A holiday in East Sussex
Sep. 3rd, 2020 04:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofastolatGosh. What a long time since I've posted. Or read anything, really. Looking back, I think it's because when working from home, I was based at my desktop computer upstairs. When I went back to work in June, this computer therefore felt like "work". Unfortunately, the desktop computer was the only one logged into LJ using the new password I created some months ago, and the admittedly very tiny amount of work involved in remembering the new password long enough to log in on my phone and laptop was, apparently, too much for me. "I'll sort that out it in a minute," thought I repeatedly, whenever reminded of the fact that I had no LJ access on my phone or laptop, only to..., well, not.
Anyway... Here I am. And here is an account of the holiday we had a few weeks ago in East Sussex, during the brief heatwave. It seems a world away now that I'm sitting here shivering in the gloom, wind and drizzle.
We'd initially booked this holiday for the first week in May. We didn't deliberately choose East Sussex as such, but were aiming for Kent. We'd had several long weekends there, and felt we'd barely scratched the surface of its castles and stately homes. However, my number one criterion for a holiday cottage is "does it have a balcony with a view?" - or, at the very least, a patio or window seat with a view, or ideally all of these. There are far more balconies-with-views on coastal properties than in barn conversions on working farms, say, so we ended up with a shortlist of places all on the coast of Kent, plumping in the end for one near Rye. Which turned out not to be in Kent at all. Oh well. (It also proved Very Confusing, since I invariably typed "Ryde" when searching for anything nearby.)
Anyway, the May holiday was cancelled for obvious reasons, but a few weeks after self-catering places opened again in early July, I popped by the agency's website and saw that the same property was available for a week in the middle of August. So with some nervousness and trepidation, we booked it, half expecting Everything To Go Wrong before we got there.
It didn't go wrong. It was a different start to a holiday from normal, since normally I travel over after work on Friday to meet Pellinor in Southampton after work. We then set off in his mainland car for a few hours, staying the night in a Travelodge or similar, ready for a day of sight-seeing before we even get to our cottage. But Pellinor's still working from home, and his mainland car was - after a rather epic journey - brought back home at the end of May. So, for the first time in years, we had to start a holiday with taking the car over. But at least that meant that we could carry a lot more stuff, since it didn't all have to be carried over in installments by Pellinor in his daily commute.
The Saturday was sweltering hot, and the journey was slow, as one would expect from a sweltering Saturday in August near the south coast. Before heading for the cottage, we experienced the strange excitement of the local supermarket chain, where you wander through rustic wagons artistically draped with fresh fruit, local beer and hand-crafted cakes, then turn a corner and are suddenly in tight-packed aisles of Co-op goods.
Our cottage was right next to a nature reserve on the coast near Rye. Or, rather, very near a nature reserve, but right next to a pub. It was so "right next to" that when we were eating in our front garden, we were closer to the pub kitchen than anyone eating in the pub's own beer garden. Fortunately, it was a nice pub not prone to raucous late nights, and it was fun to sit on the balcony people-watching from above.
Here is our house. See its balcony! And its window seat! (Well, you can't see the window seat, but it had a great one on the side window on the top floor.) And its patio! (Also invisible, hidden behind flowers.)
I liked the pub sign.
And here's the view from the windowseat across the harbour buildings, the edge of the nature reserve and the river mouth. (The river on the Rother. I never tired of saying "River Rother.") I took this particular picture on my phone later in the week, when the sky was getting quite black, in the hope that I'd have one of those lovely "sun shining on things against a black sky background" but the weather - and my phone - failed to coooperate.
On the Sunday, we went to Walmer Castle, where we met up with one of Pellinor's many sisters, along with her partner and their 2 and a half year old. (Who was bought a hobby horse as a souvenir, and promptly named it after Pellinor. Hmm...) The castle itself was closed, but there were plenty of grounds to wander in, and wildlife to observe.
I took fewer pictures than normal on a holiday. Some of this was because it was actually rather hazy throughout, but also because I've realised that about half my pictures are normally of the quirky things you see inside stately homes and museums - comical lions, quirky carvings etc. This is the best comical lion I managed all week.
I liked the English Heritage method of encouraging social distancing.
Actually, the main thing we learnt from Walmer Castle was all about knopper galls, since the oak we ate lunch beneath was infested all over with them. "What weird acorns!" we went - cue the internet, cue the answer.
The others then left, and we headed to the White Cliffs of Dover en route home, which was heaving, but there was plenty of space for all.
Thank goodness the National Trust was on hand to show us where the lighthouse was!
Monday was HOT. Well, Sunday was HOT, really, but Monday was REALLY HOT. We drove a few miles to Fairlight in the Hastings Country Park, meaning to do a good walk, but it was just too hot so we gave up after 4 or 5 miles and drove to Rye. Rye was pretty, but it was also far too hot. The streets were busy - too busy for social distancing - and it was just too hot to sit outside a cafe or in a park. So we went back to the cottage and strolled around the nature reserve instead, and did some paddling.
The iconic landmark of Rye Nature Reserve.
The square building below is the old lifeboat station of Rye Harbour, about a mile and a half away from the settlement itself, left as a memorial to the Mary Stanford lifeboat disaster of 1928, when the entire crew - 17 men - drowned when they'd gone out after a boat that had already been saved. I very much like the song about the disaster, although it does make me cry. I prefer the version I have on CD - a cover version done by a Canadian duo, with added hurdy gurdy (I love hurdy-gurdies) - but I can't find that online.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5PiW3fn6uQ
And here is a Thing on the beach.
On Tuesday we hired bikes from the hire place just yards from our front door. These were mountain bikes, which caused me some confusion, since I've never ridden a bike with a high cross-bar before, so kept trying to get on and off by stepping over it in front. The terrain was ideal for cycling, since it was dead flat (except for when we chose to wheel our bikes up the steep hill into Winchelsea) and mostly offroad. We worked out afterwards that we did 27 miles, around Rye and Winchelsea, and also across the river down to the heaving and hideous tourist mecca that is Camber Sands on a boiling August day. We both had very sore bottoms by the end.
Here is a windmill on the edge of Rye.
And here is Camber Castle, seen across Rye Nature Reserve.
On Wednesday we went to Herstmonceux Castle - a much restored 15th century manor house that usually operates as a study centre. The Greenwich Observatory was based there until the 1970s, too. Castle and observatory were closed, of course, but the grounds were open and were very pretty - although, once again, it was really just Too Hot to appreciate them properly.
There were some very strange trees. The first one was particularly strange. This is all one tree, rooted in two places.
After that, we went to Pevensey Castle - a Norman Castle built in the middle of Roman outer walls, rather like Portchester - but it was very covered with scaffolding.
On Thursday we decided just to keep it local, given the heat, and wandered around the nature reserve, came back for lunch, then went out to wander some more. The afternoon wandering was done despite - or, rather, because of - the sight of a black sky coming in. I'd hoped for some impressive sun-and-black-sky pictures. Instead, we got utterly drenched. The shower only lasted about 10 minutes in total, but that was quite enough. So we went back home and played a board game (Britannia) with the patio doors wide open to hear the background noise of pub and seagulls - i.e. sounds that shouted "we're on holiday!". I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Normally on holiday I like to go out all the time seeing castles and museums during every hour of the day, but it was really nice just to have a relaxing day with a few walks and games in a different setting.
That was our wedding anniversary. We'd thought we might eat at the pub - or, rather, eat there the night before, since then it would be half price - but the pub beer garden on the river bank got the full force of the evening sun. Our own little front garden just across the road was shaded in the evening, so instead we bought a luxury frozen ready meal from the "Cook" range and ate it in far more comfort.
There were lots of rumours of thunderstorms, and when it got dark we could see lots of lightning flashing in the distance, but no thunder. I discovered the live lightning tracker website, and was amazed to discover that the lightning we were seeing was up to 50 or 60 miles away. I got quite addicted to matching up flashes in the distance to pings on the map on the website. I was most disappointed not to get a decent storm nearby.
On the Friday, we went to Battle Abbey. Since this is mostly an outdoor site - the abbey ruins and the battlefield tour - it was mostly open as normal, and was very interesting. The children's battlefield trail was particularly well done, with full-sized wooden Normans and Saxons along the way for children to charge at, form shield walls with and so on. We were chased down the hill by some "Norman" girls with bows and arrows, much to the embarrassment of their mum. We assured her it was fine, as we ran away screaming.
One poor Norman was having a bad time of it, though.
On the Saturday we returned home by way of my parents in Gloucestershire, which was not by any stretch of the imagination en route, but since we don't have a mainland car at the moment, it seemed like the best way to get a quick visit in. The heatwave had finished by now, and it was gloomy and chilly, but we still managed a few hours in my Mum's very impressively planted garden.
Anyway... Here I am. And here is an account of the holiday we had a few weeks ago in East Sussex, during the brief heatwave. It seems a world away now that I'm sitting here shivering in the gloom, wind and drizzle.
We'd initially booked this holiday for the first week in May. We didn't deliberately choose East Sussex as such, but were aiming for Kent. We'd had several long weekends there, and felt we'd barely scratched the surface of its castles and stately homes. However, my number one criterion for a holiday cottage is "does it have a balcony with a view?" - or, at the very least, a patio or window seat with a view, or ideally all of these. There are far more balconies-with-views on coastal properties than in barn conversions on working farms, say, so we ended up with a shortlist of places all on the coast of Kent, plumping in the end for one near Rye. Which turned out not to be in Kent at all. Oh well. (It also proved Very Confusing, since I invariably typed "Ryde" when searching for anything nearby.)
Anyway, the May holiday was cancelled for obvious reasons, but a few weeks after self-catering places opened again in early July, I popped by the agency's website and saw that the same property was available for a week in the middle of August. So with some nervousness and trepidation, we booked it, half expecting Everything To Go Wrong before we got there.
It didn't go wrong. It was a different start to a holiday from normal, since normally I travel over after work on Friday to meet Pellinor in Southampton after work. We then set off in his mainland car for a few hours, staying the night in a Travelodge or similar, ready for a day of sight-seeing before we even get to our cottage. But Pellinor's still working from home, and his mainland car was - after a rather epic journey - brought back home at the end of May. So, for the first time in years, we had to start a holiday with taking the car over. But at least that meant that we could carry a lot more stuff, since it didn't all have to be carried over in installments by Pellinor in his daily commute.
The Saturday was sweltering hot, and the journey was slow, as one would expect from a sweltering Saturday in August near the south coast. Before heading for the cottage, we experienced the strange excitement of the local supermarket chain, where you wander through rustic wagons artistically draped with fresh fruit, local beer and hand-crafted cakes, then turn a corner and are suddenly in tight-packed aisles of Co-op goods.
Our cottage was right next to a nature reserve on the coast near Rye. Or, rather, very near a nature reserve, but right next to a pub. It was so "right next to" that when we were eating in our front garden, we were closer to the pub kitchen than anyone eating in the pub's own beer garden. Fortunately, it was a nice pub not prone to raucous late nights, and it was fun to sit on the balcony people-watching from above.
Here is our house. See its balcony! And its window seat! (Well, you can't see the window seat, but it had a great one on the side window on the top floor.) And its patio! (Also invisible, hidden behind flowers.)
I liked the pub sign.
And here's the view from the windowseat across the harbour buildings, the edge of the nature reserve and the river mouth. (The river on the Rother. I never tired of saying "River Rother.") I took this particular picture on my phone later in the week, when the sky was getting quite black, in the hope that I'd have one of those lovely "sun shining on things against a black sky background" but the weather - and my phone - failed to coooperate.
On the Sunday, we went to Walmer Castle, where we met up with one of Pellinor's many sisters, along with her partner and their 2 and a half year old. (Who was bought a hobby horse as a souvenir, and promptly named it after Pellinor. Hmm...) The castle itself was closed, but there were plenty of grounds to wander in, and wildlife to observe.
I took fewer pictures than normal on a holiday. Some of this was because it was actually rather hazy throughout, but also because I've realised that about half my pictures are normally of the quirky things you see inside stately homes and museums - comical lions, quirky carvings etc. This is the best comical lion I managed all week.
I liked the English Heritage method of encouraging social distancing.
Actually, the main thing we learnt from Walmer Castle was all about knopper galls, since the oak we ate lunch beneath was infested all over with them. "What weird acorns!" we went - cue the internet, cue the answer.
The others then left, and we headed to the White Cliffs of Dover en route home, which was heaving, but there was plenty of space for all.
Thank goodness the National Trust was on hand to show us where the lighthouse was!
Monday was HOT. Well, Sunday was HOT, really, but Monday was REALLY HOT. We drove a few miles to Fairlight in the Hastings Country Park, meaning to do a good walk, but it was just too hot so we gave up after 4 or 5 miles and drove to Rye. Rye was pretty, but it was also far too hot. The streets were busy - too busy for social distancing - and it was just too hot to sit outside a cafe or in a park. So we went back to the cottage and strolled around the nature reserve instead, and did some paddling.
The iconic landmark of Rye Nature Reserve.
The square building below is the old lifeboat station of Rye Harbour, about a mile and a half away from the settlement itself, left as a memorial to the Mary Stanford lifeboat disaster of 1928, when the entire crew - 17 men - drowned when they'd gone out after a boat that had already been saved. I very much like the song about the disaster, although it does make me cry. I prefer the version I have on CD - a cover version done by a Canadian duo, with added hurdy gurdy (I love hurdy-gurdies) - but I can't find that online.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5PiW3fn6uQ
And here is a Thing on the beach.
On Tuesday we hired bikes from the hire place just yards from our front door. These were mountain bikes, which caused me some confusion, since I've never ridden a bike with a high cross-bar before, so kept trying to get on and off by stepping over it in front. The terrain was ideal for cycling, since it was dead flat (except for when we chose to wheel our bikes up the steep hill into Winchelsea) and mostly offroad. We worked out afterwards that we did 27 miles, around Rye and Winchelsea, and also across the river down to the heaving and hideous tourist mecca that is Camber Sands on a boiling August day. We both had very sore bottoms by the end.
Here is a windmill on the edge of Rye.
And here is Camber Castle, seen across Rye Nature Reserve.
On Wednesday we went to Herstmonceux Castle - a much restored 15th century manor house that usually operates as a study centre. The Greenwich Observatory was based there until the 1970s, too. Castle and observatory were closed, of course, but the grounds were open and were very pretty - although, once again, it was really just Too Hot to appreciate them properly.
There were some very strange trees. The first one was particularly strange. This is all one tree, rooted in two places.
After that, we went to Pevensey Castle - a Norman Castle built in the middle of Roman outer walls, rather like Portchester - but it was very covered with scaffolding.
On Thursday we decided just to keep it local, given the heat, and wandered around the nature reserve, came back for lunch, then went out to wander some more. The afternoon wandering was done despite - or, rather, because of - the sight of a black sky coming in. I'd hoped for some impressive sun-and-black-sky pictures. Instead, we got utterly drenched. The shower only lasted about 10 minutes in total, but that was quite enough. So we went back home and played a board game (Britannia) with the patio doors wide open to hear the background noise of pub and seagulls - i.e. sounds that shouted "we're on holiday!". I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Normally on holiday I like to go out all the time seeing castles and museums during every hour of the day, but it was really nice just to have a relaxing day with a few walks and games in a different setting.
That was our wedding anniversary. We'd thought we might eat at the pub - or, rather, eat there the night before, since then it would be half price - but the pub beer garden on the river bank got the full force of the evening sun. Our own little front garden just across the road was shaded in the evening, so instead we bought a luxury frozen ready meal from the "Cook" range and ate it in far more comfort.
There were lots of rumours of thunderstorms, and when it got dark we could see lots of lightning flashing in the distance, but no thunder. I discovered the live lightning tracker website, and was amazed to discover that the lightning we were seeing was up to 50 or 60 miles away. I got quite addicted to matching up flashes in the distance to pings on the map on the website. I was most disappointed not to get a decent storm nearby.
On the Friday, we went to Battle Abbey. Since this is mostly an outdoor site - the abbey ruins and the battlefield tour - it was mostly open as normal, and was very interesting. The children's battlefield trail was particularly well done, with full-sized wooden Normans and Saxons along the way for children to charge at, form shield walls with and so on. We were chased down the hill by some "Norman" girls with bows and arrows, much to the embarrassment of their mum. We assured her it was fine, as we ran away screaming.
One poor Norman was having a bad time of it, though.
On the Saturday we returned home by way of my parents in Gloucestershire, which was not by any stretch of the imagination en route, but since we don't have a mainland car at the moment, it seemed like the best way to get a quick visit in. The heatwave had finished by now, and it was gloomy and chilly, but we still managed a few hours in my Mum's very impressively planted garden.
