This is part 7 of a series. 1 more to come. See earlier date to find the start.
On many of our trips to London we have explored places outside of the capital, usually on day trips by rail. This time was no exception, with a visit to Rochester followed the next week by a trip to Lewes. From East Croydon Lewes can be reached by one train, making it a very convenient day trip. We have once visited Brighton, so we continued our exploration of the south of England today.
The train emerges from a short tunnel before arriving at the platform, essentially passing beneath the town and its castle. The station is one of my favourites in the world. I stop here often in my train sim world game, and the real thing isn't much different. There are 5 platforms split into a 'Y' junction, with trains heading to London Victoria (ours), Brighton, Seaford, Eastbourne and Hastings.
Why did we choose Lewes? I wanted to see the real station. In addition there is a castle, the ruins of a priory, some fine pubs, a worthwhile High Street and, for Deb, a visit to a cinema that has shown her films before as part of the Women Over 50 Film Festival. The Depot Cinema sits just outside the station. It has a three screen cinema and a cafe and bar, all in a lovely indoor/outdoor setting. Someday we may get to visit when one of Deb's films is showing here.
We mostly headed towards the castle, along with a large grouping of marching school children. We spent over an hour at the well positioned castle. Lewes is built on a steep hill, with the castle at the very top (and the station at the very bottom). There are two keeps to climb, both offering outstanding views of the surrounding landscape. Far off to the southwest one can glimpse the sea. We began by watching a short film about the history of Lewes, then we entered the castle proper for a self guided tour. As in Rochester, there were a lot of stairs to climb; two separate keeps no less. The day was sunny and mild and without the roaring winds we had encountered in Rochester. Thus we were able to stay aloft for longer. The gift shop had some very lovely things, including a brightly coloured pencil and matching eraser. I left impressed with the whole experience.
Plan of castle grounds.
By now we'd worked up quite a thirst, so we headed down to where the peasants dwelt in search of a nearby pub. The Brewers Arms is a beautiful pub and we shared half pints of Harvey's Best Bitter (Harvey's is brewed in Lewes) and Thistly Cross cider from the cask. It was a perfect ending to our exploration of Lewes Castle. We now have several fine castles checked off on our bucket list.
While at the pub we searched online for our next pub. We had many to choose from! We headed down the High Street, which drops steeply to the River Ouse, crossing it on a fine old bridge near Harvey's Brewery. They had a tap room, but as it offered nothing dark we didn't stop in. Next time. We found a bakery with vegan sausage rolls, sharing one on our way to the next pub, and a second one on our way back. Delicious. East Croydon Station also had a bakery with some as well, which Deb had for breakfast nearly every morning.
We soon arrived at the next pub, Gardener's Arms. We tried three half pints and scored high with two of them. The disappointing one was Langham Dark Mild by Downlands Brewery. I had ordered a feisty sounding ale, but as it was pulled the cask ran dry. However, Devil's Dyke Ruby Red Porter became an instant classic, as did Black Dragon Cider. The pub itself was small and a bit dowdy, but the ale selection was quite good.
We were able to return to the rail station without reclimbing the hill. We followed roads around the hill at river level and came across All Saints Church and Cemetery. We spent some time exploring the yard, which was steeped in atmosphere and very old graves. This would be our final site in Lewes, as we were heading to the seashore. Having glimpsed the sea from the battlements of the castle, it would have been a shame to have missed out on a brief visit. Our next destination was Seaford.
I just happen to drive trains to Seaford from Lewes and Brighton, so I knew the route and how close the ocean was. The little station at the end of the branch line also boasted a pub. While we didn't end up drinking there, we did enjoy coffee. The pub is located in the old station waiting room, but only served draft beer. It is called Steamworks and boasted some fine travel posters on the walls.
It is a six minute walk from the station to the pebbly beach, but we could view the sea from the train windows as we approached. It is a very short ride, about 20 minutes from Lewes. That meant that we were only about 65 minutes from our home station in East Croydon. It seemed like another world. It was a beautiful day to come down to seaside. Deb recorded sounds of the waves washing up on shore. Later, back at Lewes Station while waiting for our train home she recorded crows in a nearby tree. Earlier in the journey she had recorded trains speeding past us from a suburban station, some going up to 100 mph. So we came home with more than just memories and photos.
Seaford Beach. In the distance a trail climbs up Seven Sisters.
to be continued....
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