If you’re in need of some fresh sea air, then heading out to East Sussex is the ideal escape. We have spent a couple of weekends out there and loved it each time. Accommodation is not the cheapest, but everything else is, so it kind of evens out. The big ticket city in East Sussex is of course Brighton, which is likely to be on most people’s lists to visit. However, our overall impression of Brighton was “meh”. The thing that I do like about it is that the weather is often quite moody, which does give the place an interesting atmosphere. We also did really enjoy the food, we ate at a lovely Mexican street food spot called La Choza in the North Laine area and at Sushi Garden on Preston Street. Both meals were reasonably priced and absolutely delicious.
We found the streets of the North Laine area (Gardner St/Bond St/Kensington Gardens) vibrant and interesting. Brighton is a fantastic place to go vintage and antique shopping so browsing around the area is never dull. You will then likely make your way down to the famous pier. On the way you can walk through the grounds of the Royal Pavilion, where it seemed that past monarchs took inspiration from India.
Once you hit the pier and esplanade along the beach you will encounter the crowds, especially in the summer. In the nice weather it looked very picturesque but when you look closer the whole scene is very dirty with litter scattered everywhere. When the weather turned, walking along Brighton Pier, in the cold, with the ocean and waves swirling underneath felt very surreal. The dated fairground rides and concession stands makes the whole place look like you’ve gone back in time, and a glance over at the abandoned and submerged West Pier and old Bandstand completes the picture.
I know I am not selling East Sussex with my description of Brighton, but this post perks up, I promise. We took a short train ride from Brighton to Seaford to do the Seven Sisters hike all the way over to Eastbourne. It is approximately 13km long and it took us about three and a half hours, with some breaks. This walk is absolutely stunning and I highly recommend it, it is also not too strenuous (believe me, I’m not a fan of big hills). The trailhead is at the far end of the beach, you can’t miss it, plus there are always people with backpacks walking towards it, here is a link to a useful blog.
If you do want to go for a swim along the walk, a good place to stop is at Birling Gap. Here you can sit beneath the cliffs and cool off in the water. The beach is usually quite busy but it is very nice.
The last leg to Eastbourne can include a stop at the Beachy Head Pub, which is a good way to finish off the walk. We walked during the covid crisis so unfortunately there was not a spot for us. No bother, it’s only a short and stunning descent into Eastbourne with plenty a pub to choose from.
We absolutely loved Eastbourne. Yes we were probably the youngest people in town, and yes there is not much going on, but after the dirty beach front experience of Brighton, we were blown away by the beauty of Eastbourne. They actually do look pretty similar, with long piers and pebble beaches.
We had some fantastic meals whilst in Eastbourne, for dinner we went to the fantastic and highly rated French restaurant called Exquis. You get a 3 course meal for £19 and the food is seriously good, you will need to make a reservation. For breakfast or lunch head to Favo’loso Cafe, it happens to be Bill Bryson’s favourite place to eat in town, he says: “The charm of Eastbourne is that it is so comfortably old fashioned and nowhere is that better encapsulated than in a cafe where I always stop called Favo’loso. Inside it is forever 1957. It is like stepping into a Cliff Richard movie or something. Favo’loso is spotless and polished and shiny; it basks in a retro gleam. The food is decent, the servers efficient and friendly, the prices reasonable. What more could you ask?” What more indeed Bill.
If you move slightly inland you are greeted with charming English villages. A friend of ours lives in Litlington which perfectly encapsulates that charm of the English countryside. The village is tiny but is home to a lovely pub (The Plough & Harrow) and even the Long Man Brewery, named after the white long man carved into the hillside. In the area is also a large white horse carved into the hillside, the origin of both baffle historians. If visiting in the summer a dip in the river is a must with a few beers to quench your thirst on the banks.
If the beers at the pub and by the river haven’t quenched your thirst then there is also Rathfinny Wine Estate just up the road. We came here for a picnic, some wine and some mouth-watering seafood.
Overall, our time in East Sussex has been fantastic and I highly recommend the area to anyone visiting England. It is one of those places that can be as expensive or as cheap as you make it. I would say that with accommodation included you are looking at about £100 per person per day.
