An extract from the London Guide - words by Liz Schaffer & photographs by Daisy Wingate-Saul
Synonymous with chalky cliffs, sparkling wine and Glyndebourne opera festival, East Sussex is where I head when keen to get back to nature in style. And my base of choice is The Star in dinky Alfriston, a boutique bolthole found within a 15th-century, Grade II listed building that’s been lovingly revamped by Olga and Alex Polizzi. If you fancy meeting this iconic mother-daughter duo, book in for one of The Star’s regular Ramblers Retreats; weekend getaways where you hike over hills with Alex and toast your efforts with wine, cocktails and canapés.
The hotel itself is a stunning mix of old (oak beams, stone floors and antiques) and new (Italian hues, English wallpapers and cloud-like beds), and celebrates Sussex with every detail. There’s an extensive book collection in the library, curated by the team at Alfriston cult bookstore Much Ado Books, and original works from Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, founding members of the Bloomsbury Group. Add contemporary artworks, a walled garden and courtyard, a restaurant thatfuses Sussex and Mediterranean flavours, and a traditional pub dating back to 1435, and you’ve got a singular setting – a hotel that is part retreat, part village meeting place.
This entire region is a walker’s paradise, and numerous routes start and end at The Star – like the one to the 600-acre Rathfinny Estate, a winery adored for its deliciously dry sparkling (the chalky soil here is near-identical to Champagne’s), award-winning restaurant, and alfresco wine bar with views over the South Downs. Set off in the opposite direction and you’ll reach Berwick Church, a serene space decorated by Grant, Bell and her son Quentin: think evocative frescoes depicting those lost to the Great War, a tapestry- draped altar and odes to the Sussex seasons.
Berwick Church sits along the 12-mile-long Cuckmere Pilgrim Path, which takes in the area’s seven ancient churches. But if you’re making an artistic pilgrimage, walk on instead to Charleston, Grant and Bell’s home and studio. The couple rented this property in 1916 when they came to Sussex to work as farmers (one of the few professions open to conscientious objectors), and Charleston quickly became a gathering place for the writers, artists and thinkers of the Bloomsbury Group. And it continues to inspire. Every single surface has been painted, objets d’art abound and you’ll likely spot fellow visitors reading and sketching in the thriving garden.
Farleys House and Gallery is another space that will make you want to live a more creative, collaborative life. This traditional farmhouse was home to war photographer Lee Miller and her husband, surrealist artist Roland Penrose, and its interiors remain largely untouched. Stepping into Lee’s kitchen you’re greeted by her original jars of herbs and spices, and a painting gifted from Picasso, who was just one of the many 20th- century visionaries the couple counted as friends. I was particularly taken with the dining room’s fireplace, which is adorned with an abstract depiction of The Long Man of Wilmington – a 72-metre high Pagan chalk figure etched into a neighbouring hill.
Farewelling destinations as divine as East Sussex can be hard, so I recommend departing with a bang from Lewes, a gallery-packed market town famed for its annual bonfire night. Here you’ll find No. 34, a restaurant and wine bar that more than justifies a day trip from London. The interiors call to mind a French bistro (the open kitchen takes centre stage and ceramic jugs line the walls), dishes are made to be shared, and the wine is so delicious that you’ll inevitably leave with a bottle – something scrumptious to tide you over until the next weekend away.
For other brilliant ‘weekend away’ ideas (and for some fab things to do in the English capital) check out our London Guide.
