ksbeem

Posted last week, looking for day trip ideas from London. Found an old thread about day trips, and someone mentioned Lewes, Sussex. I thought it sounded intriguing and would give us less of a touristy experience than visiting Windsor or Oxford. Just weighing options.

Thoughts? We'll be in London Feb. 26-March 3.

Kate

ESW

Why not. It is good to see someone prepared to do something different and away from the usual tourists spots.

MmePerdu

It's been a long time since I visited Lewes, but what I do remember is that I enjoyed it very much. It stands out in my memory as a result.

I'm a believer in the premise that often one place is as good as another to get a feel for a country. The details will vary, of course, and one's particular interests will dictate one over another, but it's the reason I try to go slow and not rush around going from location to location, wasting time moving when you end up with basically the same experience. As one gets to know a place, the options will narrow, but getting to know it means fewer, not more locations, I think. Being intimate, as far as one can, with a place is far better in my book than the superficial hit & run approach. Speech ended.

annhig

Great idea. There are some lovely places to the south of London which the average tourist ignores completely, I've no idea why.

are you planning to go by train or car?

if you're planning to go by train, you'll be more or less confined to Lewes itself, so the following advice on how to spend 2 days in Lewes may be helpful:

http://www.staylewes.info/inspire/Lewes-Town.aspx

if you have a car you could go down to the coast, or explore the Weald as well as looking at Lewes.

Fra_Diavolo

A few miles west of Lewes is the village of Ripe, where novelist Malcolm Lowry died. His grave is in the churchyard. About a mile away (a pleasant walk) lies the village of Chalvington, with its pub, The Yew Tree, where Lowry had his last night out.

ksbeem

Thanks!

Probably will go by train. We have been to England several times but have not gotten up the courage to drive, mainly because of the side-of-the-road issue.

And we live in the Midwest in the U.S. in a city with virtually no public transportation, so we like to travel by train, etc., whenever we can.

annhig

great - the train it is then.

i think that there are plenty of ideas on that website to fill a day.

alanbowen

As an occasional visitor to Lewes, it is a quaint English town with 'tea shops' and an air of Midsomer Murders' if you have seen that on PBS but you can see it in an hour. If you haven't been to Canterbury I would put that ahead of Lewes with plenty to occupy a day and if you like trains you will like the High Speed train that gets there at 140 mph in less than an hour. It is more touristy certainly but a lot more to do and see.