Adventure with Lynn II

After Monk's House, we drove South through the South Downs passing lovely views.

And found we could rely on Tim to get us places successfully most of of the time.

Except when he took us to inappropriate places like the train crossing that only allowed authorized persons across. We were not authorized. 

Then we used this alternative map.

We drove to the old seaside town, Hastings, parked and then walked along the quay into the oldest part of the city. As we got closer, we passed seaside arcades.  Lynn tried hard to win some sheep!

We enjoyed our walk around "The Stade."




There must be some pirates around. We liked the Whelk Monument and we are in the reflection!

The rocky cliffs meeting the sea are quite dramatic.

The lovely tall thin buildings unique to Hastings are used for making fishing nets.

We had a good dinner at a Fish House and returned to Old Pottery Cottage where we spent a restful night. The next morning, we headed north to Sissinghurst, an old castle used to imprison French soldiers during the Seven Years War in the 17th century. Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson bought the ruins and laid out the famous gardens.

We started in a hops barn, the building with the pointed roofs topped with white covers which are  actually oast houses to dry hops for the tasty English beer. Today, the barn is used for exhibitions. The building in the front shows the castle library and courtyard. I was standing on the Tower to take this photo.

This exhibit shows how the hops are processed.


  


This model shows the layout of early Sissinghurst before the renovations by the Vita and Harold; there is no front court today and many gardens.

We saw the original Hogarth Press here which Virginia Woolf had given to Vita.

Lovely photos of Vita and Virginia --the one below shows Virginia smiling which she did not do much as she had bad teeth-- Vita and her sons on the left.

And Vita in her study with photograph of Virginia on her right.

Below is the front of Sissinghurst. On the left is the public room, or library used for public events. Vita and her family lived in the building on right.

The courtyard

Flowering crabapple around the library window

And inside

A  huge beautiful library

And fireplace

The Tower with Vita's study

We walked up spiral stairs to look into her study.

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We had lovely views from the Tower.

Outside we walked the gardens, here a beautiful lime walk just beginning to bloom and lightly scented--Harold's design.

 The white gardens were in bloom.

Lynn in front of a folly

We had a delicious lunch in the cafeteria.

Then south to Great Dixter, a fifteenth century house transformed into the family home of Christopher Lloyd who created large experimental gardens, splendid and exciting!

And lovely, lovely borders

Lynn among the yew topiary 

Oast houses and interesting barn roofs

And, still a working and educational garden--a good learning experience for all

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And large meadows--this one covered with euphorbia

Our last stop for the day--the Henry James House in the ancient village of Rye.

We stopped to rest in the garden where James' studio had been. It was destroyed by bombs in WWII.

We walked around Rye, passing this familiar place where Helen and Jim were married.

Along the ancient Mermaid Street

 

And home again at Old Pottery Cottage and a beautiful sunset.

A lazy Sunday morning

Sweet peas growing in the Cottage Garden and our friendly Audi!

 We had lunch in the friendly Red Bull pub, sharing a pint with the village vicar.

 The carvery was splendid--lamb, pork, and beef!

The owner offered us a new gig!

We drove back to Cambridge where Kevin walked us through Grantchester Meadow, enjoying the views. We looked over the meadow while eating supper at the Rupert Brook

  

Still having fun on the walk back to Morrison House.