which
passed in 1855, came to the family through George Naylor of Lincoln's
Inn, who bought them in 1708.
Near the church stands a fine fourteenth-century barn. The village is
remarkable for a local industry--the making of "trug" baskets for the
carriage of fruit.
CHAPTER III
SEAFORD TO BRIGHTON
The direct route to Brighton for pedestrians is by a footpath which
leaves Lewes at the west end of Southover Street; this leads to the
summit of Newmarket Hill and thence to the Racecourse and Kemp Town. No
villages are passed and but few houses, and the six miles of Down,
although so near a great town, are as lonely as any other six in
Sussex. The high road leaves the town by the Battlefield road past St.
Anne's church and follows the railway closely until the tram lines on
the outskirts of Brighton are reached; this route passes Falmer,
north-west of which lies the beautiful Stanmer Park, seat of the Earl
of Chichester.
[Illustration: THE BRIGHTON DOWNS.]
It will be best, however, to take the Newhaven road from Southover
which hugs the foot of the Downs and in a short two miles reaches
Iford. About half-way a turning to the right leads to the snug little
village of Kingston with the hills rising closely all round. This place
was once the property of Sir Philip Sidney. The remains of an ancient
house belonging to the Priory at Lewes are to be seen in the old
farmhouse named Swanborough which lies between Kingston and Iford. The
architecture is Perpendicular, and Early English; permission should be
obtained to examine the interesting details which, include a venerable
oak table in the kitchen. Iford Church is a Norman building with a
central tower and an Early English font.
A little over a mile farther is Rodmell with very fine Norman details
in the church, which has the rare feature of a baptistery. The early
Decorated screen is good; note also the squint with a shaft in the
centre. Here is a brass dated 1433 in memory of Agatha Broke, on the
back of which is another inscription to some one else of the
seventeenth century. The church is surrounded by magnificent trees,
and of especial note is the huge holm oak which overshadows the rest.
The village inn has on its walls a quaint and amusing collection of
precepts for its habitues which might well be duplicated elsewhere.
Southease, the next village, has another of the three round towers of
Sussex, and Piddinghoe, two miles farther, the third. These to
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