Shopping
Alfriston's shops are all independently owned and answering most needs and offering gifts for all occasions.

Food and general goods:
Alfriston Village Stores and Post Office (01323 870201) is excellent and sells fruit and vegetables, local fish and meat, freshly baked bread, pies, pastries and a wonderful selection of Sussex and other cheeses. It also has an off-licence. A few minute's drive to Seaford and you will find Morrison's is the main Seaford supermarket but there is also a Co-op, Tesco Express along with some good spots for coffee and light lunches.

Hicks, the News Agent, apart from daily newspapers, sells a wide range of goods from toys to aspirins.

Other recommended Alfriston shops:
Much Ado Books with new and old books is housed in a charming old building and won Bookshop of the year in 2007. Alfriston Gallery has original paintings of Sussex scenes and beyond and limited addition prints. You will find antiques, plants, and a great selection of gifts along with hairdressers.

Outdoor Activities

Walking and Hiking
Danny Cottage is the perfect base for walking offering some of the best hiking and riding country in England. From a 15 minute stroll across the fields to Alfriston or an hour's walk to any of 6 country pubs all selling good food, to two hours or more across the downs to Jevington in the east passing the Long Man of Wilmington, or, to Firle Village to the west and another pub that serves a great lunch. There are three long distance trails that take days to complete. The South Downs Way runs for 100 miles (161 km) from Eastbourne to Winchester, The Vanguard Way (66 mile or 107km) from Newhaven to East Croydon, and the Wealdway (82 miles or 132km) from Eastbourne to Gravesend. All these trails pass within minutes of Danny Cottage so you can dip in and out and enjoy the walks for as long as you want. www.ldwa.org.uk .

Danny Cottage book shelves have several guides and books from which to pick your route.

Sports
There are opportunities for both sea and freshwater fishing and boating, riding, golf, gliding, cycling, swimming and tennis. For all the fun of the traditional seaside people head to Brighton, Eastbourne or Hastings, however, quieter parts of the seashore are found at the mouth of Cuckmere Haven where the river meets the sea between the huge white cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Seaford Head or you might prefer the heated pools in Seaford, Newhaven or Eastbourne. There are five excellent downland golf courses within half an hour's drive. For a gentler but rewarding pursuit bird watching is always popular so bring your binoculars.

Historic Attractions
The Alfriston Clergy House www.nationaltrust.org.uk was the first house bought by the National Trust. It is a beautiful medieval cottage with a pretty garden and well worth a visit. The Long Man of Wilmington, a 250 foot high figure carved into the chalk hills, is shrouded in mystery but seems to be standing guard over the residents of the villages in the valley below. One of the smallest churches in England seating only 14 people is at Lullington and is where the actor Dirk Bogard as a child lived in the house next to the church and later wrote his reminiscences in the best seller ‘A Postillion Struck by Lighting'. This and other books by local authors are on the shelves in Danny Cottage. Charleston Farm House www.charleston.org.uk was the wonderfully painted home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and was regularly visited by her sister, Virginia Wolfe, and all the other notorious Bloomsbury group. Nearby Berwick Church was painted by the group during the war. Firle Place www.firle.com , the home of the Gage family for 500 years including General Gage who lost the American colonies as a result of the Revolutionary War, houses a wonderful collection of paintings, china and furniture. It is a 10 minute drive to moated Michelham Priory www.sussexpast.co.uk , founded in 1229, with its working watermill and peaceful sculpture garden. Not all these attractions are open daily so check for opening times and days.

Eating Out
You will find everything you might want in the way of eating places ten minutes walk away in Alfriston - pubs, tea shops, fine dining, light lunches. Check the Alfriston website www.alfriston-village.co.uk. Also there are pubs within easy walking distance - The Sussex Ox, The Cricketers and The Plough and Harrow.

Alfriston Village »

In 1406 Alfriston was presented with a Market Charter. Today there are many gift shops to browse through and a traditional Village Store selling a wide range of produce, including fresh local vegetables and meat and a great variety of gifts too.