Alfriston East Sussex Cuckmere Valley Drusillas White Horse South Downs UK

Alfriston Village Guide, Alfriston Festival & The Cuckmere Valley

The beautiful medieval village of Alfriston within the Cuckmere Valley is a main centre within the South Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Surrounded by rolling Downland and valleys cut deep by the winding River Cuckmere, Alfriston is warm and welcoming to all and is perfect as a walking base with the South Downs Way National Trail on its doorstep and a choice of riverside walks along the stunning River Cuckmere.

Alfriston centre is a hotspot for fine food/organic shops selling locally produced food and boasts a superb selection of country inns, excellent restaurants and cosy tearooms. The historic buildings within the town add to the charm and hold stories of Alfriston's long history dating back to the Saxon and Roman periods, with most of Alfriston's architectural gems dating from the medieval period. The exquisite Cathedral of the Downs, St Andrews Church is in Alfriston dating from 1360 and just nearby sits the very first building purchased by the National Trust in 1896, the beloved Medieval Hall - the Alfriston Clergy House.

Alfriston's annual acclaimed festival takes place each year across the week leading up to the August Bank Holiday Weekend finishing with a grand fair on the Tye (village green) on the Bank Holiday Monday.

Alfriston's High Street is lined with some of the best specialist and fine food shops in Sussex including book shops, music memorabilia, bespoke furniture and fine cookshops, an apothecary, an outstanding village shop selling fine food and local produce, specialist chocolate shops and gifts, antiques and ladies fashion shops. Full listings of Alfriston's joyous selection of shops and fine restaurants and pubs are via the Alfriston & Cuckmere Valley Guide which also features an excellent Alfriston town map. Alfriston's central location in the South Downs offers easy access to a huge number of surrounding attractions including the Seven Sisters Country Park where the Cuckmere River and South Downs meets the sea, the chalk engraved Long Man, nearby seaside resort mecca Brighton and outstanding family attractions such as neighbouring Drusillas Family Fun Park, the most popular theme park in Sussex.

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Alfriston Clergy House (NT)

Alfirston Clergy House, a medieval hall, sits on the banks of the River Cuckmere near St Andrews Church overlooking the Tye (village green). The National Trust purchased this idyllic 14th century property for ten pounds in 1896. The Hall is surrounded by a stunning cottage garden. Special features inside include the unique chalk and sour milk floor and the views from the house across the Cuckmere River and valley are spectacular.

Alfriston Clergy House, The Tye, Alfriston, Polegate, East Sussex BN26 5TL. Tel. 01323 870001. Extensive parking is available to the far end of Alfriston village.

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St Andrews Church, The Cathedral of the Downs Alfriston

Situated on a slightly elevated mound overlooking Alfriston Village Green is the Cathedral of the Downs, Alfriston's St Andrew's Church dating from 1360. The distinctive central medieval tower and spire forms an iconic picture within the Downs, seen from miles around.

The church is often a centre for concerts and events, including a selection of concerts from classics to jazz during the Alfriston Festival.

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Drusillas Family Fun Park

Just outside of Alfriston sits Drusillas Family Fun Park, voted number one attraction in Sussex for days out with kids and featuring in the top 50 Britain's best days out by the Sunday Times. Drusillas has been a major centre in Sussex for the best family days out for a number of years. Many will have special memories of time spent at Drusillas, and any new visiters to Drusillas are guaranteed special memories too. Drusillas has constantly changed with the times offering new attractions but retaining its always popular animal park, with species always within their own natural settings, alongside exciting rides and adventure parks.

Adventure play parks don't come much better than those at Drusillas with Go Bananas Rope walk and play centre, free animal spotter books, adventure golf, shooting galleries and Toddler Village with rides for younger children. Thomas the Tank Engine and friends are here at Drusillas plus Amazon Adventure and Monkey Kingdom playparks.

Animals (totalling over 130 species all in naturalistic environments) here at Drusillas include numerous types of monkeys, a species Drusillas has always been closely identified with. Other Drusillas species include meerkats, creepy crawlies, otters, the lemurs in Lemurland with walk-through new for 2008, penguins, flamingos, parrots, owls and popular petting pet breeds including rabbits in Petworld. Guaranteed family fun for all, and at least a full day needed to appreciate the huge choice of attractions within the Drusillas complex.

Drusillas Park, Alfriston, East Sussex BN26 5QS. Tel.01323 874100. The Explorers Cafe/Restaurant is on-site and events and special features through the year include favourite children's characters like Dora (the Explorer), Fat Controller Days with Thomas and various appearances of Bob the Builder, The Tweenies and SpongeBob SquarePants to name a few. See the Drusillas webguide for more information on the park, opening times and group discounts.

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