Sussex

Since 1252, when King Henry III granted Hailsham a charter to hold a cattle market.

The land was recently sold to Aldi who plan to build a supermarket.

The name Alfriston is possibly derived from "Ælle fyrst tun" (the first town of Ælle).

There's nothing quite so English as a village fete. Cupcake anyone?

Followed by a visit to a 600 year-old country pub for refreshments ale.

We went for a mooch around Henfield Common today and spotted our first snowdrops of the year.

Then we stopped off at the champion sausage maker in town; as I type Crumpet and I are salivating waiting for them to bake.

The local Henfield porker declined to comment.

Hunters Moon Morris march to Middle Farm bonfire prior to wassailing the apple trees.

Is that Bill Bailey?

Mayfield in East Sussex, last week before it snowed, before we had to put up with this sort of thing.

And a nearby oast house.

Birling Gap, East Sussex

The Jacobean Bell Inn, Burwash, Sussex, as featured in Rudyard Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill.

"And while I am tearing my hair over this, Ticehurst Will, my best mason, comes to me shaking, and vowing that the Devil, horned, tailed, and chained, has run out on him from the church-tower, and the men would work there no more. So I took 'em off the foundations, which we were strengthening, and went into the Bell Tavern for a cup of ale."

Burwash is a charming little village, well worth a stroll around, especially if you happen to stroll into the Rose and Crown. I particularly like the old fashioned parking signs squeezed between the pollarded trees that line the terraced cottages on the main street.

And there's also Kipling's rather impressive pad to look around.

I wish there was a village called 'Women'. For anyone interested Blackboys is a village in Sussex, and its name has something to do with the burning of charcoal.