We may not have always had the best weather, but it’s been a wonderful Sussex summer here at SE HQ, hunting out new places and revisiting others!
May
On a hot day in May, I scooted over to Borde Hill near Haywards Heath to see their new sculpture installations. This was the start of a month of sculpture deep diving as I also visited the gorgeous Moncrieff Bray Exhibition at Petworth, met Fittleworth sculptor Jon Edgar and revisited the iconic Philip Jackson garden.
Having started the month in West Sussex, I headed east, cycling the Undercliff Path from Kempton to Peacehaven, visiting the Newhaven supergraphics exhibition and ending up at Eridge Rocks and Farleys House via a couple of follies. Surrealism and rocks, what’s not to love?
June
June saw a trip to Thorney Island with BBC Radio Sussex which proved to be the start of a summer of exploring Chichester Harbour. I loved driving along the Shore Road in Bosham and catching the Itchenor Ferry. In fact, I loved it so much, that despite a buckled wheel, I went back and cycled the Salterns Way and walked from East Head to Itchenor.
June also saw myself and a group of merry walkers complete the last section of the Serpent Trail. We enjoyed it so much, we already have plans a foot to walk more together…watch this space.
Of course, all this adventuring wouldn’t be half as fun without some food and drink, so I finished the month with a wine tour of three Sussex vineyards (Wiston, Kinsbrook and Nutbourne) and iconic fish and chips quayside at Littlehampton Harbour.
I was also enjoying the Sussex coast so much, I couldn’t stop, so I headed to Pagham Harbour and then on to the famous Crab and Lobster and Sidlesham Quay.
July
July was all about luxury! I was delighted to be invited to Buxted Park’s Great Gatsby Extravaganza. What can I say, they pulled out all the stops and it really was a spectacular weekend. I also just managed to squeeze in a little exploring of Ashdown Forest while I was there.
From Ashdown Forest, we headed to Camber Sands and The Gallivant. It’s an absolutely super hotel, so stylishly decorated with lots of attention to detail and I loved being so near both the beach and Rye.
I ended the month back in West Sussex with a stay at South Lodge and a meal at The Pass. We were blessed that our stay coincided with a rare sunny day and hanging out by the natural pool was sublime indeed. Hard to believe this was England. Once again, they took super good care of us and we left feeling fully restored.
In between all the luxury, and on a wet day reminiscent of November, I finally managed the full Sussex Bloomsbury Set trail and got well and truly shouted at by a man in a car park at Wilmington – he didn’t seem to like the cut of my jib but I am still completely bewildered as to what I did wrong!
August
By way of a summer break, I visited Worthing’s twin town of Les Sables d’Olonne in France and found they have their own Arundel Tower! Happy days.
Then it was back to Sussex for an epic walk from Rye to Hastings Old Town which involved all sorts of adventures, including climbing down to a beach on a rope and bumping into a nudist! Credit to my walking companion who did the whole walk on a hangover and didn’t complain at all when I dragged her out of bed for a 5 am start.
As the month came to a close, I headed back to the Manhood Peninsula and Selsey and then finally, made my way to Seaford to sniff out The Shoal, a sculptor and a section of Seaford Head I hadn’t previously walked.
Of course, there have been a 101 little adventures in between, and on each visit or expedition, I learn or find something new and wonder if I’ll ever fully get to grips with Sussex. But it has, to all intents and purposes, been a great Sussex summer, and I’m already excited to see what the autumn has to bring.
