Cressida’s guidebook
Eating out
A twenty-minute walk from the Dower House, The Threshing Barn Café is housed in the beautiful newly restored Charleston flint farm buildings situated at the foot of the South Downs National Park. The Threshing Barn is a perfect stop-off before or after a tour of the House or galleries, or go there for its own sake. Serves salads, soups, mezze, sandwiches, roasts, casseroles, excellent home-made cakes.
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Charleston Trust
A twenty-minute walk from the Dower House, The Threshing Barn Café is housed in the beautiful newly restored Charleston flint farm buildings situated at the foot of the South Downs National Park. The Threshing Barn is a perfect stop-off before or after a tour of the House or galleries, or go there for its own sake. Serves salads, soups, mezze, sandwiches, roasts, casseroles, excellent home-made cakes.
Twenty minutes’ walk from the Dower House, across Firle Park, the Ram is a friendly and popular country pub in a rambling brick and flint building, that has built a reputation for good food and locally produced cask ales. In winter there is an open fire; in summer you can eat under the greengage trees in a flint-walled garden. Meat is produced from the herds to be seen grazing in Firle Park, and game from the Firle Estate. Bread is baked at Flint Owl Bakery in nearby Glynde.
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The Ram Inn
The StreetTwenty minutes’ walk from the Dower House, across Firle Park, the Ram is a friendly and popular country pub in a rambling brick and flint building, that has built a reputation for good food and locally produced cask ales. In winter there is an open fire; in summer you can eat under the greengage trees in a flint-walled garden. Meat is produced from the herds to be seen grazing in Firle Park, and game from the Firle Estate. Bread is baked at Flint Owl Bakery in nearby Glynde.
Close to the Downs, and handy for visitors to Berwick Church, Berwick village offers this friendly pub with a picturesque cottage garden. Harvey’s ales served direct from the cask and homemade pub food with meat from local farms and butchers, fresh fish and seafood from Sussex ports.
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The Cricketers Arms
Close to the Downs, and handy for visitors to Berwick Church, Berwick village offers this friendly pub with a picturesque cottage garden. Harvey’s ales served direct from the cask and homemade pub food with meat from local farms and butchers, fresh fish and seafood from Sussex ports.
The restaurant is part of a hotel which has been established in a 19th-century colonial-style country house, in the lovely Downland village of Alfriston. The restaurant is bright and spacious with views of the church. It offers casual modern British food all day, and more formal food in the evenings, with a classy menu based on local and organic produce.
Wingrove House
High StreetThe restaurant is part of a hotel which has been established in a 19th-century colonial-style country house, in the lovely Downland village of Alfriston. The restaurant is bright and spacious with views of the church. It offers casual modern British food all day, and more formal food in the evenings, with a classy menu based on local and organic produce.
Now a national success story, Bill’s brasserie began life as a Lewes greengrocery. Today it’s a chain phenomenon, but the café in Cliffe High Street has kept its character. Especially popular for its copious and colourful breakfasts and brunches, it’s now a day-round operation.
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Bill's Lewes Restaurant
56 Cliffe High StNow a national success story, Bill’s brasserie began life as a Lewes greengrocery. Today it’s a chain phenomenon, but the café in Cliffe High Street has kept its character. Especially popular for its copious and colourful breakfasts and brunches, it’s now a day-round operation.
A mid-range and reliable French-style chain bistro, housed in a pretty High Street building, serving reasonably-priced day-round menus and a good wine list.
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Côte Brasserie - Lewes
82 High StA mid-range and reliable French-style chain bistro, housed in a pretty High Street building, serving reasonably-priced day-round menus and a good wine list.
Bloomsbury & Literary Venues
Charleston - the extraordinary and unique artists’ home where you can explore the stories and unconventional lives of Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and their circle – should be the highlight of your visit to East Sussex.
You may wish to time your Sussex holiday to coincide with Charleston’s renowned May Literary Festival.
Open all year, Weds - Sun 10am-5pm
Closed Mon, Tues.
Book tickets for the House Tour ahead.
The Shop and The Threshing Barn Café are available to visit without purchasing tickets for the House, Galleries or Gardens.
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Charleston Trust
Charleston - the extraordinary and unique artists’ home where you can explore the stories and unconventional lives of Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and their circle – should be the highlight of your visit to East Sussex.
You may wish to time your Sussex holiday to coincide with Charleston’s renowned May Literary Festival.
Open all year, Weds - Sun 10am-5pm
Closed Mon, Tues.
Book tickets for the House Tour ahead.
The Shop and The Threshing Barn Café are available to visit without purchasing tickets for the House, Galleries or Gardens.
Monks House is a small 16th-century house, inhabited by Virginia and Leonard Woolf between 1919 until their respective deaths in 1941 and 1969. The house still contains many artefacts, paintings and books reminiscent of their occupancy, while the beautiful garden stays true to Leonard Woolf’s passion for horticulture. See the shed where Woolf wrote, and her small bedroom.
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Monk's House - National Trust
Monks House is a small 16th-century house, inhabited by Virginia and Leonard Woolf between 1919 until their respective deaths in 1941 and 1969. The house still contains many artefacts, paintings and books reminiscent of their occupancy, while the beautiful garden stays true to Leonard Woolf’s passion for horticulture. See the shed where Woolf wrote, and her small bedroom.
Berwick Church’s stunningly colourful decorative scheme of paintings by the Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell was commissioned by Bishop Bell of Chichester in 1941 at the height of World War II. Their scheme, inspired by 15th-century Italian chapel art, includes The Annunciation, Christ in Glory, The Crucifixion and The Nativity, and draws inspiration from the Sussex downland landscape and local characters. It has been described as being “of national and even international importance… the only example in the country of the complete decoration of the interior of an ancient rural parish church by twentieth century artists of repute.”
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St Michael & All Angels Church
Berwick Church’s stunningly colourful decorative scheme of paintings by the Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell was commissioned by Bishop Bell of Chichester in 1941 at the height of World War II. Their scheme, inspired by 15th-century Italian chapel art, includes The Annunciation, Christ in Glory, The Crucifixion and The Nativity, and draws inspiration from the Sussex downland landscape and local characters. It has been described as being “of national and even international importance… the only example in the country of the complete decoration of the interior of an ancient rural parish church by twentieth century artists of repute.”
Village church with Bloomsbury graves:
Dating from the 12thC, St Peter’s Church was mostly rebuilt later. It is admired for its flintwork, and notably contains some finely worked 15thC brasses, as well as wonderfully sculpted alabaster effigies of Sir John Gage and his wife Philippa. It also has a modern stained glass window designed by John Piper, depicting Blake’s Tree of Life. Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, Quentin Bell and Olivier Bell are all buried in the churchyard, and there is a plaque to Vanessa and Duncan’s daughter, Angelica Garnett. Angelica’s second daughter, Henrietta Garnett, was laid to rest here following her death in 2019.
St Peter's Church, Firle
The StreetVillage church with Bloomsbury graves:
Dating from the 12thC, St Peter’s Church was mostly rebuilt later. It is admired for its flintwork, and notably contains some finely worked 15thC brasses, as well as wonderfully sculpted alabaster effigies of Sir John Gage and his wife Philippa. It also has a modern stained glass window designed by John Piper, depicting Blake’s Tree of Life. Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, Quentin Bell and Olivier Bell are all buried in the churchyard, and there is a plaque to Vanessa and Duncan’s daughter, Angelica Garnett. Angelica’s second daughter, Henrietta Garnett, was laid to rest here following her death in 2019.