Cultural Days Out in East Sussex
Culture vultures will be in their element when visiting this colourful corner of Sussex.
The Bloomsbury Group
Soak up the artistic and literary past of The Bloomsbury Group with visits to Charleston Farmhouse, the bohemian home of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, Monk’s House (National Trust) in Rodmell where Virginia Woolf spent her last years, and Berwick Church with painted murals by Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell.
Glyndebourne Opera House
World famous Glyndebourne Opera House is 4 miles from The Grain Store, with the Summer Festival running from May to August and touring performances from October.
National Trust properties
Enchanting Sissinghurst Castle Garden, home of poet and writer Vita Sackville-West, and Bateman’s, cherished Jacobean home of writer Rudyard Kipling, are both National Trust properties less than an hour away.
Charleston Literary Festival
The Charleston Literary Festival, one of the UK’s premier literary gatherings, takes place annually in May and features renowned authors and speakers. Tickets are hotly contested and are available online from the end of February.
Art lovers
Art lovers will enjoy walking in the footsteps of renowned Sussex artists Eric Ravilious whose work can be seen at the Towner Gallery in Eastbourne. The work of Eric Gill and other significant artists is on display at the award-winning Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft. The home of Surrealist Roland Penrose and photographer Lee Miller, Farleys House & Gallery, is open every Sunday from April to October.
Artwave
Artwave is an annual festival in which artists and makers from the town and surrounding villages open their doors to the public. The event takes place in over 150 venues during weekends in September, featuring displays of jewellery, textiles, metalwork, ceramics, glass, craft, furniture, illustration, painting and printmaking.
East Sussex Events
Lewes is home to many world-class events like Lewes Bonfire, Love Supreme Festival and Artwave Festival.
For a calendar of upcoming events in Lewes and East Sussex, visit the following sites for more information.
Lewes Bonfire Portrait by Carlotta Luke