Things to do
The Bloom & Burn Guide to Kent and East Sussex
If you're staying in London, you can catch an early train from Charing Cross to Etchingham station for your Bloom & Burn workshop. I’ll collect you from the station—look out for the muddy old Land Rover—and we’ll have a flower-filled day of creativity before I drop you back in time for dinner and a show. Sounds like a pretty good day to me.
But with so much to explore around our little patch of Kent, I wanted to pull together a guide in case you fancy making your class part of a longer stay. You will need a car as public transport is very limited and taxis are scarce.
Eat & Drink
Tillingham Wines | Peasmarsh
Stop by for a glass of wine and a cheeseboard at the bar with views over the vineyard, or check out the delicious wood-fired pizzas in the open-air barn during the summer season. They have rooms if you want to stay the night and a more formal dining area that can be booked for lunch or dinner. With tours, farm animals, a busy events calendar, and a small lifestyle store, there’s more than enough to keep you entertained for an afternoon or a weekend stay.
Plus, they grow all their own flowers on-site, arranged in abundance throughout the space by their in-house flower wizard, Karen.
www.tillingham.com
Bayte | St Leonards
From the team behind Petersham Nurseries, Bayte is a relatively new arrival in St Leonards but already one of my favourite places to eat. It has a casual atmosphere with delicious small plates, fantastic pasta dishes, and the best tiramisu around. If it’s warm, grab a table outside for great people-watching and a glass of tomato leaf kombucha from local brand Zak’s Kombucha.
www.bayte.co.uk
Heist Market | St Leonards
Want something more casual? Heist Market is home to several street food pop-ups, a coffee shop, and a craft beer bar—plenty of options to please everyone in your party. They also house Boat Yard, a small-plates seafood spot if you’re after something a little fancier.
www.heistmarket.com
The Cove | Fairlight
A short drive up from Pett Level beach, The Cove serves really interesting dishes, often twists on classic pub favourites. The fish chowder is a real winner, as are the bitterballen—delicious little croquettes with various fillings depending on the day you visit. I haven’t been for Sunday lunch yet, but I’ve heard it’s worth trying to get a table for that. Grace Dent gave them a glowing review when they first opened, and it’s getting increasingly hard to book—so plan ahead.
www.thecovefairlight.co.uk
The Fig | Rye
A brilliant spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With a focus on fresh ingredients and local produce, it’s walk-ins only during the day, but you can book for their evening tapas menu. Great vegetarian and vegan options available.
www.thefigrye.com
Snack Shack | Dungeness
The place to go if you love seafood—simple food, beautifully cooked, enjoyed at picnic tables on the pebbled beach in Dungeness. A converted shipping container acts as the kitchen, serving up fresh fish in brioche buns, scallops, prawns, and the most incredible crispy potatoes.
Get there early—they open at 11:30, and it gets busy most days. After lunch, enjoy a stroll around the area, one of my favourite places on earth, filled with incredible modern architecture, much of which you can rent for a short stay.
www.dungenesssnackshack.net
A lot of places around here have funny opening times, so check before setting off and try to make reservations where you can to avoid disappointment.
To Do
Epic Life | Bodiam
Fancy getting out on the water? Epic Life is the place to hire kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards. We’ve spent many hours exploring this gentle stretch of water, surrounded by lush green fields, with Bodiam Castle in the distance. A pretty idyllic way to see the Kentish countryside.
Prospect Cottage | Dungeness
You won’t miss the striking garden as you drive along the main road in Dungeness. An incredible labour of love by filmmaker, artist, and author Derek Jarman after he moved here in the 1980s. The eruption of wild poppies in early summer is breathtaking against the stark landscape, with the looming power station in the background.
The house is now open to the public for the first time, but you know what I’m going to say—make sure to book!
Dungeness Open Studios
Near the Britannia Inn, you’ll find a collection of sheds that make up the Dungeness Open Studios. I love the lino prints of the local area and getting to wander through the gorgeous gardens between the different spaces. They also sell plants, so you can take a little bit of this magical landscape home with you.
Great Dixter | Northiam
If you love gardens, this is the one for you. The planting is spectacular—full borders, masses of potted plants, and sections of wonderfully curated meadows. There’s a good café and a fantastic nursery where you can buy many of the varieties you’ll have seen in the gardens.
If you go at just the right time, you might spot a water lily so beautiful it will take your breath away.
www.greatdixter.co.uk
Sarah Raven’s Perch Hill
I had the pleasure of working here for a couple of days, and I can’t tell you how spectacular this garden is. A real labour of love and a showcase of the very best of British flower growing. There are open days throughout the summer, which you can pre-book via the website.
Endlessly inspiring—I guarantee you’ll leave with loads of ideas for your own garden and a list of new flowers to add to your sowing list. The open days are super popular, so book ahead. You can also add lunch and make a day of it.
www.sarahraven.com/courses-events/garden-open-days
Rye Harbour | Rye
A recent discovery—spot the sign on the left as you head out of Rye towards Winchelsea. Drive through the industrial estates and abandoned buildings, keep going until the road runs out, and park in the free car park. From there, you can walk through the nature reserve, with plenty of birdwatching hides (free to use) and, of course, the obligatory café.
Keep going, and you’ll reach the beach, often completely deserted—a great spot for a long walk or letting the dogs run wild.
Winchelsea Beach | Winchelsea
I think this is my favourite beach in the area. Free parking on the roadside, a stunning view as you reach the top of the steps, and the beach stretching out before you. Behind, lush green meadows roll as far as the eye can see.
Check the tide times—if you’re swimming, high tide is best. When the tide goes out, it can get a bit boggy, and I’ve found myself knee-deep in beach mud more than once.
Camber Sands | Camber
Probably the most popular beach in the area. The dunes open up onto a huge expanse of sand—it can sometimes feel like you’ll never reach the sea. On the approach from Rye, use the first car park and stick to the right-hand side of the beach if you’re bringing the dogs. Or drive right through Camber and you’ll find another (free) car park that gives you much quicker access to the beach.
Rye
The pretty cobbled streets of Rye are perfect for a wander. Head up the side streets to discover wonderful old houses and inns, the churchyard filled with scented garden roses, and some familiar sights for fans of the cult BBC classic Mapp and Lucia. There are lots of vintage shops to explore and some brilliant new additions, like Rae—great coffee and cinnamon buns, as well as wonderful homewares. Hunter Jones has candles and creams in pretty packaging, plus ceramics from one of my favourites, Studio Arhoj. Soap and Salvation has you covered for larger vintage furniture finds, and McCully and Crane has beautiful artwork.
Hastings & St Leonards
A G Hendy & Co
Possibly the most beautiful shop in the world? To me, anyway. I love this place and will sometimes go to Hastings just to visit. The building alone is worth seeing—perfectly preserved, it feels like stepping back in time. Inside, the store is filled with vintage homewares, everything from plates to terracotta pots, linens and French worker jackets to shaving brushes and gravy jugs. Everything has been flawlessly curated—a very special shopping experience.
Funicular Railway
I always joke that this is the Hastings equivalent of the London Eye—a tourist must-do. Secretly, I love it, though I’ve been on it so many times in the last year I’ve lost count. The Victorian railway takes you up to the cliffs overlooking the town, with incredible views out to sea. There are two railways: the West Hill and the East Hill. I prefer the East Hill—it’s a steeper ascent, and the views from the top are magnificent. But at a tenth of the price of the London Eye, why not try both?