completed in 2025 and families can enjoy all manner of plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables that are growing there. A sensory garden just nearby offers sights, smells, textures and sounds at an accessible height on wide flat paths.