Where I Came From ….The Beautiful English Countryside By Dianne Gowder
Where I Came From ...The Beautiful English Countryside
By Dianne Gowder
This time I thought we could go for a stroll through the beautiful English countryside and look at life outside London and the major tourist areas. I grew up in a very small place called Keepers Corner, about 30 miles or so south of London and very much in the country but only about 6 miles from what has become London’s second airport, Gatwick.
But enough, nostalgia. My last two visits back were to Sussex, the next county over, and that is where we’re going today. We will starting with a walk on the South Downs, these are a range of chalky hills that run across south eastern England. There are hundreds of miles of footpaths and you can walk pretty much anywhere, but make sure you shut the gates properly if you cross through a field of sheep! The farmer will not be happy if you let his sheep out.
The previous photos were taken near the town of Seaford on the South Coast. It has a bit of a rocky beach but, remember those chalk hills, Seaford also has 7 amazing chalk cliffs, known as the Seven Sisters. These are often mistaken for the White Cliffs of Dover, and there sometimes used as a stand in by filmmakers! It’s a lovely walk on a sunny day.
No trip to England is complete without afternoon tea and you can’t go wrong in the charming village of Alfriston ( you will encounter tourists here) after tea have a walk round and maybe visit the church or the Star Inn which dates from the 13th century.
A few miles to the west of Seaford you will find Cissbury Ring. It is was a hill fort in the Middle Ages and contained a mine. Most of that was destroyed during World War II, all you will see these days are wild ponies and, if you climb up to the top, a panoramic view. Cissbury Ring is located in the village of Findon. If you are tired from your walk you can always go to the pub for a meal or a pint!
We’ll head to the other side of the county to the towns of Rye and Winchelsea. Rye is an ancient town dating back to at least the 10th Century. It was originally a port by now is about 2 miles from the sea. Winchelsea is a coastal town that holds many childhood memories for me. That round stone building at the bottom is a Martello Tower, a small defensive fort built during the 19th century.
No trip to England is complete for me with out a walk in the woods, or across the fields every day!
Thank you for joining me and just in case you think England is all blue skies and sunshine… it can be gloomy.. but it’s still beautiful.
Dianne Gowder Bio:
Here is a link to my Facebook photography page
https://www.facebook.com/Walking-About-Photography-by-Dianne-Gowder-105661514321435/
Also I can be found on Instagram @dgbrit
Link to my store:
Originally from England, but now long time San Pedro resident..
Credit for bio picture: Arturo Garcia Ayala
Dianne loves to walk and she tries to do at least 3 miles every day before she heads out to work. Her love of photography evolved from her walks.
“ I have always been amazed by scenery here and more and more I found myself stopping to capture the beauty of my surroundings. As I shared my work I realized that very few people were even aware of what they have on their doorstep!”
Dianne has made it her mission to share the beauty through her photographs and she takes her friends on walks as often as possible.