National Trust adds colour to East Sussex with walking festival

The National Trust has unveiled some of its most colourful places and stories in East Sussex ahead of its Great British Walk 2014.

A seven week walking festival, the Great British Walk encourages everyone to explore the outdoors and discover vibrant National Trust’s spaces on foot. A vast and varied selection of walks is available, from those chosen by the public to handpicked walks from National Trust experts.

Running from 8 September to 24 October, this year’s Great British Walk has uncovered some of the region’s most colourful vistas, stories, characters and objects to see on a walk.

Take a stroll through an incredible landscape of colour this autumn, and don’t miss the top colourful choices in East Sussex, many of which can only be seen during the walking festival:

Sheffield Park and Garden – head gardener Andy Jesson recommends visitors take a walk into the gardens to be met with the beautiful hues of the hickory tree. At the end of September or early October the tree’s leaves change to a vivid yellow and, once its bright shades arrive, autumn is usually not far behind. For those interested in capturing all the changing shades of Sheffield Park on camera, the property is running a series of special early morning openings for photographers on Wednesday 11, Wednesday 18 and Wednesday 25 September from 8am (normal admission charges apply)

Bateman’s - with views that inspired much of Rudyard Kipling’s work, the estate, meadows and gardens at Bateman’s offer refreshing walks. During the Great British Walk look out for Kipling’s colourful poem The Glory of the Garden in poet’s corner and used as inspiration around the garden with its borders, lawns and gently meandering river.Inside the house, Kipling’s study is home to a bookshelf packed tightly with over 2,000 books, each with multi-coloured spines ranging from blues, to reds to browns. 

Alfriston Clergy House – surrounding the quaint medieval thatched cottage is a garden full of wildlife set against striking white chalk paths, an orchard ablaze with emerald greens and places to pick jewel coloured purple blackberries. Join a guided blackberry picking walk on 20 September for help spotting one of the best edible colours. The circular two mile walk in the Cuckmere Valley leaves the property at 10am, returning at midday for tea and scones (£4 per person, pre booking advisable on 01323 423197)  

Bodiam Castle - see the medieval castle’s sandstone walls glow every shade of gold silhouetted against the sky. Join a guided stroll around the grounds each Wednesday at 2pm or take a longer guided estate walk through the surrounding green hedgerows and patchwork fields every Tuesday and Friday at 2pm (normal admission charges apply, booking not required). Be part of the castle’s colourful past with the brand new audio adventure, A Knight’s Peril. Set in1387 there’s deadly intent against Sir Edward Dallingridge, the influential medieval owner of Bodiam Castle – complete the mission and save his life if you can.

Standen – Pick from three self-guided walks through the woodlands, join a special guided autumn colour walk with the ranger, spot the many Acers in the garden which change from luscious greens to rich reds,and look out for the colourful pumpkin and apple orchard too. Inside, vivid Arts & Crafts items fill the house including orange Morris & Co. Bachelor’s Button wallpaper, a pink, gold, blue, green and orange embroidered hanging, and an amazing bedspread, possibly made by William Morris’s daughter with all its colours intact after spending 100 years in a box without exposure to sunshine. Running until 16 November, Standen’s exhibition Between the Covers also showcases some of the most brightly illustrated children’s books in its collection. Featuring drawings from the golden age of illustration, on show are works by Kate Greenaway, Arthur Rackham and Edmond Du Lac.

Birling Gap – one of the best places in the region to see the sunset, the skies above Birling Gap are often flooded with orange, pinks and reds. On a walk look out for the rare chalk heath habitat on Belle Tout hill which is covered in purple heather in August, before changing to a vibrant orange in September. Just over the Seven Sisters see if you can spot the red glasswort and annual Seablite that carpets Cuckmere saltmarsh once a year in autumn only.

Of the land the Trust looks after in East Sussex, 278 hectares is always open to the public, 791 hectares are within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and over 10 kilometres are coastline cared for by the Trust.

Share pictures of your colourful walks and experiences with the National Trust this year on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using #GBwalk. 

For more information on National Trust seasonal strolls and downloadable walks visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greatbritishwalk

Photos:

© National Trust, John Millar
© National Trust, John Millar
© National Trust, Alasdair Ogilvie
© National Trust, Rupert Truman
© National Trust, Leo Mason

For more great family days out in Kent visit our things to do in East Sussex page.