There are many options for circular or linear walks up on the South Downs, and you can use the trains and buses to access these walks! You can basically do any combination of walks between Eastbourne and Brighton.  You can make your walk as long or as short as you want by using the intermediate railway stations of Polegate, Berwick, Glynde, Southease and Lewes. I'll list the walks I've done, but do look them up online to check the actual routes as it was many years ago! Part of the South Downs Way runs through  Friston Forest, and nearby Cuckmere Haven with it's fantastic meandering river and the cliffs called the Seven Sisters.

Berwick to Glynde (approx. 6 miles)
Park at Berwick station (which has a pub opposite it) then walk the one mile to Berwick village, crossing the very busy A27 road. Take a look in Berwick Church (St Michael & All Angels church) as there are some recently-restored murals, painted in 1941 by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. Then head out through the graveyard and follow the signed path up to the Downs. You then keep going straight ahead until you get to the path on the right that takes you down to the main road again, and across it to Glynde where you find the station. Sadly the very popular Trevor Arms pub closed in 2017 and I don't think anyone has taken it on.
N.B. You can add a few more miles to your walk by carrying on to Lewes from Glyde, walking up and over Mount Caburn (a high point on the Downs with good views.)

Berwick to Polegate, via Alfriston (approx. 6 miles)
Starting at Berwick station again and walking to the village, this time you go left once you are up on the Downs. You then follow the waymarked South Downs Way, which will take you through the pretty village of Alfriston (a place of tea shops, the famous bookshop Much Ado Books and The National Trust's first property - The Clergy House. There is also a rather lovely 15th Century inn, The Star, which has accommodation and re-opened to guests in 2021 after extensive renovation.) After Alfriston continue following the waymarked route until it's time to bear left and head down to Polegate.
N.B. You can extend this walk by continuing to Eastbourne, instead of bearing left for Polegate. You may need a town map to locate the station, or a GPS device, as it is some way from Beachy Head (the cliff that you descend to get to the far end of Eastbourne seafront) but you can simply follow the seafront and eventually turn left into the town centre to pick up signposts pointing to the station.

Southease circular, including Lewes (approx. 5 miles)
You can do a circular walk from Southease station, taking in the town of Lewes  where there's a castle to visit, Anne of Cleves house, and a variety of independent shops, cafes and pubs. Thomas Paine's house, Bull house, has been open to visitors on Heritage Days but is now set for more regular openings, from August 2024, which is fantastic as Thomas Paine is famous for his treaty from 1791 'The Rights of Man.' Apocryphally, one of my ancestors apparently had to flee the country after printing this treaty! This is plausible as the treaty was seen as seditious by many people in authority.

This walk also takes in the village of Rodmell, where Monk's House is located. This National Trust property belonged to the writer Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard. Virginia could walk across the Downs to her sister's house, Charleston.

Hassocks to Lewes (approx. 11 miles)
Look out for the Jack and Jill windmills at Clayton. On the South Downs Way you pass medieval dew ponds and an Iron Age fort at Ditchling Beacon. There is an option to descend to Plumpton for lunch, if you don't want to take a picnic. The walk ends in Lewes (see Southease walk for information about the town of Lewes.)


Other places to visit along the South Downs Way.

Charleston (the house owned by Vanessa and Clive Bell, and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Set. You would need to book a guided tour to see the house. There are also exhibition spaces on site, and a shop and cafe. There is one main literary festival held here in May, and various other events throughout the year.) The house is not far from Firle Beacon.

The National Trust lists their top walks in Sussex here. Some of them are up on the South Downs.

Happy walking!

By 1918 the majority of the farm land had been sold off, reducing the plot size  to just over one acre! In spring 1920 George and Harriet Carley were living at Wat Clark’s Farm, but by 1923 the farmhouse was a private dwelling, known as Hildawald (named after its then owners, Hilda and Oswald  Marshall.) From 1938 Albert Stanley Knoll and Laura Louise Knoll were living there and it was named Nab Cottage. In 1974 Alan M Knoll was living at the house, and then in 1976 it was acquired by Geoffrey (Gus) and Julie Mitchell. I purchased it from Gus in November 2016.

I used to walk the family dog past Nab Cottage in the 1980s. I didn't know it was called that as there was no sign up,  and I would love to know where the name 'Nab' came from. It can mean a hill but the house isn't really on a hill. Anyway, every time I walked past the house I admired it and wondered who lived in it. I never imagined it would come up for sale over thirty years later, and that I would be able to buy it. The house needed a lot of work, and I also extended it. On the drone photo you can see the original part of the house at the front, and the double-roofed extension at the back. The garden was a big draw, as it feels like you are out in the countryside when you walk around it. Having the Downs and Broad Oak Park within 10 minutes' walk made Nab Cottage an ideal location for a dog-friendly B&B, and the off-road parking is a real bonus. I'd love to be a 10-minute walk away from town and the station, but you can't have everything, and for me the history of the house, and its character and peaceful outlook, outweigh the distance from town.

I posted about this on Instagram and Facebook recently, but I forgot to mention it yesterday when I was writing about theatre and festivals. Recently I saw the film  Bob Marley: One Love and it reminded me how powerful reggae music can be. The Hastings Reggae Festival takes place outside on The Oval, a high open space in Hastings which is used for other festivals, like Pride.

Today is a day for celebrating theatre and I would like to extend that to all of the performing arts. East Sussex has many theatres, literary festivals and music festivals. There are also many concerts, often in local churches.

Bexhill's De La Warr Pavilion hosts top performers throughout the year. Some people travel from London or further afield for these concerts. I had some guests from Sweden who went to see their favourite band at the De La Warr! The Izzard theatre at Bexhill College puts on some quirky shows. I saw The Addams family there, performed by BLODS, and it was fantastic. Look out for outdoor theatre in the summer too, often in The Manor Barn gardens. The newly-restored bandstand on the seafront has been hosting quite a few events too. Check out their 'current bookings' here.

Hastings has the Stables theatre and the White Rock theatre. There is also an annual book festival.
There are many pubs, like the Jenny Lind in the old town, which have regular live music.

Eastbourne has the Devonshire Park theatre, the Congress theatre, and the Winter Garden. See what's on at those venues here. There is also the Royal Hippodrome theatre and Under Ground theatre (located under the library!)

The town of Rye (30 minutes' drive/train ride from here) has an International Jazz & Blues Festival in August, and an Arts Festival at the end of September.

Chiddingly (30 minutes' drive from here) has a music and beer festival every year called Chiddfest. This year is their tenth!

Charleston (40 minutes' drive from here) hosts a literary festival every year which sells out very quickly. Last year I saw Annie Ernaux, the French author who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2022. I was thrilled as I read her books when I was living in France in my twenties, and they are now on university syllabuses. She writes about her everyday life experiences and I enjoy her pared back, evocative style of writing, and was thrilled to chat to her briefly whilst she signed one of her books for me. Annie, however, was not happy to have won the prize as it stopped her flow and she was unable to write! I hope she is back in her writing rhythm now.

16th Century Smallhythe Place (Ellen Terry's house) has the lovely Barn theatre - see their events programme for 2024 here. It is nearly an hour's drive from here but worth it for the atmosphere.

I'm sure I've missed out a few places or festivals, but this gives you an idea of what's on offer in this area.

Today is a day for wearing purple, or baking a purple cake, or colouring your hair purple. Basically, anything purple, to draw attention to the condition of epilepsy. Apparently 87 people a day are diagnosed with epilepsy. Thankfully, for many people, the condition can be controlled by medication. One of Charlie's doggie friends has it. He was having quite bad seizures but the medication has stopped them. In humans it can be triggered by all kinds of things, like sunlight flashing through a car window, or strobe lighting. I don't know what brings on an attack in a dog. I knew another dog who would just fall to the ground during a walk and have an attack. It's scary for people witnessing it, and for those having a fit. The main concern is that the person or dog could swallow their own tongue and choke, so it's important to monitor every fit.

Charlie and I had good walks today. We went to Highwoods in the morning, and Broad Oak Park in the afternoon. We only saw one group of dogs in the park, but they were too far away for Charlie to play with. There is  a decent, fenced, children's playground on Little Common Recreation Ground (which is seen as part of Broad Oak Park by the locals) and a free tennis court and a basketball court. The park is a 10 minute walk from Nab Cottage so we go there quite often.

A guest ran the Hastings Half Marathon on Sunday, and very kindly gave me a copy of the booklet about it so I could learn more. This year was the 40th Hastings Half Marathon, organised by Hastings Lions Club. I must confess that I didn't know anything about it, as running is not my thing. I could happily walk 13 miles, but running it would make me miserable. Around 3000 people took part and everyone who completed the course got a solid horse brass, with a Hastings-related image on it, and I can imagine that this brass is a huge source of pride to the runners. Many will return to run the same race at some point, or even every year. This year's brass has the number 40 on it, so it will carry more prestige in years to come. The route of the race takes the format I enjoy when walking - uphill bit first, then level off, then downhill to the finish. The uphill bit is steep for a car to drive up. In fact Hastings is a pretty hilly place. I chose to take my driving test in Eastbourne, to avoid all the perilous hill starts! I'm sure there must be vegan runners who take part in the half marathon. Bexhill is only 7 miles away, and it's literally under ten minutes on the train to St Leonard's Warrior Square station. You could be enjoying a vegan breakfast here at Nab Cottage, before your run, and then dinner in the evening, and not worrying about where to park your car in Hastings. There is also a regular park run in Hastings.

This is just a taster list. East Sussex has a wealth of attractions!
The nearest towns to Bexhill are Hastings (7 miles) and Eastbourne (10 miles)
Other popular towns are Rye, Battle and Lewes. Brighton is an hour away by train or car.

In Hastings you can take the funicular railway up to the ruined castle on the cliffs, or go under the caves into the smugglers' experience. There are attractions, like mini golf, on the seafront, and many antiques shops and independent cafes in the old town. The Jack in the Green festival takes place in May, and there is a Pirate Day in July, and a Book Festival in September. The Stables Theatre puts on some diverse amateur shows. I saw an amazing one-woman show a few years ago about Nina Simone, played by Apphia Campbell, called 'Black is the colour of my voice.' I think it's still touring.

Eastbourne has two major events each year. The international tennis in June, and the Airbourne air show in August. At the end of the seafront you can walk up Beachy Head to Birling Gap, and over to the Seven Sisters and the river Cuckmere.

Heritage properties:

Charleston (Vanessa & Clive Bell, and the Bloomsbury Set)
Farleys House and Gallery (Lee Miller and Roland Penrose)
Michelham Priory

National Trust properties - Bodiam Castle, Scotney Castle, Batemans (Rudyard Kipling's house), Knole, Sissinghurst (Vita Sackville-West & Harold Nicholson), Monk's Cottage (Virginia & Leonard Woolf), Nymans gardens, Sheffield Park gardens, Lamb House (Henry James, and later E.F.Benson) in Rye, Alfriston Clergy House (the first property saved by the National Trust) and Smallhythe (Ellen Terry's house.) They also own tracts of the South Downs.

English Heritage sites - Pevensey Castle & Battle Abbey (Site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066.)

Museums and galleries:

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery
Hastings Contemporary
Towner Eastbourne
Eastbourne Lifeboat museum

Steam trains

Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch
Kent and Sussex
The Bluebell Railway

Vineyards
Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard
(The other vineyards in this area are not organic and you would have to check whether they make vegan wines.)

Walking trails

The 1066 Country Walk - 31 miles from Pevensey Castle to Rye. There is a spur running from Battle down to Bexhill (about 6 miles.)
The South Downs Way -100 miles from Winchester to Beachy Head (Eastbourne.) Bexhill is about 10 miles from Eastbourne, with regular bus and train connections.
The Cuckoo Trail - a 14 mile footpath and cycleway, following the defunct railway line from Heathfield to Hampden Park (Eastbourne)

Beaches
Most of the coastal towns near here have a long beachfront promenade, and good cafes. Our nearest sandy beach is at Camber Sands.

So there you go! A few things you can do in this area. There will be plenty more things I have forgotten! Look out for future posts.

We are just reaching the end of English Tourism Week. I hadn't heard of this until today, but will shamelessly use it as an opportunity to tell you about all the attractions you can visit in Bexhill. In tomorrow's post I'll look further afield.

Bexhill-on-Sea

The modernist De La Warr pavilion is a renowned performance venue, with an arty shop, gallery spaces, and a restaurant overlooking the sea.

Bexhill Museum is perfectly situated, five minutes' walk from the De La Warr pavilion, the town centre and the seafront. It also overlooks our lovely, award-winning Egerton Park, which has a great children's playground, an outdoor gym, a lake, tennis courts, a bowls court, and many plants and trees to admire. The museum showcases Bexhill's motoring heritage amongst other things.

Bexhill town centre is full of independent shops, including over 20 charity shops (so come and bag yourself a bargain or two!) There are quite a few vintage/antique shops, and plenty of cafes and restaurants for a tea stop or a meal. For vegans I recommend Syrian Lounge as they have many vegan options, including cake!, and Picasso Express has vegan waffles with biscoff ice cream!

Bexhill's  Old Town is a 10-15 minute walk from Bexhill station, or you can park at the Manor Barn gardens. What was left of the 900-year-old manor house (at one point owned by Queen Elizabeth 1 until she sold it in 1590) was mostly demolished in 1967, but part of it remains as a venue for private events. Have a wander round the well-laid out, peaceful gardens there, then cross the road to visit St Peter's church, which has some beautiful carved wooden screens. There are a couple of cafes on the road up to the church. Bexhill has links with Germany as the King's German Legion was stationed in the Old Town from 1804-1814. Have a look at the Bexhill Hanoverian Study Group's website to find out more. Barrack Road is a 5-10 minute walk from the church, and there is a memorial garden there which used to be a cemetery for the soldiers.

The seafront extends for about 2 miles, so there is plenty of space for everyone. There is a coastal path to Hastings (about 7 miles.) En route I highly recommend The Bathing Hut cafe at Bulverhythe in St Leonards which serves vegetarian and vegan fare. Pick a sunny day for this and do check that they are open.

Art has been flourishing in Bexhill over the last few years. Check out the 'bridge gallery' on the bridge opposite the main post office in Devonshire Square. There are also many large murals around the town created by W.Ave Arts and they have a Bexhill Art Trail Map on their website. Beeching Road Studios is a new artist workspace with exhibitions. Check the site for opening times.

Is that it? Have I missed anything out? We have train links to London, with many great stopping-off points for walks on the South Downs (more on that in another post.)

Part of the 'Full Nab' breakfast are these smoked tofu and butterbean patties. I invented them as I needed a simple patty that was gluten-free as well as vegan. Here's the recipe in case you fancy making them too!

1 tin of organic butterbeans
1 packet (280g) of organic smoked tofu
1 organic onion, chopped
Seasoning
Organic buckwheat flour for coating

1. Take a plate (20cm diameter approx) and sprinkle it with buckwheat flour.
2. Fry the onion.
3. Crumble the tofu into a food processor, add the onion and then blend it.
4. Pour the butterbeans into a sieve and give them a rince. Add them to the food processor with your seasoning. Blend.
5. Take a handful of the mixture and shape it into a patty. Repeat 5 times. Cover your plate and refrigerate.
6. The patties will keep for a few days. To cook them, fry them in a little oil until they are golden brown on each side.

It was low tide on Bexhill beach yesterday afternoon, so Charlie and I made the most of it. You can see him squinting into the sun. It was like a summer's day and the sea looked very inviting! We tend to walk from Pages Gap along towards Cooden and then back again, as dogs can be off-lead all year round on this bit of the promenade. It's also dipped down from the road so pretty safe.