Itineraries:
Typically English
An itinerary that takes in many aspects of what is 'typically English' - gardens, steam trains, history, pretty villages, stately homes, the seaside, cream teas...
Day one
Visit Pashley Manor Gardens, where you will find 9 acres of gardens dating from the 18th century, in the true English romantic style: water features, a classical temple, a walled rose garden and wonderful herbaceous borders. Stay for a delicious home-made lunch. In the afternoon, take the A268 to Bodiam to visit the fairy-tale 14th century castle, certainly the most often photographed of East Sussex castles, with its moat, its crenellated walls and its idyllic setting.
From April 2000, you will be able to take the Kent & East Sussex Railway from Bodiam: 10 ½ miles of unspoilt English countryside seen from the comfort of an authentic steam train. Alternatively, garden-lovers might like to head towards Northiam to see Great Dixter, the home of gardening-writer Christopher Lloyd. The house is a superb manor-hall restored by the Edwardian architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens. The garden is deservedly famous for its Long Borders of herbacious perennials - and for the Exotic Garden which Christopher Lloyd created recently.
Day two
Spend the morning in the lovely ancient town of Rye, perched on a hill, overlooking the marshes and the sea. Browse in the fascinating antique shops, and enjoy coffee and cakes in one of the many tea-rooms. Rye offers so many attractions: the church with its 'Quarter Boys' that strike the quarter-hours; Mermaid Street with its cobble-stones and the famous Mermaid Inn, haunt of smugglers; the Treasury of Mechanical Music and the Rye Castle Museum; and the superb Rye Town Model in the Tourist Information Centre, with its sound & light show retelling the town's history.
Then on to Battle. At Battle Abbey, step back in time to the dramatic days of the Norman invasion as you take the audio-guided tour of the battlefield. There are promenade concerts here in August, and special activities related to the Battle of Hastings around October 14th. Buckleys Yesterday's World, opposite the Abbey, is a nostalgic exhibition of shops and domestic life covering the period 1850 to 1950, Many thousands of items in authentic settings recreate a sense of how the British used to live. There are plenty of opportunities in Battle or the surrounding countryside to find a 'Sussex cream tea', that quintessentially English institution of scones, jam, cream, delicious cakes and tea.
Day three
The nearby resort of Hastings offers a range of what is typically English. Start your visit with the Hastings Castle, where a video recounts the story of the Norman invasion; and then walk over to the 'Smugglers Adventure' in the caves inside the West Hill. Take the steps, or the funicular railway, down into the Old Town and explore its medieval streets and tiny courtyards or 'twittens'. Fine houses from the 18th and 19th centuries bear witness to the little fishing port's evolution as a seaside resort, once sea-bathing became fashionable. On the Stade you will find fishermen working on their boats which have been pulled up on to the beach. Photographers will be delighted too with the tall, black 'netshops', unique to Hastings, where generations of fishermen have stored their gear and mended their nets. In the same district of Rock-a-Nore, the Fishermen's Museum, the Shipwreck Heritage Museum and Underwater World are all fascinating. When it comes to food and drink, there are pubs at every turn offering a warm welcome, good beer and 'pub grub'; stalls selling all kinds of fresh fish and seafood such as jellied eels; and restaurants offering every level of cuisine - but above all, fish and chips! Finally, to soak in the atmosphere of the English seaside, walk along the 'prom', play bingo, buy a stick of Hastings rock or some candy floss, and go for a paddle in a rock-pool.
A few more suggestions - it just depends where you happen to find yourself:
- Children love Drusilla's Park, Alfriston - claimed to be 'the Best Small Zoo in England'.
- Hartfield, near Crowborough, is the heart of Winnie the Pooh country - the original, AA Milne Pooh, rather than the Disney version.
- Hastings Old Town has the Stade Fun Park - typical seaside amusements for the young at heart.
- Firle Place, near Lewes, is a magnificent 16th century stately home at the foot of the South Downs. It houses an important collection of Old Masters, fine French and English furniture, and some notable Sèvres porcelain.
- Not far away at Wilmington, the Long Man of Wilmington is a huge figure (perhaps Saxon, perhaps pre-historic) carved into the turf of the South Downs.
- Michelham Priory, near Hailsham, started as an Augustinian Priory, and evolved into a fine country house with England's longest medieval moat. Lots to see and do.
- Batemans, at Burwash, is another medieval manor-house, famous for its association with the poet and novelist Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book.
- As you drive through the superb scenery of 1066 Country, look out for 'oast houses', the picturesque farm-buildings with their white-painted conical chimneys, in which local farmers dried the hops which were grown all over this area until a generation ago. Many have now been converted into very desirable country homes.
- Throughout the summer you will see signs saying 'Pick Your Own' - an invitation to save money while you enjoy yourself picking strawberries, raspberries, apples, plums or whatever delicious Sussex fruit is in season.
