This morning’s destination is Sheffield Park. On the way we pass through the gorgeous little village of Fletching and manage to park in the High Street opposite the Church of St Andrew and the Virgin Mary.

The church dates from the 13th century although it features later additions and several large memorials including Edward Gibbon.

We are just about to leave when one of the faithful arrives and, working out where we are from, regales us with a comprehensive history of the last Earl of Sheffield (d. 1909) who gave his name to the Sheffield Shield and sponsored the first visit of an England cricket team to Australia.

Continuing on to Sheffield Park Garden we stroll around the Capability Brown designed gardens, featuring immense lakes with crimson water lilies, white swans, cascades, sweeping vistas, exotic trees including a massive Californian redwood and a baby Wollemi pine, and unmown woodland meadows.
The visit closes with “cream tea” (scones, jam and clotted cream), coffee and a local ale in the  National Trust café and we drive south around the edge of Lewes to the little village of Rodmell, stopping briefly to look at the Bluebell line Sheffield Park railway station.

Our afternoon stop is one from the top of our bucket list: Monk’s House, country home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf. Only about three rooms of the old rambling and pleasantly shabby house, including the living room and Virginia’s bedroom, are open for visitors, but they are filled with delights such as hand painted chairs and tiles, pictures by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and embroidery worked by Virginia herself and it takes a long time to look at everything. The garden has iconic rural views and looking into Virginia’s writing shed is a highlight.

Much of Virginia and Leonard’s library resides elsewhere but it is well catalogued at:

• Catalogue of books from the Library of Virginia and Leonard Woolf
• Woolf’s LibraryThing’s legacy libraries project

Of course to read the works written by Virginia Woolf one cannot go past the excellent editions of The University of Adelaide ebook project.

Remembering the morning’s recommendation from other guests at our B&B we ring to check we can get a table at The Cock Inn on the edge of Uckfield. Lucky we booked as it is very busy when we arrive and the rain has started meaning everyone is inside. There are several lovely options on the menu including nut roast.