ON YOUR DOORSTEP

Danny Cottage lies back from a quiet country lane only ten minutes walk from the village square of Alfriston. One of the prettiest villages in England Alfriston has houses dating back to the 14th century including the Old Clergy House, the first property bought by the National Trust for just £10.00. The magnificent church is known as the 'Cathedral of the South Downs' and is set on the banks of the river Cuckmere which meanders its way three miles to the sea. Smugglers used the river in the 18th Century to transport their contraband inland to Alfriston for distribution around the country. The village still boasts four pubs - smuggling is thirsty work!!

Activities

The Cuckmere Valley appeals to visitors with a variety of tastes and interests. Luckily for the walkers there are excellent guidebooks of the countless wonderful walks in the valley and on the downs around. A gentle stroll to any of the dozen or so pubs serving great local food, beers, ciders and even English wines is as much walking as many Danny Cottage guests want: but keen hikers like the proximity of The Southdowns Way, the 90 mile footpath from Eastbourne's Beachy Head to Petersfield in Hampshire. Other favourite local walks are in Friston Forest and the adjoining 70 acre Seven Sisters Country Park.

Bikers are well served by three bike hire centres in the vicinity and the Cuckoo Trail for cyclists, horse riders and walkers. The trail is being extended to the port of Newhaven and will join up with cycle networks through out the whole of England.

There are opportunities for both sea and freshwater fishing and boating, riding, golf, gliding and tennis. For all the fun of the traditional seaside people head to Brighton, Eastbourne or Hastings, however, quieter parts of the seashore are found at the mouth of Cuckmere Haven where the river meets the sea between the huge white cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Seaford Head. Pevensey Bay and Normans Bay have long stretches of sand at low tide.

Historic Buildings and Sites

The Long Man of Wilmington, a 250 foot high figure carved into the chalk hills, is shrouded in mystery but seems to be standing guard over the residents of the villages in the valley below. One of the smallest churches in England seating only 14 people is at Lullington and is where the actor Dirk Bogard as a child lived in the house next to the church and later wrote his reminiscences in the best seller 'A Postillion Struck by Lighting'. This and other books by local authors are on the shelves in Danny Cottage. Charleston Farm House near Firle was the wonderfully painted home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and was regularly visited by her sister, Virginia Wolfe, and all the other notorious Bloomsbury group. Nearby Berwick Church was painted by the group during the war. Firle Place, the home of the Gage family for 500 years including General Gage who lost the American colonies as a result of the Revolutionary War, houses a wonderful collection of paintings, china and furniture.

Eating Out

There are many pubs nearby that serve very good home cooked food and also some top class restaurants such as The Hungry Monk at Jevington, and Sillets at Selmeston. In Brighton and Eastbourne and other towns not far from Alfriston you will find all types of restaurants, familiar names, fast food, take away, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Mexican, French as well as trendy bars and night clubs.

Recommended pubs for eating lunch or supper include; The Plough and Harrow at Litlington, The Giants Rest at Wilmington, The Golden Galleon at Exceat, The Cricketers at Berwick, The Rose Cottage Inn at Alciston, and The George at Alfriston.

Further a field

If you can bear to leave Danny Cottage for the day and take a day trip out the choice is endless. From Canterbury to the East and Portsmouth to the West you are able to relive history from the 4000 year old Neolithic 'long barrows' to Roman Villas, Norman Castles, Mediaeval Villages, Tudor ships, Napoleonic towers, Victorian Follies, industrial museums, wartime bunkers, and 1930's pavilions.

If natural history is more your thing then there is plenty of that too. Dramatic rolling hills, forests, rivers, lakes and the seashore are a delight for bird watchers and wild flower enthusiasts. There are many footpaths, all clearly marked, and guided walks are always available. The South is the garden of England and there is a huge variety and number of gardens that can be visited. Wakehurst Place, managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Leonardslee, Sheffield Park, Groombridge Place, and the most magnificent Sissinghurst are just a few. Many vineyards and orchards also welcome visitors.

Maybe you also want to see some city life; well Danny Cottage is a great base for that too. You are only an hour and a half away from London by train. Brighton is one of England's most cosmopolitan centres with international shopping, theatres that often have pre-London runs, concerts, opera, museums, galleries and a major annual arts festival in May each year. The Royal Pavilion is not to be missed. Lewes and Royal Tunbridge Wells are both charming towns and are well known antique centres; Eastbourne holds famous tennis tournaments and has the most beautiful parks and gardens. The towns and villages offer every type of shopping from village markets and farm shops to craft centres, specialty shops, antique markets and galleries, and even major shopping centres. Be sure not to miss Much Ado Bookshop in Alfriston.

Arundel, Hever, Hastings, Bodiam and Leeds are just a few of the many castles to visit on a day trip. Chichester and Canterbury Cathedral, Michelham Priory, and Battle Abbey as well as the many tiny churches found in every little village, are full of historical and architectural interest. Portsmouth Harbour has a fascinating exhibit of England's naval history. You can tour ancient ships including the Mary Rose (Henry VIII's War Ship), HMS Victory (Lord Nelson's Flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar) and HMS Warrior (the world's first iron-hulled armoured warship) as well as visit a very comprehensive museum.

Many authors, artists, and other famous people were attracted to the area and their works and lives are represented in museums and some of their homes are open to visitors. Chaucer, Dickens, Virginia Wolf, Rudyard Kipling, Henry James, Winston Churchill, Ellen Terry, all lived in, loved or wrote about this corner of England.

The Southern region also has many attractions for family groups. For the young ones Drusillas is a must. Allow plenty of time as you will not be able to get the kids out of the playground. There are loads of farm animals at Middle Farm (also a great farm shop) and for every age, Knock Hatch Adventure Park, New Haven Fort, Butlins, Paradise Park and Paultons Park are all great fun. Sealife Centres are in Hastings and Brighton and there are very good zoos in Kent, Sussex and Hampshire. Danny Cottage is full of guidebooks and brochures telling you about all of these attractions.

We have not even mentioned Goodwood House, home to the Duke of Richmond with its Canalettos and porcelain collection or Amberly Chalk Pits Industrial Museum or Singleton open-air museum with over 35 historic buildings rescued and reconstructed on the site. Nor have we managed to tell you about Anne of Cleeves House in Lewes. You are right; you cannot see all the sights and do all the things laid on for you in one holiday at Danny Cottage. We suggest you relax, take your time, and enjoy your days out, because we know you will want to come back again next year and the year after until you have seen it all. And then, who knows? You will probably want to come and live here!!!