Some Serious Down Time: My weekend stay at The Grain Store Lewes
Katherine Murphy on what to expect from a three night stay at The Grain Store Lewes: what to do, see and eat.
Firstly, I must reveal that this is not entirely an objective customer review, although it is entirely honest - you can pin me down and question me about it if you want to. I’ve been collaborating with the team at The Grain Store Lewes for over a year, but this is the first time I’ve kicked off my shoes and stayed for a long, dreamy weekend.
For anyone curious about staying at The Grain Store or planning an upcoming trip, I thought it might be helpful to see a real weekend itinerary of what to do, see, explore and eat. So much to eat!
So here’s what myself and my Fiancé got up to on our recent stay in the pursuit of “Down time” (The Grain Store is located in the heart of the South Downs National park - pun is absolutely intended).
Friday day - travel and check-in
We travelled by train on a fairly seamless journey. From home, we travelled to central London for a quick one hour train ride from London Victoria directly to Lewes. We then took a 15 minute bus ride (the 28/29 to Newmarket Inn) from town to The Grain Store. The bus stop is less than a 5 minute walk so we didn’t have far with the bags.
Like all guests, we checked in at 4pm and like all guests (I assume), I asked myself the question ‘has anyone ever stayed here before?’. Everything still seems so new. So new you can even smell the cedar cladding and the carefully crafted wood furnishings. It’s like enjoying the scents of a Swedish sauna combined with a walk in the woods, all from the comfort of home.
Trying to soak it all in, we sat back on that gigantic Maker & Son sofa (fit for a whole family) and watched the wildflowers in the garden dancing in the wind as the strong Sussex sunshine illuminated the rolling hills behind.
Friday night - pizza party
With very little face-to-face contact over the past year, we were delighted to get together for Friday night dinner with Anni, The Grain Store Creator and Collaborator, and Rebecca, House and Business Manager.
We pre-ordered some delicious vegetarian pizzas from Wild Flour Pizza, near Brighton. In fact, they were so delicious, we didn’t get a single photo. Always a sign of good food (or an empty stomach, maybe both).
Toasting the occasion, we popped open our bottle of complimentary guest wine, which is currently Beacon Down Sparkling White. It was divine. Established in 2015, Beacon Down produces award-winning wine grown locally from their estate in the Downs. It deserves the accolade.
Saturday day - snoozing then strolling along the South Downs Way
The early bird catches the worm. But the others get to enjoy a lie in. So that’s what we did. Cocooned in white, organic, fluffy goodness, we slept until mid-morning. The black-out blinds worked a treat so it was a surprise when we finally peeked outside, to see the morning was glorious.
The sun poured in as soon as we let it, casting long lines of light and shadow across the concrete floors. It was mesmerising and energising.
Breakfast consisted of some fabulously light and airy bread from Flint Owl Bakery and eggs from The Grain Store owner’s chickens, alongside a cup of freshly roasted and organic Trading Post Coffee. My partner is European (Austrian) so proper coffee is a religion to him. He was not disappointed, he quickly prepared a second cup.
We then took a leisurely stroll on the South Downs, departing directly from the front door and setting out on The Grain Store Circular Route. I say stroll rather than hike, as we cut the circuit super short due to what TFL would call ‘inclement weather’. That’s to say, it rained.
However, it wasn’t all “bad” weather. When we left the sun was shining, the Downs glistened all shades of green, the poppies glowed, and the long, dry grasses tickled our ankles as we made our way up the hill and into the mist. When the worst of the weather hit, we took shelter in Newmarket Copse, a small secluded woodland, from where we watched many cyclists climbing uphill and battling the elements. Rather them than me this time.
Hungry from our walk, we returned to the warmth and comfort of The Grain Store to dry off and enjoy a cheese board with fresh local and eco-conscious produce ordered from Sussex Eggspress.
Saturday evening - A self-guided Lewes pub walk
For those that don’t know Lewes very well, there is a seriously impressive quota of pubs. Perhaps that’s why the streets of Lewes were so quiet come Saturday evening, or it could have been the Euro 2020 Championships. Either way, everyone was indoors or in a beer garden.
We started our evening with a glass of wine in the courtyard at The Dorset, one of the oldest pubs in Lewes, before moving on to Beak Brewery. There is no better way to describe this than THE hipster hangout of town. And for good reason. Beak Brewery is nestled underneath imposing white cliffs, affording great views. We watched the cliffs turn from brilliant white to amber with the setting sun. They have a huge menu of home and guest beers as well as cider, wine and soft drinks. The resident food truck The Two Fridas serve up some seriously tasty vegan Mexican food. And, with England beating Ukraine, the vibe was strong and both the pints and cheers were flowing.
We then visited a couple of the many other pubs in Lewes, including The Gardener’s Arms where we chatted with the two members of staff while sampling some of their recommendations. I mean, when in Rome, why not? About 2 hours later than we intended to go home, we booked a very good value taxi through Lewes District Taxis back to The Grain Store.
Back in our weekend haven, picture two people collapsing into comfort.
Sunday day - Seven Sisters calling
You guessed it, Sunday started with another lie in. Let’s not dwell on the details, but there was a slow rise followed by more of that aromatic coffee, breakfast, more coffee and then ready to go.
With Seaford and the Seven Sisters in mind, we decided to “warm up” with a walk into Lewes. It took a little over an hour and resulted in the need for more coffee. A short and scenic 30 minute train ride took us directly to Seaford where we set out on the hike to Birling Gap.
The Seven Sisters is one of the UK’s most popular coastal paths: both picture perfect and rugged at the same time. As soon as you depart from Seaford beach, you see the iconic white cliffs that stretch all the way towards Eastbourne. With a mix of sunshine and stormy skies, the backdrop was really quite dramatic, while the landscape underfoot ebbed and flowed mirroring the gentle southerly waves.
We were fortunate to encounter low tide at Cuckmere Haven, cutting the total distance from approx 7 miles to around 5. Nevertheless, reaching Birling Gap called for a celebratory ice cream before we caught a bus directly back to Seaford and the return train to Lewes.
Sunday evening - relaxation stations
With sea salt in our hair, mud on our feet and empty stomachs (save for the ice cream), we were ravenous when we returned to Lewes. We settled on Bill’s Restaurant Lewes, the original in the popular chain of casual restaurants.
We devoured two mouth-wateringly good vegan burgers and a scant portion of fries, paired with some superfood smoothies (a concoction of green stuff that looked straight out of a Deliciously Ella cookbook). The staff were very friendly, the food was delicious and the bill was prompt. Overall, I’d say 4.5 stars. It would have been a solid 5 if the portion of fries was bigger.
We then took the last opportunity to relax at The Grain Store, enjoying a luxury bath, another cheeseboard and then curling up on the sofa and ‘Love Seat’ and looking through our photos from the day. Bliss.
Monday - check out and last minute sightseeing
Celebrating the morning sun again, we enjoyed breakfast al fresco on the patio before checking out at 10am. With our train not due to depart until 2pm, we took the opportunity to explore a bit more of Lewes.
Firstly, we had a quick saunter around the Needlemakers, a historic landmark now home to many boutiques that proudly pack in their independent products and quirky gifts. We then headed to Lewes Priory, which boasts substantial ruins from the 11th century priory founded by William de Warenne for monks from Cluny in France. We learned a lot about the toilet habits of those monks.
Finally, we relaxed in the large gardens of The Depot cafe and cinema, enjoying a cake and a coffee as we waited for our train back home.
Thanks to Anni for having us, I hope we will be back “down” soon x
Article and photographs by Katherine Murphy
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