Very nice place to go for a hike or just to see the mesmerising views! I saw many dog walkers along…read morethe way; probably frequent walkers. Fortunately, there is a fence keeping anyone from going and damaging the Long Man itself. I have recently been on a 10 mile hike along the South Downs and it was amazing! I really enjoyed seeing the views of Firle Beacon, Hove, Polegate and many more towns. Definitely a lovely place for a hike on a sunny day; but remember to bring plenty of water as it can get quite hot up there! I sat down for a quick drink and sat there for a little while admiring the spectacular views! I recommend this to anyone in the East Sussex region as the South Downs stretch much further than the Long Man itself! Overall, a lovely place to visit if you need a bit or fresh, warm air!

Southwick is now firmly part of the suburban sprawl running from Brighton and Shoreham, and is…read moreknown to most people for the power station that dominates the far side of Shoreham Harbour. But there was a community here in Saxon times, and its church is surprisingly ancient. In fact, the walk from the station crosses the Green, an attractive and villagey stretch of tree-lined common which splits Southwick into two halves. There are some handsome cottages surrounded by well appointed semi-detached suburban homes, and a rather less appealing row of post-war shops. St Michael and All Angels was, until the 18th century, dedicated to St Margaret, and sits among a very pretty churchyard, thickly studded with trees. Although there was probably a church here in Saxon times, it first recorded in 1086, and in 1206 the right to appoint the rector was granted to the Templars, and then to the Hospitallers, although much of the early mediaeval period was taken up with disputes over these rights with the monks of Sele Priory. The ownership passed from Sele Priory to Magdelene College at the Dissolution, and patronage thereafter passed to the Crown until the 20th century. Fire in the 19th Century damaged the nave and an unexploded bomb (and the subsequent excavation to remove it) damaged the tower in 1941. The church itself is built of flint, and is essentially in three parts: the tower, nave and chancel. The tower is by far the most impressive part: its foundations and lower walls are said to be Saxon, although it mostly dates from the late 12th and 13th centuries. It is an attractive composition, with paired round-headed arches with narrow openings surmounted by paired gothic lancets and, above that, a shingle broach spire. The west door is also attractive, but a modern addition: the tower was carefully taken down and faithfully rebuilt in 1950 after the bomb damage, with vestries built either side. The chancel is mostly 13th century, with two original lancets, framed by a 14th century chancel arch. There are two round headed arches to the south, although the central column probably dates from the Victorian rebuilding. A 14th wooden screen with narrow lancets also survives in the south aisle. The nave burned down in the 1830s and was rebuilt with narrow lean-to aisles in 1834, with round-headed arcades and lancet windows. Pevsner's Buildings of England described the nave as a 'loveless cover for pew-space', which I think is a bit harsh, although there's no doubt it doesn't match the quality of the tower. The furnishings other than the south aisle screen - are limited in interest to what appears to be a mediaeval aumbry, some 18th and 19th century tombs and memorials, and a sturdy, square font, probably from the 13th century. The church is today the centre of large and busy parish, and has a vibrant church life, with services daily through the week.

Built to defend an important port on the River Adur, Bramber Castle was constructed as a motte and…read morebailey castle around 1073 by William De Braose, who fought alongside William the Conqueror at the battle of Hastings in 1066. Apart from a period of confiscation during the reign of King John, it remained in the ownership of the De Braose family until themale line died out in 1324. Thereafter, it passed via the Mowbray and Howard families into the estate of the Dukes of Norfolk, who held it until it until 1926. It was given to the National Trust in 1946. Very little survives of the original castle, thanks to a gradual decline over the years, damage during the Civil War in 1642 and looting of the stones as a quarry for building by the locals. The most prominent feature is the tall and unsteady-looking fragment of the Gatehouse tower, still standing to almost its full original height. In the centre of the grounds is the impressive original motte, its earthen mound rising some 30ft (10m). A short distance away is a section of the curtain wall which survives up to 10ft (3m) in places. Around the perimeter are also the remains of the castle's impressive moat. (NB be careful with small children, as there are some sheer drops in places). Although the ruins are rather fragmentary, the grounds are beautifully kept by the National Trust, and make a wonderful place for a picnic, as well as affording excellent views of the surrounding countryside.

This place is a bit of a let down. There seems to be no effort to make it obvious where/what parts…read moreof the ruins were. They have a lame sign at the entrance but little else. It just seems like an enclosed play field.

Next to the impressive parish church of Saint Andrew's, the Alfriston Clergy House is also known as…read morethe Priest's House. It was the National Trust's first property, bought in 1896 for £10, and sensitively restored by Alfred Powell. It was probably built by a farmer around 1350, roughly at the same time as the church. It was acquired by the church in the 1400s, although it is not known whether it was actually used by the Priest or not. But it is still a very fine example of a Wealden 'hall house', of the type once commonly built by yeoman farmers in the area. The house is timber-framed, with closely-studded walls and a thatched roof. It was originally arranged around a central hall, with the private family rooms (or 'solar') at one end and the serving quarters at the other. The upper rooms at each end project. The house was remodelled in the 16th century, when the service wing was rebuilt in brick to include a fireplace and bread oven. The hall has a fine crown-post roof, and an unusual floor made of chalk and milk - the lactic acid in the milk reacting with the chalk to produce a sort of concrete. The lovely cottage-style gardens were laid out by Sir Robert Witt in the 1920s, and it is as much for these that it is worth a visit. Admission (2009 prices) is £3.90 for adults and £1.95 for children.

Thatcher would be proud…read more Looking around Hever, many would be left with the impression that the owners are enormous fans of Anne Boleyn. The unfortunate wife of Henry VIII is, after all, the main focus of the exhibition and makes an appearance on much of the marketing material. But look a bit closer, and the more astute visitor may notice a different, more 'true blue', streak permeating the house. Yes, Labour voters clutch your pearls, but the proprietors appear to be worshippers of none other than Margaret Thatcher. (More so than Ms Boleyn, I would wager.) In the castle, visitors are treated to a near life-size oil painting of the union basher. And for those lucky enough to stay in the guest house for the price of £300 per night, they will find a letter written by the Iron Lady to thank the castle for her stay that has been framed and hung in one of the hallways. Among the owners personal possessions, I note Ms Boleyn has not received a similar dose of affection. Of interest is also the fact that this castle, its stunning gardens and water maze, owe their amazing condition to our friends across the Atlantic. Most stately homes in Britain are now virtually on their knees, with years of decline and underinvestment in the country reflected in their faded carpets, moth-eaten curtains and peeling paintwork. Hever, however, has avoided this fate for the good reason that it was bought by... gasp... an AMERICAN. Horrifying as it may sound, Mr Astor - who owes his astounding wealth to the rise of New York City - purchased the castle and injected nothing short of a fortune into it in order to create the attraction that we see today. Demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit so often absent in Britain, he then had the vision to order the construction of a second moat, a lake, a walled Italian garden complete with artefacts from Pompeii, a 'wall waterfall' and to direct the gardeners to shape some bushes like a chess set. I don't think he was involved in the water maze, so loved locally, but its presence reflects Hever's enduring ambitious spirit. Perhaps it was this spirit that so inspired Margaret Thatcher to write of Hever: 'I have seen several castles and large country houses but none as perfect as Hever.'

If you are visiting London, Hever Castle is a must do. Only a 90 minute drive from London hotels,…read morethe trip is well worth the wait upon arrival. From its sprawling vistas to the castle itself this place is a real treat. There is a large lake on site that offers rowing, an area that allows you to try your hand at archery and even a place to see falconry. There are jousting exhibitions and plenty of food from the cafe or restaurant on site. The REAL gem is the castle. Home for Queen Anne Boleyn from 5 years old to 12 one can only imagine the wonder this place brought her. The castle provides an audio tour in several languages so there is no issue there. (The staff are marvelously kind and helpful in the castle and in the dining areas and gift shop.) It's small but chock full of informative history about Anne Boleyn as well as those who lived in the castle after her death. If you are looking for a respite from the concrete jungle and noisy planet that is London, Hever provides you with lots of peace and quiet Tour the rose garden or just sit and enjoy the views and shade from the trees. It's an idyllic setting and a trip that will make your visit to the UK complete.

Herstmonceux Castle is an almost fairytale-like castle, situated in rolling countryside in East…read moreSussex, 10 miles from Eastbourne. The castle buildings themselves are now part of a Canadian College and are not open to the public, but the magnificent gardens are open to the public. There's also a tearoom where you can have refreshments afterwards. Begun in 1441, the castle was begun by Sir Roger Fiennes and completed by his son, Lord Dacre. It was the first major building built in brick in southern England since Roman times. After the fortunes of the family declined, the castle was partially dismantled in the late 18th century and stood as a picturesque ruin until the early 20th century when it was restored to its present form. After the Second World War, the estate became home to the Royal Greenwich Observatory, moved from London because of increasing light pollution and excessive ground movement from trains and traffic. (This is now the Observatory Science centre - see separate reviews.) The Observatory closed in the 1980s and in the 1990s became part of Queen's College, Ontario, as Bader College. Access to the grounds is available daily February to November, £8 for adults and £3.50 for 4-17s. Season tickets are available for regular visitors and there are discounts for those living locally. The castle grounds are extensive, and the castle itself sits at one end of a lake with an impressive moat at the front. The gardens include the quadrangle in the middle of the castle, which is followed by a series of walled gardens. These have magnificent herbaceous borders, as well as an Apothecary's garden, Rose Garden, Elizabethan Garden, and walks around the castle moat, and across a wildflower meadow up to a Folly and lake. It's worth a visit of at least a couple of hours. There's a gift shop and cafe - we had a pot of tea for two and really excellent cakes on our visit (a toffee apple muffin and a pumpkin and ginger cake) for under £10. The ticket office entrance is on the east of the estate, accessed through the grounds of the Science Observatory. There is a small car park opposite the main entrance to the front of the castle (parking on gravel / grass). From the village and mediaeval church, access is indirect via public footpaths, but there is no vehicular access this way.

Boasting a fairly colorful history, including standing as an exterior walls-only edifice for well…read moreover a century, Herstmonceux Castle's name derived from very early 12th century owners of a manor house that existed on the site, Idonea de Herst who married Ingelram de Monceux, a Norman nobleman. At that time, the manor house was called "Herst of the Monceux." There is evidence that in 1066 some other structure existed before the manor in this location. During most of the 20th century it was vacant, Then, in 1992, it became part of Queen's University at Kingston (Ontario, Canada) and was known as Queen's International Study Centre (ISC), with primarily arts or commerce students. The name later changed, in 2009, to Bader International Study Centre, after Alfred Bader, the Queen's alum who first had the idea to turn this castle into a university study center. Gaining entry may not be possible but the exterior is incredible. Well worth the visit.

The Long Man is one of several chalk figures cut in the landscape of southern England, and along…read morewith the Cerne Abbas giant, one of only two human figures. At over 70m tall, the Long Man is Europe's largest representation of the human form and the second largest in the world. The figure is formed from trenches dug into the ground to reveal the chalk substrate below. History So who is he? His age has long been a mystery and is the topic of fierce dispute. The first recorded image is a drawing made in 1710, which showed him with facial features, a helmet-like head and his feet pointing outwards. It showed the outline as more of an indentation in the grass than a solid white line. Subsequent 18th century drawings depicted the 'staffs' as being a scythe and a rake, although evidence on the ground does not support this - nor the theory that, like the Cerne Abbas giant, he once had genitalia. An archaeological analysis in 2003 of the chalk on the hillside gave a mid-16th century date, although some excavations have produced Roman pottery from the trenches, implying a pre-Roman date. Similar Northern European depictions of helmeted figures with staffs or spears appear from the Iron Ages to the Viking periods and on Roman coins. If he is pre-mediaeval, it is however strange that there is no reference to the figure in the records of the nearby Wilmington Priory. We will probably never know for sure, but there's no doubt that he cuts an imposing figure on the landscape. Whatever his origins, the current image was formed in 1874 when outlined in yellow brick by Rev. W. de St. Croix of the Sussex Archaeological Society, although even then it was realised that the new outline distorted the original image. In 1891 the bricks were replaced with white versions, painted regularly to keep him fresh, but was rather ignominiously painted out using green paint during World War II to prevent him being used as a landmark by enemy planes! In 1969 the outline was remade using concrete blocks into the form we see today. Practicalities There's a car-park just south of the ruined Priory in Wilmington village, from where a public footpath take you right up to the figure. There are excellent views from a wide area of the surrounding countryside.

I grew up in this village, with its majestic chalk man looking down over us each and every day…read more When we were youngsters we used to be able to take our sleds up on a snowy day and whizz down over the Long Man but over recent years they have taken much better care of him and now have fencing erected to preserve him. The walk is quite steep and if you are not too sure-footed, it would be best to just admire the view from the lower levels as both access points (either to the left or to the right of the Priory carpark exit) are very rough. muddy and pitted by horses hooves. Pagans celebrate around the Long Man on specific pagan/wicca "holidays", such as Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain (Hallowe'en) including the equinox celebrations although obviously they are also not allowed on to the figure itself. No-one really knows where he came from 'tho many theories exist. Locals believe he is an older figure, along the lines of the White Horse in the West Country but whatever, he is a powerful image and draws many many tourists to the area each year. He rests in a dip in the Sussex Downs, in many respects sheltered from the worst of the weather from inland and the coastal region (which is only a few miles away). There are plenty of pathways and walks across the Sussex Downs, for example starting off in Polegate and walking across to the River Cuckmere at Exceat, a beautiful walk, which will bypass our Long Man.

Truth be told, it's a ruin. And it's on the ruined side of ruins. Don't expect much to see, there…read moreare only a few wall fragments and arches left. But it's still a quite attractive site as it offers pleasant panoramic views of the area. The castle is just a 10 minute walk from Hastings Central train station. There's a short film (shown in half hour intervals) that will tell you about the history of the castle from medieval times to the present - it's basically just a TV documentary, but moderately interesting. A nice place to relax and while away an hour looking down on Hastings and the sea. Don't expect to learn much about history here, as there is no audio guide either. There's a dungeon, too - but that's just a few narrow corridors under the ground, completely empty. Is it worth the 4 plus xx UKP you have to pay? I'd say yes.

I'm a sucker for medieval history in England, and in particular castles. A recent visit to the…read moreSouth coast saw me head to Hastings Castle for the first time. You can walk up to it, or take the West Hill Cliff Railway (a vertical, carved into the cliff railway built by the Victorians). Even if you are feeling fit you should plump for the railway to experience another of England's historical gems. Don't go expecting a fully fledged castle - what you have at Hastings are a series of fairly spaced out ruins. The most complete remains are the dungeons at the entrance, and are well worth a walk into as even on a hot day they are pretty cold, grim and eery. The castle became ruins for a number of reasons, but principally because of a)time, b)Henry VIII's sacking of monasteries, c)WWII bombing and d)coastal erosion. Indeed, if you want to see the spectacular results of unchecked coastal erosion over the last century or so then a visit to these ruins will tell you a lot. Over half the castle has been lost, and the vast majority of that is over the last 100 or so years. So, if it's ruins, why 5 stars? As I said, I'm a sucker for it all anyway, but to stand among the stones and look out over the channel it is virtually impossible to not allow your mind to wander back all those years, and to appreciate the past and present of this sceptered isle. Also, it gives you a perspective on the future, particularly with regard to the continual erosion we are facing. There is a large 'siege tent' (or portacabin) in the middle of the ruins where you can watch a film about Hastings and adjoining towns in the '1066 story' - worth a watch if you've taken the time to go up there. The entrance fee helps preserve what remains of the castle, and as long as you accept that is what you are paying for, rather than a glimpse of a magnificently kept castle, you won't be disappointed.

Many Brightonians tend to find themselves in need of a retreat from the busy streets and beaches of…read moreBrighton and Hove of a summer's weekend. Displaced from the city they by incomers from London and the summer tourists they splash like droplets of water from a dewpond whose surface has been shattered by the stone throwing misadventures of small boys. But where do they go? Well one place I find myself visiting on a July eve is Chanctonbury ring. A pleasant spot on the South Downs, Chanctonbury Ring was a hill fort in the Iron Age, hence its superb panoramic views. Chanctonbury is an important archaeological site, with caches of Roman coins and pottery having been discovered there from its time as a temple. Human remains have also been found. Reports were made in the 1970s of paranormal activity and evidence of occult ceremonies having taken place, but when questioned, local occult groups claimed that the site had a bad atmosphere and they wouldn't risk going there. This may stem from the legend that Chanctonbury Ring is one of the clods of earth the devil threw from Devil's Dyke, when he was carving out a channel inland to drown humankind before being foiled by a cockerel and an old lady's sieve. However, the sheep nibble away in blissful ignorance, and the grassy knolls seem unlikely to conceal Satan in any of his myriad forms. The ring of trees from which the place takes its name came comparatively late, planted by Charles Goring, the then owner of Wiston Estate. The locals at first objected to the idea, but later when the trees were destroyed by the 1987 hurricane, they planted replacements in his memory. The hill is also an ordnance survey trig point, and beacons are lit there on New Year's Eve in sequence with the rest of the Downs. All in despite its slightly sinister past this spot offers an earthy and un-crowded spot to have that Sunday afternoon BBQ with a little shade and plenty of space to ruminate on the weekend behind you or the week ahead.

This has to be one of my favorite places in Sussex! Although its a bit of a trek to get to, so I…read moresuggest you have some snacks with you, it's really worth the effort! The views from the top are amazing and on a clear day, you can see for miles! If you want to go somewhere that you can feel completely away from the world, this is the place to go! You can't hear any traffic from the top, all that can be heard are the sheep during the warmer weather! It can get pretty windy as there is no shelter up the top but its worth braving it. Once you emerge from the forest walk, take the path along the South Downs Way, heading west (turn right) and you'll come to a cattle grid and then you can't miss the trees! :-)