East Sussex is a place of wide open landscapes, sweeping views, chalky cliffs and winding rivers. That may sound like a cliché but it happens to be true, so it’s no surprise then that over the centuries, it has inspired creatives of every type and every discipline.
From the Bloomsbury Set and Ravilious to Lee Miller, JMW Turner, Rudyard Kipling and thousands more, people have sought to capture what they find here and used the county as their muse. And an East Sussex cultural tour is a great way to get under the hood of their work and get a deeper understanding of the county, its people, its landscape and its soul.
The big hitters – must visit Sussex galleries and houses
East Sussex is home to a number of high calibre art galleries which include:
- Hastings Contemporary,
- De La Warr Pavilion (Bexhill)
- The Towner (Eastbourne)
However, other absolute must visits also include:
- Lamb House in Rye (and the writing desk of Henry James, E. F. Benson and Rummer Godden)
- Bateman’s at Burwash (home of Rudyard Kipling)
- Farleys House and Gallery near Hailsham (the home of Surrealism in Sussex)
- Charleston Farmhouse at Firle (home of the Bloomsbury Set).
Perhaps use one of these as your starting point and explore further afield from there.
Walk the landscapes of eternity
If you enjoy art, why not visit some of the Sussex landmarks that have inspired these great creatives? The Long Man at Wilmington (just outside Eastbourne) and a number of scenes in Newhaven and the surrounding area feature in work by Eric Ravilious. Scenes painted by Eric Salter include Alfriston, Cuckmere Haven and the Coastguard Cottages at Seaford Head. Indeed, there is a 2 hour Eric Salter walking trail from Seaford that takes in some of the places on which Slater based his woodcuts including Seaford Head, Rough Sea, Cuckmere Haven, The Coastguard Station and The Stack Yard.
Explore Rye, Rye Harbour and the marshes as painted by Ravilious, Paul Nash, Turner and many others. Or head to Ditchling, which once was the backdrop of the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic, which had sculptor Eric Gill and painter David Jones as members and from where you can visit Ditchling Beacon as famously painted by Charles Knight. Stop by the museum before you leave.
Architectural wonders
There are a number of heady architectural hot spots that should be on any culture vulture list. If you have never been, the Royal Pavilion in Brighton is a must, but so is:
- Firle Place (limited opening times) with its collection of Old Masters,
- Berwick Church with its incredible Bloomsbury paintings
- The Medieval frescoes at Southease and Clayton churches
- The extraordinary but haunted tunnel at Clayton
- The Chattri Memorial.
If interesting architecture is really your thing, Edwin Lutyens is known for his creative adaptation of traditional architectural styles to suit the time. Although a lot of the properties that he left his mark on in Sussex are now private residences, you can still visit Great Dixter.
For slightly more modern styles, visit:
- Marine Court (Grade II listed, built between 1936 and 1938 in Art Deco style and known as ‘The Ship’) in St Leonards on Sea
- Art Deco Saltdean lido and some of the surrounding Modernist buildings in the Saltdean area.
The local arts
No cultural tour is complete without a dip into the local arts scene. Visit in the summer, and you’ll find a number of the local communities host annual art trails, the most famous of which are ArtWave in Lewes and the extended surrounding area and Brighton (and the surrounding area) Open House. You’ll also find sculpture, like the work of Leigh Dyer in Hastings or Christian Funnell in Seaford.
If you have enjoyed this post about an East Sussex cultural tour, you may also like:
Sussex Art Trails
Sussex Sculpture Trails & Gardens
Surrealism in Sussex
Bloomsbury Set Trail
