West Sussex In All Its Glory

Here is the view over the fields from our B&B in Storrington, a smallish village in West Sussex, south  of London.  (If you're up on your English geography, south of Horsham and north of Worth.)

Every evening the sun set in a ball of orange fire at the top of that field. And brilliant young dude pheasants were prancing about on the edge of the field looking for a hen or three. We saw wood pigeons aplenty and even rabbits along that fence line. It was quite cold every night but as you can see, we had amazing weather in the days for an English spring.  Ok. A very late English spring, we were told. The daffodils, as you can see, were out, and the hyacinths and the forsythia (which they pronounce all wrong over there, I tell you).

We had several running jokes going on through out the trip. Joke #1 was that I NEVER could get a photo of a damned pheasant. By the time I'd get the camera out, away he'd be over the hedgerow. Or the light would be crappy, or a tree would be in the way, or Christopher's hard of hearing father would move the car. You get the idea. Sort of a mobile sight gag. 

Joke #2 was the BBC weather report.    The waaay too perky BBC weather boys and girls were consistent only in being dead wrong 6 days out of 8.  It got to be our evening ritual and joke to watch them on the 10 pm BBC newscast and hoot with derision whilst swilling a glass of wine and eating chocolate.  And for chrissakes, who dresses them?  It was insane.

But these are quibbles because it's all-in-all a helluva nice way to live.  I mean we were only two short blocks from the High Street and one morning as we were walking down the lane into the village, a neighbor is full English riding gear came walking her spectacular horse down the lane on her way to a morning ride through the fields.   

I truly admire the English love of all things green, wild, and flowering. On a small island stuffed with 50 million plus people, there are still public footpaths, horsepaths and overflowing greenbelts, tilled fields literally on the approach to Heathrow, sheep and even llamas plopped smack in the middle of posh neighborhoods and hiking and off road paths literally at every turn.  We should be following this model of preserving open spaces.  It makes for a way of life like having your morning cuppa and then saddling up for a ride.  And not having to live miles from anywhere to do so.   Have gotta tell you, we'd being doing a lot less shopping here if we had nature so close to hand.   Since I've returned to Miami, I've been pretty frustrated to find a replacement for our morning and evening walks there. Anyway.

That field above leads to the South Downs.

With quintessential English irony, the South Downs are really UP. As in they are very old and rolling hills as you'll see below. The pictures after are of us hiking along a path up over the downs, and then the view from the Downs out over the chalk hills and cliffs to the English Channel.

You can even faintly see the Isle of Wight in the distance (picture below).

A really clear day. And to top it off, I heard a lark singing. And saw his courtship flight. Had read of larks since I was a little girl, never had heard or seen one.  As the ads say, priceless.   
Mind you this was on our first day in England. We hopped off the plane, were picked up for the 45 minute drive from Gatwick, arrived at the parents' house and were whisked off to the pub (The Five Bells) for a late pub lunch and then off to the Downs.

There's a  bit more to the tale but it's late and the gym is calling so I leave you with the Black-Faced Leicester sheep from hell. Channelling Robert De Niro...You talkin' to me???

Comments

[cursingmama]

Boy do I wish I had been a stow-away in your suitcase! It all looks so beautiful and relaxing.

[margene]

It looks so pasteral and lovely and then you end with BF sheep!? Heaven!

[Jayne]

Thank you for sharing your pictures and stories; that looks lovely. I also marveled at the open spaces and foot paths (we learned that Madonna tried unsuccessfully in the courts to block access to a foot path that went right through her UK property - but these are ancient rights and the people have an absolute right to continue to walk them, regardless of whose grand estate they happen to cross, I love it!)

[Mary]

Love the sheep! Very spooky.

[Neena]

Lovely, lovely pictures....quite a difference from here. :-) So, my question is....are you still planning on camping? Gotta finalize reservations....;-)

[Tony]

My wife, a friend and I were walking that same track yesterday afternoon, Sunday. Glad you are as enchanted by West Sussex as I am. The Downs are my favourite place on earth.