Walking with the Bloomsburys in Sussex
quality walking weekends and walking holidays for the discerning
Tel: 020 7233 6563
Friday 17 - Sunday 19 September 2010
(2 nights) (Moderate B grade: 6-9 miles daily)
Splendid walking in Britain’s newly designated National Park.
Visiting Monk’s House, Charleston Farmhouse and
Berwick Church, magical places
that capture the spirit of Bloomsbury against the background
of the stunning South Downs
Deans Place Hotel
Itinerary
Friday
Enjoy meeting your fellow guests then join us on a short evening walk around Alfriston, the perfect downland village, steeped in history and set in a valley that reaches back into the mists of time. We dine together in the hotel’s award-winning restaurant.
Saturday
Stepping out of our minibus at the highest point on the South Downs, we follow in the footsteps of Virginia Woolf as she strode across the Downs from Charleston to Rodmell. She too would have marvelled at this loveliest of landscapes, inspiring many of the striking perceptions introduced into literature through her famous ‘stream of consciousness’ technique. Far below in the Ouse Valley we stop for a poignant pause at the river in which she chose to end her days. On to beautiful Southease Church, following the South Downs Way to Rodmell and the Abergavenny Arms for lunch. Our walk culminates in a visit to Monks House, the small weather-boarded home of Leonard and Virginia Woolf. The house and Virginia’s garden writing room delightfully reflect the life and times of the literary circle in which they moved. (6 miles, 'B' grade)
Sunday
From our hotel we join the meandering River Cuckmere where cattle browse in lush water meadows. Vast green panoramas gently unfold as we tread the springy downland turf, experiencing that elemental sense of timelessness so unique to the Sussex Downs. We stand and stare at the magnificent scenes before us: long, sweeping views extending northwards over the Weald and south to the sea. At Charleston we lunch and visit the house and vibrant gardens at the heart of Bloomsbury. It’s still a place of wonder and inspiration, transformed by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell as a refuge for the artists and writers who helped to shape 20th century taste. We follow their footsteps to Berwick Church where they used friends and local people in colourful murals and frescoes to controversially depict the life of Christ against the background of war torn Britain. (9 miles, ‘B’ grade)
Travel Information
By rail: regular trains from London Victoria to Polegate (1.20 hours) with onward travel by taxi (15 minutes). By road: total mileage from central London: 66 miles (1.50 hours). Ample car parking at the hotel. We can arrange car-sharing or taxi-sharing if required.
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Deans Place Hotel, Alfriston
The 14th Century Deans Place Country Hotel lies in the heart of the Sussex Countryside in the beautiful downland village of Alfriston. Set in four acres of gardens, Deans Place has a heated outdoor pool, croquet and mini putting green and a large terrace for alfresco dining during the summer months. Deans Place is a ‘Best Loved’ Hotel, Johansens recommended and its restaurant has been awarded an AA rosette for its excellent cuisine.
Price per person for 2 nights: £252 singles (3 only), double and twin occupancy; £10 per night supplement for single occupancy of double room
Price includes:
q En-suite accommodation
q 3-course dinners
q Full English breakfasts
q One packed lunch
q Friday evening walk
q Two full-day guided walks
q Entrance to Charleston Farmhouse
q Mini-bus or taxis where necessary
q Two guide-hosts providing commentaries on features of
historical and general interest along the way
Price excludes:
q Lunches
q Optional teas
q Drinks and items of a personal nature
Images from Charleston Farmhouse
Walking on South Downs Way
Distant Firle Beacon
Monks House, Rodmell
Berwick Church
