This week’s been a bit of a tough one for the Little Lewes family, so lucky me to have great writers who are also small Lewes business owners willing to pen me guest posts. (And roll up and contact me if you’d like to do one too – I’m all-ears!).
The writer of this one is the Lori of Lori and the Caravan, the brilliant online vintage baby store with a cracking blog attached to it. This local e-commerce gem has been mentioned more than once on Little Lewes – namely in my first Let’s All Look At Some Blogs post, about fashion, interiors and design, and in a post on brilliant buys for babies in Lewes. In fact, you should definitely revisit the latter if you’re buying locally for Christmas (as well as the hashtag catalogue #lewes4xmas post published a day or two ago.
I asked Lori – an admirably devout baby-wearer – if I could publish the below post eons ago, but wanted to line it up with a moment that helped Lori in exchange (s’only fair), so this is a fortuitous week: she’s at Lewes Late Night Shopping Christmas Fayre at the Town Hall at 18 High Street (5-9pm) tomorrow, December 4th, and at Vintage Christmas at Middle Farm (AKA Firle Vintage Christmas Fair and similar-sounding names) on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th, 10am-4pm.
Lori wrote a walking blog that I read before I met her. I loved it. And having scouted around for reader feedback lately, I’m publishing this in response to one parent who recently moved to Lewes asking to see more ‘easy walks from Lewes’ posts.
Over to you Lori!
************************************************************************************************************************************
The recent endless, endless rain has kept me indoors a lot of late. But last weekend, for once, the sun was shining. Remember the sun? Remember the clear blue sky? Remember being able to leave the house without the unwelcome addition of a sweaty cagoule? Sunday was the day, and it was a perfect day for a morning trip over the Juggs.
Juggs Road forms the downland path between Lewes and the small village of Kingston, and is part of an ancient route that cuts across the hills from Brighton to Lewes. If, like me, you like to avoid walks that see you creeping along main roads, lungs choking on exhaust fumes, then you’ll probably like this walk.
It’s ideal for a Sunday morning, hilly enough that your legs get a workout, but short enough that you can be back in Lewes in time for your Sunday roast, and with views that will make you pause mid-stride, just to breathe it all in.
We cut across Lewes via the beautiful gardens of Southover Grange (a handy stone’s throw from the station), and turned on to Juggs Road just behind the Swan Inn, on Southover High Street.
Juggs Road takes it’s name from the baskets and earthenware jugs used by fishwives to carry their haul, as they made their way from Brighton to Lewes to sell their wares at market. Jugg (or Jug) was also a nickname for Brighton fishermen. Neolithic and Roman finds have also been recorded along the ancient ridgeway.
On Sunday the path was busy with ramblers, joggers, dog walkers, and desperate parents who have prised their young away from the computer screen. But don’t let that put you off, for despite any company you may have, it’s still an extremely peaceful walk.
The well-worn path straddles sheep-filled farmland, and all around us were the last bursts of autumn fading to winter.
The views as the path breaks into open farmland are pretty spectacular, a panorama of green fields and soggy flood plains.
The path leads into Kingston village, and delivers you to the door of The Juggs pub. We turned around and took the path back to Lewes and home – and all in under two hours.
Find Lori and the Caravan this week at:
Lewes Late Night Shopping Christmas Fayre
Website: leweslatenightshopping.wordpress.com
Where: Town Hall, 18 High Street
When: 4 December, 5-9pm
Vintage Christmas at Middle Farm
Website: facebook.com/Firle-Vintage-Fair
Where: Middle Farm, Nr Firle
When: 6 + 7 December, 10am-4pm
Disclosure: I asked Lori if she would contribute a guest post to Little Lewes and she agreed. No compensation, financial or otherwise, has been offered or accepted for the publishing of this post.
// If you like reading Little Lewes, why not have us make an appearance in your inbox every now and again – hitting ‘subscribe’ in the side bar means you’ll know when new posts go live //
Little Lewes 