Begun in the early 18th century as the seat of the Worsley family, Appuldurcombe was once the grandest house on the Isle of Wight. Sir Richard Worsley, the 7th baronet, gained notoriety for a 1782 court case in which his wife, Seymour, admitted to having had 27 lovers.  Appuldurcombe was a masterpiece of English Baroque architecture. Following war damage, it is now a graceful shell, but still retains some of its former dignity and many fine architectural details. The celebrated landscape designer 'Capability' Brown enhanced the rolling grounds in the 1780s. Now, they're a great place for a picnic.

Photo via Pixabay

Ashdown Forest is a 6,500 acre area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 30-or-so miles south of London, near East Grinstead. It was a hunting forest in medieval times but is now largely accessible to the public, with a myriad of walks, open spaces and wonderful views. Though it does contain woodland, most of it is actually heathland, a rare and protected habitat. Its most famous resident was Winnie-the-Pooh.

The Bat and Ball, Hambledon, sits on a junction between the villages of Hambledon and Clanfield, though is marginally closer to the latter. It is a wonderful location and the pub, as well as serving excellent ale, is famous as being 'the cradle of English cricket'. This is the place where the modern rules of the game were drawn up by Hambledon Cricket Club, which played on Broadhalfpenny Down, opposite the pub, in the 18th C. The captain of HCC was one Richard Nyren (1734-97), who was also landlord of the pub. 'Tis said that the 'formidable' Hambledon team played All England elevens on 51 occasions, winning 29 of the matches. I wonder how they'd have got on against Australia?

Photo: Courtesy of The Bat and Ball.

Battle Abbey was built on the orders of William the Conqueror, in penance for the bloodshed, on the traditional site of where some of the fiercest fighting during the Battle of Hastings took place on 14th October 1066.  The high altar is supposed to mark the spot where Harold, last King of the English Saxons, fell.  The abbey was dissolved and largely ruined in 1558.  It then became a country house and, later, a school.  The school is still there and not normally open to the public, but the abbey ruins, which include store rooms and wonderful vaulted ceilings, can be visited and there is a particularly fine 14th century gatehouse.

The abbey is managed by English Heritage alongside the battlefield of 1066.

Beachy Head is a famous chalk headland and landmark, immediately to the west of the town of Eastbourne. There are fine views and walks along the cliffs, approx 500 feet above sea level. There is parking nearby and at Birling Gap further along the coast. Beachy Head has an interesting history and was used as a listening and lookout post during WW2. The cliffs are, however, extremely dangerous and the area has a high death-rate, through a combination of foolish accident and, unfortunately, suicide. Beachy Head lighthouse began operating in 1902.

The post code below is for the nearby pub.