"East Sussex" a East Sussex Travel Page by leffe3

To the south and south east of London is tyhe county of Sussex, divided into East and West Sussex. Millions of people arrive to the UK in East Sussex as, 40 miles or so from London is Gatwick airport - and they promptly jump on a train, only to return for their flight home.

Which is a shame, as east (and West) Sussex offer some of the very best that England can offer - and its so close to London.

Brighton is an obvious magnet, refered by many as London-on-Sea. But other coastal resorts include Hastings and Eastbourne (the latter having a reputation as something of a retirement home but is actually a perfect place to be based to explore the surrounds).

But its the countryside and coastal views to be found away from these places that are, to me, the highlight of East Sussex - the historic Lewes, the fantastic Seven Sisters, the ruined Abbey at Battle just outside Hastings and the many country villages, including my personal favourite of Alfriston, just a few miles from Lewes. Mansion houses, castles galore, abbeys, classic English pubs are just a few of the attractions of East Sussex.

And the countryside also offers it's own rewards - the gentle undulating hills, the oh so green fields and pastures during season, narrow roads, high hedges, numerous gardens open to the public.

My sister lived for many years in various parts of East Sussex (she and her family took a huge step a few years back and moved ... to West Sussex!) and simple and short drives (Horsham was the last place they lived) gave a real taste of the classic English countryside. No specific destination in mind (other than a pub lunch somewhere), simply driving through those lanes gave a real sense of the outdoors.