Long Man of Wilmington - Sussex

Last day on the South Downs so it was back to a proper walk... after all, we still had one pub in Alfriston that we hadn't visited!
Superb weather, warmest of the whole week & not a breath of wind; just a case of waiting for the early morning mist to burn off. Strangely, when we returned to Norman's Bay at the end of the day, an eerie blanket of low cloud & strange light had crept over the site - one of our neighbours had spent the day in Hastings & told us it had settled there at lunchtime
Obviously, the Downs were the place to be!

Parked the van on Combe Hill above Willingdon & here's Les striding out along the '1066 Trail',  link path & alternative South Downs Way route
Straight up the hills opposite on to Lullington Heath

'The Eight Bells' at Jevington: friendly, welcoming, open early & good beer! Had a pint of Adnam's 'Broadside' - a fair distance from its Suffolk home! Interesting pictures on display feature National Hunt racing at nearby Plumpton & the intriguing local 'Terrier' racing but the most fascinating was a framed newspaper story from 1925 reporting that the landlady had been fined £5 for serving 'After Hours' drinks on Christmas Eve!

Unusual 'Tapsell Gate' at the entrance to Jevington's St. Andrews churchyard - it swings, & closes, in either direction on a central pivot. Easily negotiable by coffin-bearers & it provided a surface on which to rest their load
Invented by a local man, there are half a dozen to be found in Sussex but few anywhere else

Left: St Andrews Church, Jevington
Right: Church of St Michael, the Archangel in Litlington
Its main claim to fame is as the secret wedding venue of the Prince Regent in 1786: he was later to become George IV. He married a local woman, Mrs Maria Fitzherbert but later abandoned her for the Princess of Brunswick!

Wonderful walk across Lullington Heath to the Cuckmere Valley - Alfriston in the dip & Bostal Hill, focus of Sunday's walk, rising beyond the river

Half way through the walk & here we were in Alfriston again!
Millennium village sign is a lovely 'potted' history: on one side 'the Cathedral of the Downs', the Clergy House, the famous white footbridge & a nod to the rope-making industry; on the other the Market Cross, Flint Tower, smuggling, the Red Lion figurehead & a reference to the village's use as a military base during the Napoleonic Wars

'The Star Inn', Alfriston & now we'd collected all 3 hostelries! A pub since the early 16th century decorated with all kinds of fascinating characters

There was originally a religious hostel on this site: built in 1345, it was used by monks and pilgrims on their way between Battle Abbey & Chichester Cathedral & that probably explains 2 of the 3 figures above!
It is alleged that the red lion is the figurehead from a warship sunk off Beachy Head in 1690 whilst I also heard it was from a galleon plundered by wreckers! Some claim it to be authentic... I think I'd go with replica!

Still....a village with 3 excellent pubs..... now that really is unusual! In my experience, unique!

Bostal Hill again: this time leaving Alfriston & on our way to the 'Long Man'!

Barman at 'The Star' was a young Spaniard - a keen walker. He wanted to know where we'd come from, where we were going & when we told him he was quite envious! He described his favourite route & its attractions - I was just pleased that was our planned way back!

Tough decision!

The high route was shorter & quicker but what would be the point of looking at the 'Long Man' upside down?
We picked up the Wealdway & wound our way around Wilmington Hill on the fringe between farmland & Downs

Highlight of the Day: The Long Man of Wilmington!
Almost impossible to photograph from ground level yet its proportions are such that, apparently, it only looks 'right' from here!


Generally accepted that the carving dates from the 16th century though there are several respected academics who insist it is much older, possibly even Neolithic
227' tall, this is a hugely impressive site &, in a strange way, I'm glad we left this until last!

A last look back before we rounded Wilmington Hill, headed down through trees & began the long trudge back up to the summit of a perfectly still & sun-drenched Combe Hill
Watched a young man flying a hawk whilst explaining to a couple of passers-by that the bird was struggling to find any moving air & that's why it kept coming down & sitting on fence-posts!
Away to the south we could see the huge lump of cloud sitting on the coast & our campsite.... oh well!

Beer of the Day: rather fine bottle of 'Green Daemon' from Newnham's Hopdaemon Brewery (Kent). Wasn't too sure when I chose this as the label declares it to be a 'Helles' beer & I thought it might lack a bit of flavour. Sharp & refreshing, its 5% gives it enough body to make me think I'll look for this again!

DVD Update: watched 'Marnie' last night & it's 'Shadow of Doubt' tonight... then it might be time to have a bit of a rest from Hitchcock!

Back to the 'Additional Photos & Comments' Page tomorrow!

Michelham Priory - Sussex

Damp, dismal start to the day with low cloud sitting over everything! Forecast to clear this afternoon so there was no point rushing up hills this morning & we whiled away a few hours showering leisurely, reading & fiddling with photos!

With lunchtime approaching & something like a plan hatched for the afternoon we drove out to the village of Upper Dicker & 'The Plough'

Excellent lunch! Les not particularly hungry (lazy morning!) & settled for a jacket potato but I waded through a baked camembert followed by lamb shank - must admit I didn't feel like walking too far afterwards!

Beer of the Day: 'Kent's Best Invicta Ale' - a Shepherd Neame ale I hadn't tried before; reddish in colour, bitter but slightly maltier than I usually like. Liked this, though - very drinkable!

Michelham Priory - Augustinian Priory founded in 1229

Had vaguely intended to walk out to Michelham on Sunday before Asda, height-barriers & a couple of especially fine pubs waylaid us! Reputed to be one of the most haunted buildings in Sussex though I was more attracted by its moat, the largest in Europe & created by diverting the Cuckmere, & also the promised sculpture-trail around its extensive gardens

Discovered that on its return to the river water from the moat powers a 15th century working flour mill: there's also a working forge & a ropeworks museum off one of the courtyards... fascinating stuff!

Highlight of the Day: the sculpture-trail! Mostly a collection of works by local artists, designed to fit into the landscape &, naturally, for sale! One or two unexpected oddities en route, though....

Left:     

'Waiting' by Graeme Lougher
Right:
a young lady whose dishevelled dress suggests she's beyond the waiting stage!

Found her in the Kitchen Garden - she's not part of the 'trail'

Then there's the Augustinian theme

.... and then the ones that make you think a bit

 

'Temary Pass' by Teresa Martin
At least that's what the label says: lots of her work on her website, including other items exhibited here... but not this one!

'Holly Being' by Maria Albiez

Born & brought up in Germany: many of her recent pieces, like this, have been created from driftwood washed up on the Sussex coast

'Splitoak' - another piece by Maria Albiez
Particularly liked the 'Green Man' feel to this:  one of my favourites!

'Eye' by W.R.Lazard

William Lazard proved to be quite a tricky character to track down & I was surprised to find that his work includes the 2 monks photographed above
A retired teacher.... & much more!

Then there are the 'fun' ones.....

'Owlet with Feet' & (below)  '3 Owlets with no Feet', both by Abby Martin

From what I've seen these don't seem to be particularly typical of her work but it was good fun searching for these tucked away amongst the trees!

'Pigs' by Danny Manning

Based just down the road in Eastbourne, Manning creates lots of pieces from recycled materials

.... & not sure if this is part of the sculpture trail or not, but I like it!

Cloister Garden at Michelham Priory

Good day out in spite of the early weather & Les was impressed 'cos we didn't need to cook later - now that really is like being on holiday!

DVD Update: watched 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' - really rattling through these Hitchcock films!

Alfriston (2) - Sussex

Another lazy day.... in fact, probably even lazier than yesterday! A bit of early morning shopping at Asda, or at least as early as is possible on a Sunday, & then we headed back to the Cuckmere Valley with the only definite aim being to visit the 2nd of Alfriston's 3 pubs

Decided to park at Arlington Reservoir, climb Bostal Hill to the South Downs Way & then, after what looked like being a good ridge walk & a couple of pints, we'd have a nice, gentle, flat return to the van

Thwarted by a height-restriction barrier at the reservoir we ended up at the popular Bo-Peep car-park (named after the nearby farm) on top of Bostal Hill. Poor planning! It meant we'd have to walk all the way back up here at the end of the afternoon.... & after lunch!

Bostal Hill's 'Bo-Peep' car park &, if you look carefully you'll see the van, full of energy after his day off!

Exciting drive up through the steep & narrow S-bends - the hill is used by skate-boarders who hurtled merrily around potholes, waving as they passed! These, though, were mostly not young kids & I suspect many of the cars pulled on to the verges & packed into the corners belonged to them. Happy & friendly, I guess the cars, vans & farm traffic just add to their fun!

Walkers, runners, joggers, cyclists, horse-riders &...... sheep!

Incredibly busy up here but wonderful views
Conversation turned, again, to whether we should plan to walk the whole of the South Downs Way - if I check up on recently past notes & photos I think I'll find we've already covered most of it!

Alfriston in the valley with Windover Hill rising behind
Could have set off earlier, ignored Asda & included this in the walk!
Not today, but I think we'll squeeze it in before we head for home - there's a rather special chalk hill-carving just around the corner!

'The George' - oldest of Alfriston's 3 pubs, it was first licensed in 1397!

Another smugglers' haunt & originally the 'George & Dragon', it was rebuilt after a fire in 1943

Lovely building, attractive walled-garden, welcoming staff & very good beer

Impressive week for pubs & beer.... so far!

Alfriston's Market Cross with Thursday's Cream Tea pub, weather-boarded to its left - its old 'Market Cross Inn' sign still hangs outside, along with the 'Smugglers' name!

Highlight of the Day: but only after a little research! Intrigued by this wayside crucifix above Alfriston which bears the inscription 'God so Loved the World', erected by Alice S. Gregory, 28th April 1919; I discovered that she was awarded the CBE in 1929 for founding a maternity hospital & for her work in the training of midwives
Builders clearing the land for her new home unearthed a Saxon burial ground & 120 graves on the site & this memorial has stood here ever since
Fine lady!

Beautifully rolling farmland between Alfriston & Berwick village

Another superb village pub in Berwick & I couldn't resist when I saw the 'Harveys of Lewes' sign.... a brewery to reckon with! Attractive sunny gardens at both front & back, friendly & smiling bar staff, open & serving food all day,

Beer of the Day: 'Southdown Harvest Ale'- a seasonal special from Harveys: 5%, golden, hoppy & sharp.... very good!

Almost ready for the steep, grassy zig-zags up the side of Bostal Hill but our homeward route took us through the tiny village of Alciston, past the impressive 14th century dovecote from the monastery which once stood here & close to the well-publicised 'Rose Cottage Inn'. Couldn't resist a quick visit before our climb.... but what a difference!

Entered their shadowy paved courtyard at approximately 3.25 to be met by a barman coming out; he held up his hand & declared, "We're closed!"
I turned to Les & told her, "They're just closing" - not that we were really too bothered
He replied, "No! We closed half an hour ago & I'm just waiting for everybody to go home!"
Abrupt & rude, he was also turning away 2 young couples who were looking for somewhere to eat. I directed them to the 'Cricketers' & pondered the £80-£100 business he had just turned away. Their website boasts that this 'traditional... celebrated. .... Country pub has been in the same family for over 40 years' - perhaps it's time for a change!

DVD Update: managed to watch the end of 'Family Plot' & the whole of  'Frenzy'!

Pevensey - Sussex

One of Les' complaints (complaints??!!) over many years of camping, renting cottages & general holidaying has been that we never seem to spend much time exploring the area immediately around wherever we're staying. Sorted that today!

Left the van happily parked at our Norman's Bay site (more on that in a moment!) & walked along the shingle beach to Pevensey Bay, across the Levels to Pevensey & its castle & then took a quiet lane out to 'The Star Inn' before pebble-scrunching our way home to complete the loop

Barbecue in glorious late-afternoon sunshine, fine bottle of red & a good DVD - just like being on holiday!

Norman's Bay beach, close to our van

Highlight of the Day: fixing an electrical problem with the van that we didn't know existed but has, apparently, been troubling it since the start of LeJog..... without recourse to experts, simply by reading all the small print in the Owner's Manual!

The problem came to light when all the lights went out, last night, while we were watching a DVD (more on that in a moment!). To cut a saga to a soundbite, it transpires that the Leisure battery hadn't been charging since the 'hook-up' icon disappeared from our Control Panel.... some time in May. Fuses replaced, buttons pushed & problem addressed, we left the poor van to recuperate (re-charging its battery!) whilst we went a-strolling!

On DVDs: given the vagaries of TV reception we decided to bring a box-set of old Hitchcock films to keep us amused. Having watched 'Rear Window' on Wednesday & 'The Birds' on Thursday it was ironic that things should conk out close to the end of 'Family Plot', the only one so far that we haven't seen before!

No van = no driving &, thus, the opportunity to visit a few local hostelries

Started at 'The Moorings', Pevensey Bay - also known as 'The Pub on the Beach', which is where I was sitting when I took this photo
Sheltered here many years ago on the 'Coastals' walk: shutters were rattling, rain was hammering on the roof & they served me an excellent pint.... only the time & the weather have changed!

Beer of the Day: 'Sussex Best Bitter' from Harvey's Brewery in Lewes; had this in a couple of pubs now & it's well worth trying. Light brown & looks heavier than it tastes. Brewery founded in 1790.... so they should know what they're doing!

Almost mown down by 2 teenage-girl cyclists as they dived off the A259 at Pevensey Bay... we'd been too quick for them, so they tried again at the entrance to Pevensey Castle! Most apologetic on both occasions, I'm not sure they found it as funny as we did but they finally managed a smile when we stopped for them (again!) so they could take photos of each other in front of the castle!

Amazingly, the outer walls at Pevensey were built by the Romans in the 4th century - the best-preserved remains anywhere in Britain
Much of the inner castle was the first to be built by the Normans when they arrived & secured their position in 1066. This may look like just any other castle.....

Elizabethan cannon supported on a not-so-ancient carriage! Elizabeth I ordered the demolition of the old castle but she was ignored! The most recent additions are World War II pill-boxes & gun emplacements disguised to look like part of the ancient stonework!

When I spotted a bus going To West Ham Les thought I was going daft, but here you are! Separated from Pevensey by Butcher's Field though we were having no joy finding anyone to sell us barbecue-fare
That was finally rectified by the shop on a neighbouring camp-site.... the benefits of walking!




Stopped at 'The Smugglers' before leaving Pevensey - we had a choice but thought we'd keep the theme going!
Another fine pub (3 Shepherd Neame ales on draught!) with a huge sunny garden that we had all to ourselves; there's also a covered stage for what seems to be regular weekend live music, the Howlin Blues Band were performing tonight while Thursday is Jam Session night!
Les was just happy they could rustle her up a Cream Tea for lunch!

The pub dates from 1527 &, not surprisingly, has its share of ghost stories but I was more interested in its smuggling past as it only assumed its current name in the 18th century
Apparently it was home to the Groombridge Gang who, in common with many others, made a good living from smuggling tea for sale in London; when duties were reduced in 1784 they turned their attention to spirits & tobacco, continuing to thrive until the introduction of coastguards brought matters to a head at Pevensey Sluice in 1833..... which leads nicely to our last pub of the day!

'The Star Inn' at Pevensey Sluice which was, indeed, originally built c1402 as a Sluice House to control the flow of water on the reclaimed Levels
It became a pub in the middle of the 17th century, known as 'The Star of Bethlehem' because it was frequented by shepherds whose flocks grazed the new pastures & it was here, in 1833, that organized smuggling gangs fought with coastguards: clubs & poles against cutlasses!

Song of the Day (an occasional series!): Neil Young's 'Star of Bethlehem'!

There's even a railway story connected to the pub! In 1865 a dead, 72 ton whale was washed up on the beach in front of the pub & Norman's Bay station was hastily constructed to accommodate day-trippers from London keen to observe the monster!

Three excellent pubs in one day.... now that's unusual!