New Year Eve found us cleaning the house we were staying at – the owner due back on NYD, and we set to leave for Scotland on the 2nd. We duly did our chores, walked the dogs and relaxed,….some more easily than others!

F.I.P or ‘Fallen In Pond’, was just one of the things I learnt as we explored the National Trust’s Bateman’s House. A 16th Cetury manor home bought by Rudyard Kipling, the property has been kept as he would have used it during his writing career. The house has been well laid out, with fascinating artifacts,…

I have heard the whistles in the distance throughout our stay, reminding me of the nearby Bluebell Steam Railway and the call to explore the line further after my brief visit before Christmas, which can be read here. Catching the first train out of East Grinstead, I had intended to just enjoy the journey, but…

27th and the 28th December found us working for the majority of the days, fitting in dog walks around the weather and our commitments. On the 28th we found by chance a memorial to a Wellington Bomber crew who had sadly crashed into a hill on Ashdown forest. The crew are buried nearby, but the…

Boxing day, and we decided to venture out from Forest Row and the nearby Ashdown Forest. Jump in the car after the morning dog walk and we found ourselves driving towards Tunbridge Wells. We followed in the steps of royalty as we explored the historical town built around a well that was ‘discovered’ to have…

It’s been fun writing the blog for the first few months of our travels, but over Christmas we are taking a few days off. Christmas Eve until….well when we log back on – we will spend the days relaxing and chilling out with good food, few drinks and of course our canine company.

Today we ventured to meet up with some of Annabel’s cousins in Arlington. A relaxing walk around a nearby beauty spot, before visiting the pub run by Zoe, (one of the cousins) the Yew Tree Inn, Arllington. A very relaxing atmosphere with good food and an enjoyable selection of ales – though sadly I had…

Today found us heading off to pick up the three bird roast for Christmas day – we had already decided to make the Friday a switch off day before the weekend so we drove to the National Trust Sheffield Park. The garden had been sent up for families to enjoy the winter lights and children’s…

Last night I had read a little about the history of Forest Row, which is the village just down from where we are staying. Sadly, two unfortunates had been hung on the steep Way Hill road that runs from Forest Row, past our house sit, to East Grinstead – they had held up the mail…

With Christmas break on the horizon, Annabel and I decided today was for clearing the decks, so we could hopefully have a ‘break’ during the festive week. We have to remember that our journey is not one long holiday, so we focused on customers. A walk in the morning on a new part of Ashdown…