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2010 Sussex

Sat 2010-08-28 {20592}

(|) Left at 12h, allowing 3h for a 2.25h journey that actually took 3.5h, queues on M1, on M25 for Dartford crossing, M25 again up to J5, then fairly easy to Woods Barn at TQ648265. Just find the keys in the utility box at the back, no contact with owner unless problems. Single-story cottage set in a small garden in the corner of a field; linearly from N end kitchen, living, bed1, bed2, bathroom. Sunshine at last. Beer to settle in on arrival, listening to the cricket. Not screened, but very quiet, opportunities on the W (rear) of the house looking over the fields, screened from road on S side by hedge. B666BOM seen on Merc E-class. Beethoven 9 at Proms as the sun goes down and we get rural darkness.

Sun 2010-08-29 {20593}

(|) Walk around the farm, where there are some mown paths leading to scenic bits around the ponds, which are available for fishing at a price and subject to warnings about being deep. Then further walking on roads to the river Rother bridge and around the triangle of roads that we're on. To the Cherry Tree pub (TQ697305) near Ticehurst for a good roast lunch (8L) and a pint of Harvey's Sussex Best 4.0%. A drive around local villages. Post well-done card to Adi (with 100L). Then back at cottage reading and sleeping while it rained hard. Later outside in sunshine. Eng won the test by innings and 225 runs but day overshadowed by a betting fixing scandal in Pakistan camp. Only one Pak player appeared to be really trying in their 2nd inn 147 ao.

Mon 2010-08-30 {20594}

(|) Bank holiday. Sunny and warm, hot at times. Caught morning sun as it came around the end of the cottage, and also down by the lakes. To Pashley Manor, a private stately home with a public garden, not NT. They had a craft fair, which was not very interesting. The gardens were good, with lots of scultures, some with price tags. Extensive, with lake, swimming pool, lawn, island, stream with ponds and falls. Had a good lunch here, homemade pork pie and salad with a glass of wine for around 10L, eaten outside; they were running an outside cafe with a wider range of food than the permanent indoor one. Many there. Then to Batemans, NT, home of Rudyard Kipling, house and garden. Simpler garden here but still extensive. An old mill at one end now restored to grind corn, as it was doing today, but previously wheel taken out to make room for a modern water turbine generator to provide the house with electric lighting. House was, to me, as boring as most of these houses are. It was just an old house. Back to cottage for some more sun. Watched Pale Horse on tv, which followed my summary roughly, but had Miss Marple as sleuth, which my summary didn't.

Tue 2010-08-31 {20595}

(|) Misty morning, with the sun breaking thro' about 09h, then sunny all day. To Battle, where we visited the site of the battle of Hastings and the ruins of the abbey founded there just after, which lasted until the Dissolution. This is English Heritage, and they, like NT, try to get you to pay 77L a year for free entry; they have a wider range of types of site, tho' we haven't visited so many. The gift shop sold replica Normal swords for 120L and a chain-mail tunic for 185L. Sandwich lunch here. Then to Hastings, where we sat on a stone groyne (TQ815092) and watched the tide come in. Mixture of sand and shingle; a few dozen others there. Parked by the pier, roadside for 1L20 for 4h. Nothing going on. From there a diversion along the coast road to Pevensey, then to Heathfield and stock up supplies at the Co-op. More sun time on the patio. Again listening to the Proms, with the 4th clear sunset in a row. Decided not to try the official beach at Brighton as it is reported as infested with voyeurs and gay singles looking for sex. Might try to find one of the unofficial beaches later if the sunshine continues. The coastal towns might look a bit seedy, but there is plenty of money around here.

Wed 2010-09-01 {20596}

(|) Again sunny all day. New tax disk on Focus, and petrol for the first time this trip. Post cards. To Norman's Bay. Park by the level crossing at ~TQ697060, there was plenty of parking, then up steps to shingle and sand beach. Headed W to about TQ693058. Only a very few anywhere on the beach, and a couple in the distance that looked naked, so stripped off for a hour or so, a few blokes walking back and forth close to the sea, looking around. Very peaceful. Unofficial beach, not sure if we were on the "right" bit, but so few anyway and no families. Then to Pevensey, for lunch in the Royal Oak and Castle Inn; burger and mussels, both good; barmaid apologised for the delay, which was probably less than 30 mins, saying it was the normal cook's day off and the woman covering today was not very efficient and they'd just had a row. A look around the outside of Pevensey Castle, an English Heritage ruin; it would have cost 4L50 ea to get closer to the inside. Instead to Herstmonceux, avoiding the science /astronomy bit and opting for just the gardens and grounds at 6L ea. We were too late for the one tour of the castle. There was an Indian wedding taking place there. Good garden and extensive grounds, we went for an hour's walk in the woods after exploring the gardens; folly, lakes, sculpture, wood henge. One large modern sundial had hours marked on an annulus that could be rotated; it was set to BST, which I would have preferred it not to have been. There were several other visitors to the gardens but we didn't see anyone in the woods. Ice cream afterwards. Back to cottage, where the sun still shone; practised filling in crosswords left-handed to get the sun more evenly (rather than turning head to toe which seemed so much more effort). 5th clear red sunset.

Thu 2010-09-02 {20597}

(|) The sun was still with us, but a few more clouds today. On a walk taken from a book, photocopies were in the cottage folder. This one started at Paine's Corner TQ623237 where we parked on a grassy triangle between two meeting roads. Walked south across A265 to Punnett's Town windmill TQ627208 over steep and at times badly eroded paths; at one point a bridge was falling down and we had to jump the stream. Back by a different path via TQ634208. Near there the path went through a garden and was not clearly marked, probably deliberately. Through woods and fields, and over a better bridge. We lost the way slightly here, following OS and GPS where the instructions were a bit vague, and took a slightly shorter route to the main road at TQ625232 and straight from there back to the car. Of course the windmill was on top of a hill and the river was in a valley so there was a lot of climbing, which \theta achieved, tho' slowly. Saw one other person relaxing at lunchtime in a field near a road and one other walker. Back to cottage for lunch and rest, and a little sun as it started to cloud over. Doors in cottage are made of tongue and groove board with no framing, nailed to three cross members, screwed as well at ends, with 2 diagonal braces screwed on; fitted with black iron gate latches and hinges. All lighting is CF, with some on dimmers that therefore buzz annoyingly. CRT TV with DVD player and Freeview box. Cheap radio CD. Oil fired combi boiler with no hot storage; hot stops instantly if any cold tap is opened more than a crack. Electric cooking. Wood burning stove with pay-for wood. We've not yet used either it or the central heating. Bath with shower attachment, but shower head must be hand held. We've seen the owners, presumably, among those working on the new barn between us and the house but no other contact; the house folder suggests phoning them if necessary and suggests that they think it's better not to meet. Eve eat from the Chinese take-away in Heathfield; excellent mixed starters (spring rolls, prawn toasts; seaweed; chilli beef and spare ribs) and a good special curry. Watched the 6th clear sunset while listening to Proms.

Fri 2010-09-03 {20598}

(|) Again the sun appeared in the morning, warm enough for a few minutes by the barbecue where the early sun just makes it onto the patio. To the Long Man at Wilmington (TQ543035) an outline of a man cut into a chalk cliff. Parked in a lumpy chalk car park and walked up the South Downs Way and along other bridle paths to get beneath it; wrong time of day for photos as the sun was above it. Walked some of this barefoot (probably about 1km total barefoot today). To Beachy Head, which was quite popular especially with the wrinklies, and lunch in the Beachy Head pub nearby, which was also almost entirely populated by wrinklies. The sandwiches were good and were served in less time than it took to order; despite being a Cask Marque pub, they had no bitter of any kind. Then, via the front at Eastbourne, to Norman's Bay again for some more sun time and a quick dip in the sea. Then back for cleaning and packing. A bit more overcast by then, but an amazing 6 days for September. A good location, with countryside, seaside, heritage. We stayed entirely within OS 50k sheet 199 and used only a half-tank of petrol. First 60-reg seen, on a Vauxhall Meriva.

Sat 2010-09-04 {20599}

(|) Misty start, with the distant hills gradually emerging from the mist into sunshine. Pic of me in sunflowers with this as background. Away ~08h30 and home ~11h15, one stop at S Mimms, a couple of short crawl sections only. By MK it's still warm but the sun has become shy.

2007-09-20..2007-09-20

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