The Bloomsbury Set was a group of writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists. Described as privileged, unconventional and bohemian, the group included Virginia Woolf, and her sister Vanessa Bell, John Maynard Keynes, David Garnett, Duncan Grant, Clive Bell, Leonard Woolf, Lytton Strachey, E. M. Forster and Roger Fry.
Virginia and Vanessa moved to Bloomsbury in London in 1904 where they held “gatherings”. Bearing in mind their Victorian upbringing, at these meetings they discussed culture, politics, sexuality and more, and it must have felt marvellously rebellious. The group was liberated, experimental and, to many living at the time, shocking, but as a result of their forward and creative thinking, they made a significant contribution to modern culture.
In 1916 and in the middle of WWI, Vanessa Bell moved to Charleston Farmhouse in Sussex with her children, her partner Duncan Grant and her partner’s lover David Garnett. Meanwhile, Virginia Woolf and her husband, Leonard, bought Monk’s House in Rodmell near Lewes in 1919. As a result, the Bloomsbury Set spent increasing amounts of time in Sussex and their homes and hangouts form the basis of this trail.
If you are captivated, intrigued or just want to know more, this two day Bloomsbury Set Sussex Trail takes you on a deep dive into the landscape and places where they lived and which inspired them. It also takes you via some of the most stunning countryside in this corner of Sussex and via dozens of other pockets of interest.
Practical information
The route is approximately 24 km, which is best split over two to three days. Day 1 is approximately 9 km (plus 2 km to get to the start) from Berwick to Firle, via Charleston. Day 2 is from Firle, via Rodmell, to Lewes and is approximately 15 km but pretty flat. You will walk through stunning countryside, passing beautiful and historic churches at Alciston and Southease. There is one steep climb up the Downs after leaving Firle and you need a reasonable level of fitness. If you do not have time for a two day trail, try one of our shorter Bloomsbury walks.
Places to eat
There are cafés or places to eat at Charleston, Firle, Southease and Rodmell.
Places to stay
In advance of your walk, you may wish to stay in Alfriston. There are a number of hotels there including The Star and The Alfriston. The Ram Inn at Firle has rooms and an excellent restaurant, and is a good place to stay overnight at just under half way. The White Hart in Lewes is a good place to finish.
Bloomsbury Venues
- Charleston in Firle (BN8 6LL) is open Wednesday–Sunday (and Bank Holiday Monday) 10am–5pm.
- Charleston in Lewes (Southover Road, BN7 1AB) is open Wednesday–Sunday (and Bank Holiday Monday) 10am–5pm.
- Monk’s House (Rodmell, BN7 3HF) opening times vary. In the summer, it is usually open Thursday, Friday and Saturday but it closes in winter. Booking is recommended.
- Berwick Church (BN26 6SR) is open daily, 10am–5pm.
We recommend you check opening times and admission prices before travel.
Life at Charleston
For some unique insights into what life would have been like for the Bloomsbury Group in Sussex, we caught up with Darren Clarke, Head of Collections and Research at Charleston, who shared his knowledge of life at the time:
“…it would have also felt like there was a lot of life around you…you can imagine them hurtling across the Downs on their bikes”
The Bloomsbury Group: In Conversation with Charleston’s Head of Collectiosn & Research
Day 1: Berwick to Firle
You start this trail at Berwick Church. You can get there as follows:
Catch the train to Berwick Station (trains from London take an hour to an hour and a half). From Berwick Station, take the Vanguard Way footpath, west, and follow it all the way to Berwick Church. It’s approximately 3 km.
Alternatively, start in Alfriston (catch the bus from Seaford, Eastbourne or Lewes). From Market Cross, head north west up West Street and follow the Cuckmere Pilgrim Path signs. It’s just under 2 km to Berwick Church.
The trail finishes in Lewes from where there are regular trains back to London (journey times just over an hour).
Berwick Church
Berwick Church dates back to the 12th century. In 1941, during WWII, Bishop Bell of Chichester commissioned Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and her son Quentin Bell to decorate the interior of the church in the hope that it would bring about a revival of the commissioning of artists by churches. Before the Reformation, it was common for Downland churches to have murals and you can still see many Medieval frescoes today across Sussex. The Bishop’s vision was “to reunite religion and ‘modern’ art and so bring about a ‘spiritual awakening of our country'”.
The result at Berwick is quite remarkable and creates a sense of hushed reverence, reflection and hope. As your first stop, the church opens at 10 am and you should allow at least 30 mins to an hour. At the door, there are various buttons that enable music to be played as you absorb the art.
From Berwick, continue on the Pilgrim Path to Alciston, and onwards. Shortly before you reach Selmeston, you’ll come to a quiet lane. The Pilgrim Path goes straight on but you go left and if you follow this footpath, it will take you all the way to Charleston. The total distance is approximately 4.3 km and should take about an hour.
Charleston Farmhouse
The home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant along with frequent visitors and guests, Charleston is a melting pot of their many creative ideas and expressions. It’s delightful chaos that leaves you wishing you had even an inch of their individuality and talent. The various rooms, set as they would have been in the later years, display murals, painted furniture, ceramics, paintings and textiles whilst the gardens sigh heavily in the summer with a mass of weighty blooms and fruit, and the occasional statue, mosaic and bench.
The staff at Charleston are brilliant and fill in the gaps of your knowledge by explaining different items, people and events, and you’ll come away with a head full of ideas.
There’s also a coffee shop here, if you’re in need, and although the length of your visit is your own to determine, it’s a good idea to allow at least a couple of hours to view the house. There is also an exhibition space here, and the smallish garden, so if you’re including these in your visit, allow at least two hours.
Carry on west on the footpath from Charleston and it will take you directly to Firle. It’s a distance of approximately 2.70 km and a particularly evocative part of the walk, that takes you through the parkland at Firle Place.
Firle
Next stop on this Bloomsbury Set Sussex Trail is Firle for a moment of sobriety and reflection. In the churchyard here, you’ll find the graves of Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, their daughter Angelica Garnett and Vanessa’s son Quentin Bell. This is also where you’ll stay overnight.
Day 2: Firle to Lewes
From Firle, head south out of the village along the track towards the South Downs and turn right before you start to climb. Follow the footpath west, crossing a quiet road and then turning left up a path up the Downs to join the South Downs Way. It is a steep climb but at the top you will be rewarded with views of Lewes Castle and the River Ouse as it winds its way to the sea.
Follow the South Down Way west until it starts to descend, all the time with amazing views of Newhaven, the river and the sea. Eventually, the paths winds its way rather majestically down and and you cross over a bridge and road to a Youth Hostel at Southease. There is a good café here. From the Youth Hostel, head west, crossing the River Ouse and arriving in the tiny hamlet of Southease. There is an interesting church worth a visit there.
From Southease, cross the busy main road and follow the Sussex Ouse Valley Way north to Rodmell. NB. There is a short amount of road walking. From Firle to Rodmell is approximately 7.9 km. If you missed the café at Southease, there is a pub that serves food at Rodmell, The Abergavenny Arms.
Monk’s House at Rodmell
Monk’s House is a 17th century cottage now run by the National Trust. The connection to Charleston is visible in the decorative arts but the house has a very different atmosphere, with a serenity and sense of calm which is reinforced by the magnificent views from the garden.
This is where Virginia did a lot of her writing, and you can see her desk and writing shed at the end of the path, along with a number of evocative photos and extracts from some of the group’s correspondence.
Kingston and Lewes
From Rodmell it is possible to walk to Kingston, where you’ll find Juggs Corner, where friends of the Woolfs, Trekkie and Ian Parsons lived from 1952. It’s a walk of just over 5 km along the South Downs Way.
If time doesn’t allow, or legs are too weary, just walk a few steps from Monk’s House down the road and then follow the Sussex Ouse Valley Way to and then along the river banks back to Lewes. It’s approximately 7.5 km, very flat and you will see Lewes castle gradually getting nearer. As you arrive in Lewes, head to Southover Grange Gardens, passing the ruins of Lewes Priory.
If you have time, visit the Charleston in Lewes centre. Then head off for a quick walk around, and tucked down Pipe Passage you’ll find the Round House which the Woolfs bought in 1919. It didn’t suit their needs however and so they sold up and bought Monk’s House. It was a once a windmill, and was built in 1801.
If you decide to stay in Lewes overnight before you head home, allow the next day for exploring:
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