Kent and East Sussex - Part I

 

Overall an interesting but at times fraught, 10 day trip. Driving and navigating in this densely-populated area was difficult and tiring so I cut out several planned site-seeing trips. There was also a heatwave to contend with (up to 32deg). It made me wonder about some of my plans to tour alone in Europe - at least I didn't have driving on the right and language issues to deal with on this trip.   

7th Sept Cambridge stop over

Hot and tired so shopped locally for a snacky tea, and didn't visit Cambridge...

8th Sept Canterbury, Kent via Dartford crossing and Chatham Historic Dockyard

Well worth visiting this large outdoor museum site. Highlights: the rope walk tour, Hearts of Oak installation about wooden boat construction, the Big Space area full of miscellaneous 'stuff' from satellite models to old chains to lifeboats, getting on board a destroyer.

The campsite was packed. My grass pitch was surrounded by trees, but sadly next to a racist bore. Too hot to walk to town so I had to bus/taxi to town, and initial impression in my diary says 'Gawd,what a shame' - very scruffy, construction works and litter everywhere (this will become a recurring theme). The cathedral cloisters were lovely however.

Phil and Liz

Shame about the scaffolding

DIARY EXCERPT - RANT

All day I've been trying to take nice photos but the CRAP everywhere - adverts, warnings, hoardings, barriers, cleaning signs, tools discarded. No-one sees all this MESS! Bins, litter, bollards, tacked up notices, 'shop' signs on lovely buildings.

The next day was so hot I didn't visit Margate...

10th Sept, Hythe

Dungeness by heritage train

This was 'one of those days' with 14 things going wrong. No photos due to my phone not charging, so here is a link to the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway Unable to find the end of the line (or anywhere to park) I eventually set off from New Romney across the marshes to Hythe and then Dungeness. The landscape reminded me of East Anglia - flat and marshy with long bumpy single-track roads. 

Hythe was a lovely seafront town at this time of year, with a shady walk along Napoleonic-era military canal to the front and shingle beach. I eventually managed to get some lunch from the grumpy woman at the station cafe, who was very cross that people were arriving during her lunch break...

Dungeness was not exactly the remote location it is touted as, and due to the heat I just took a short walk on the boardwalk. Derek Jarman's cottage is now in private hands so I decided not to go up to it and gawk. A nice gallery owner mended my broken brolly/parasol for me. Had a pint of  Kent's Shepherd Neame in one of the 2 pubs and watched the crowds of people using the buses, trains and aeroplanes at this 'isolated spot'.

Dalesacres site was pleasant enough but no local eateries.

Sissinghurst

Beautiful day to visit Sissinghurst 'castle' and gardens. The title of 'castle' was a sarcastic nickname given by French prisoners who were shut up in its dank tower in 1750-ish during the Seven Year War. Interesting gardens as you would expect, and quirky house details supplied by Vera Sackcloth-Vest (aka Vita Sackville-West).

Lunch in a waspy orchard cafe, scented with roses and lavender, then back to the site along a scenic route with oast houses, hop fields, clapper-board houses - lovely. I drove through Rye, unable to find anywhere to park, again, so couldn't stop but it looked very attractive all tumbled over a hill down to a working harbour. I'm not surprised it is popular. Luckily found a great supermarket so I could have steak and wine for tea. 

Tonight, I am (sings to tune of Genesis Supper's Ready) 'Waiting for Battle!' as I hope to visit tomorrow, crossing in to East Sussex.

Kent and East Sussex - Part II

12th September, East Sussex  - Not going to Battle, not going to Lewes

'Christ on a bike!' I noted in my diary at the end of the day. I was totally defeated in my attempt to get in to the village of Battle to see the famous 1066 location - it was flipping heaving! I was naively expecting a big empty field with some information boards and maybe a shop selling plastic Norman helmets for the kids. Wrong! A real tourist hotspot, with an abbey and high street - cramped and overwhelmed by traffic, I pity the poor buggers who live there. Despite it being one of the main reasons for my trip South, I drove off in a hissy fit.

But - happy day - I found the super Pevensey Castle by accident, with the Royal Oak PUB for lunch next door, a car park with special motorhome spaces (yay!) so I had a brilliant time. The castle marks the spot where William the Conqueror's  boats came ashore, so in fact is even more significant than that other place. A really relaxing visit, and I joined English Heritage.

On the way to Broomfield CMC site, I was intending to visit the Long Man of Wilmington. I did see the huge figure, carved in to the hillside, but it was from sitting in an enormous sweaty traffic jam on the A27. I lost the will to live and didn't visit. Here is an artist's impression (by UKPhoenix79).

The campsite site was lovely (but isolated, and along tight, narrow lanes). I was in a quiet wooded section complete with owls at night. 

13th Sept, Seven Sisters

The next day it was off to see the cliffs of the Seven Sisters, by this time I was fully expecting not to be able to PARK, but thankfully all was ok. I joined the path from the visitor's centre down to the famous viewpoint. Agatha Christie's Poirot fans will recognise it from TVs Elephant's Can Remember.

I walked most of the way there with four women from the US, who were all on holiday, very interesting people. A lovely 3m walk in all, in glorious sun. On return to the centre I had a picnic lunch and headed back.

On the way back to the site, a real piece of serendipity - I called in at a nearby farm shop/cafe for supplies and got chatting to the lady there (no, surely not, how unlike you to start gassing to complete strangers Alison). She asked if I had come for the gallery opening the next day. Gallery??? I had stumbled on Farleys House and Gallery, which only opens twice a week.

So I booked another night at the campsite and took a look the next day (14th):

Lee Miller and Roland Penrose lived here, she was a photographer and cook, and he a sculptor. They entertained many famous people including Picasso, Ernst and Miro. The house interior was gorgeous, take a look at the link, as no photos were allowed.

What a find! And a lovely last visit of the trip, as I feel the weariness in my bones that says it is time to go home.

15th Sept, Cambridgeshire, Hill Farm

I decided not to go to Lewes or Charleston, and instead spend 2 nights at the stop-off, rather than thrash it back up to Harrogate.

The route took me through Royal Tunbridge Wells which did look lovely, but I was back in to congested roads now, all through the Dartford tunnel and on the M11.

I was very glad to get to the site. Bizarrely, I had booked a pitch right under Duxford Air Show! The heat continued, so I had a full day mucking about with the van and peering at the Red Arrows and all sorts of planes just overhead - the photos don't do it justice, I was too busy watching. Plane-spotter neighbours on site told me about the nearest shop, as they come every year, so I was able to get some treats for my last few nights.