Updated: Jul 8, 2021
Day Seven (Final) - A Journey of Discovery in East Sussex
It was our last day of exploration. John had devised a visit plan of some gentle walking to show us some of the beauty of the Sussex South Downs, and I had checked the website of Michelham Priory which said we didn’t have to pre-book for our Saturday visit. We piled into the car and set off.
First stop was Folkington down a gravelled lane with tree branches forming a lovely canopy overhead. John had been several times on annual walks with our brother Peter along the South Downs which John now missed. Age is creeping us up and the first body parts to feel it most are our feet, ankles and calves, so I’m always looking down to watch where I tread on uneven ground. Now I sport my Dr Martens type boots as everyday footwear.
An opening in front of us showed us the sweeping serenity of the Downs. Home - South Downs National Park Authority It was my first proper visual intake of them and I wanted to walk and explore. For a while, we all climbed up a track, leaned against a field gate and admired the views. Wonderful! Then carefully trod back to the car and off to Wilmington. My son Marcus, said he could have wandered off quite easily on his own and seen us after several hours. Next year you can Marcus at your leisure! Please Click on the photo images to enlarge, and hover over to read any captions. All photos are credited to Marysia Zipser unless otherwise captioned. My carousel photos you can stop and study at any time.
On arrival at Wilmington we stopped in the public car park and read all the signs and information about The Long Man which appeared mysteriously in front of us. It is Europe’s largest portrayal of the human form, dating back to at least 1710 when the surveyor John Rowley illustrated the figure. But what is it exactly? Does it go back to ancient neolithic times? More information can be gleaned here
We wandered out of the car park and turned left down the village street, coming to the remains of the Priory, founded in the 11th century and enlarged in 1243 by Benedictine monks from Grestain Abbey in Normandy. More information is here Wilmington Priory The surviving building is now owned by the Landmark Trust and let as holiday accommodation, details here Wilmington Priory, East Sussex
I loved inspecting these buildings from the outside and especially the flint and stonework. Then onward to Wilmington Church of St Mary & St Peter. Up the pathway through the iron gate, the ancient yew tree presides which is reputed to be over 1600 years old, its vast canopy spreading across the churchyard. What a magnificent sight! The churchyard is a haven of peacefulness, I could have lingered so much longer. The church beckoned me in. My photographs tell my experience. Wilmington – St Mary and St Peter – Sussex Parish Churches St Mary and St Peter's Church, Wilmington
Outside in the churchyard again I veered around in more detail looking at the gravestones noticing their good condition and their protection of the elements by the arboreal canopy.
Notice (left) the graphite rubbing we took of the memorial plaque on large stone tomb to Thomas Ade, his wife and their eleven children.
I plonked myself down on a wooden bench just outside the stone walls to admire the glorious vista of the South Downs and for further contemplation.
Onward now to Michelham Priory at Upper Dicker. We obtained our entry tickets at the gatehouse, crossing the bridge over the moat. The man said that weekend they were, for the first time since lockdown, hosting a Classic Vehicle Show on the expansive lawns. Growing up in a motor business family, John and I were delighted to see the classic cars displayed, so he and Marcus went on for closer inspections. They had scaled down this event this year, limiting cars and visitors on site to comply with social distancing guidances. Michelham Priory boasts England’s longest medieval water filled moat and offers a great day out for all the family. The surviving buildings are owned and administered by the Sussex Archaeological Society. The moat encircles a site steeped in history dating back to 1229, from its foundation by Augustinian canons, through the destruction caused by the dissolution of the monasteries in Tudor times and into its later life as a country house in World War II. All the information you need on this beautiful place and to plan your visit is here https://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/michelham-priory and https://www.historichouses.org/houses/house-listing/michelham-priory.html
We all so enjoyed our guided tour learning about its history and artefacts room by room on the ground floor applauding our guide who led us, and then ascended upstairs. I thought the curation throughout was superb. Note our graphite rubbing of an oak bible box, and Marcus’s ink drawing of the Priory frontage.
After our tour, we all wandered off in different directions. There are many photos I took here, and of the magnificent gardens so take your time to study them. I just loved my exploration of the gardens as you will notice.
It was a beautiful ending to our last day of exploration in East Sussex. We drove home to Bexhill base camp to enjoy our final meal together and recollect. Marcus and I are truly thankful to my brother John and his wife Christine who were wonderful gracious hosts and fonts of knowledge. We will be back hopefully next year to fill in those missed touring and walking experiences I highlighted. The next morning we returned to Beeston-Nottingham. I hope you’ve enjoyed my week’s Journey of Discovery in East Sussex and hope my daily blogs and photo montages will entice you to visit this beautiful English region “which oozes in history” as John says.
Marysia Zipser Website ART - CULTURE - TOURISM - Home Facebook Art Culture Tourism - International - Home Facebook /marysia.zipser.7/ Twitter Art-Culture-Tourism (@MarysiaZipser) LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marysia-zipser- Email marysia@artculturetourism.co.uk
Day Six - Journey of Discovery in East Sussex
I booked Herstmonceux Castle gardens tickets online the day before. We entered the main gates at around 11am and motored down the sweeping driveway (passing the Observatory Science Centre on right, still closed to the public) to the car park in front of this magnificent moated red brick castle. What an awesome sight it was! Please study and read their website here Herstmonceux Castle. The Castle operates as an International Study Centre for Queen’s University in Canada. You can tell how excited Marcus and I were by just seeing our expressions taken as a selfie. We’re both fascinated by red brick castles and have wanted to visit the largest red brick century castle (13th century) in the world, Malbork of the Teutonic Order, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in north Poland. However, Herstmonceux is one of the oldest significant brick buildings still standing in England, dating from 1441. Construction began under the then-owner, Sir Roger Fiennes, and was continued after his death in 1449, by his son Lord Dacre.
We entered the castle reception area to pick up our gardens & grounds layout map, and walked up the courtyard admiring the architecture, and into the Long Border and Rose Garden with Sundial. “The bust of Sir John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal and founder of The Royal Greenwich Observatory, stands in front of the large, central sundial.
Largely planted with David Austin modern “English” roses, within the beds can be found varieties of hybrid tea and floribunda shrub roses. Growing in frames and against three of the walls are climbing roses.” (extract from website).
I bent down to smell the first rose I encountered and was knocked out by its fragrance. It was called ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’. I then proceeded to sniff all the roses in the garden, and then was beautifully surprised to nose the climbing rose of ‘Claire Austin’. She was a knock out too! The whole experience made me feel like an orchestral conductor of Procol Harum's beautiful music and words with that first fragrance as lead-in. THAT rose, I decided, will be perfect for a middle section space in my Beeston garden. Let the garden art orchestra begin!
Please Click on the photo images to enlarge, and hover over to read captions. All photos are credited to Marysia Zipser unless otherwise captioned. My carousel photos you can stop and study at any time.
Journeying through all the section gardens and grounds alerted all my senses. The visual effects were tantalizing. All my photos of the gardens and grounds show my passion for all things garden art, landscaping and horticultural. Use them as a ‘journey’ and immerse yourself in their ‘stories’.
I joined up with Marcus at the garden exit and we ventured into the Visitor Centre to study the timeline of the castle and its owners. This explained everything in more detail as to who, what and why, the beginning to the present. As we walked back to the car, we glimpsed back at this beautiful castle, moat and setting, and sighed. Such an awesome experience, and I vowed to return next year and to visit the Observatory Science Centre.
We then motored onto the village of Firle. A Guide to Firle | Things To See and Do in Firle | Sussex This whole area boasts the finest arts, architecture, horticulture, landscaping and all cultures combined into a wholly magnificent history touring experience. Unfortunately Firle Place was still closed due to Covid19 and ‘Charleston’, the home of the Bloomsbury Group’s Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant was fully booked way ahead for garden visitors, so I vowed to return there next year, as well as nearby Glynde. We slowly veered into the village Inn’s car park, and then walked through, deciding it the perfect place to have our late lunch, after we’d explored the village and its church.
As I neared the church, I could hear piano music. I listened more closely at the Norman arched main door, tried to unlock the handle but it didn’t open, so we walked around to the side entrance and freely entered. A lady was practising her music pieces for two weddings and a funeral booked for the weekend. She looked up, stopped and spoke to us charmingly about the Church of St Peter. What a beautiful and calming interior. Marcus and I were fascinated by all the stained glass windows, Brasses, Vestry, Tombs and Chancel. All information is detailed in their church guide booklet and on the websites St Peter's Church | Church in Firle | Firle and West Firle – St Peter (Sussex Parish Churches)
