Highways and Byways in SussexLucas, E. V. (Edward Verrall)
History
Highways and Byways in Sussex
Lucas, E. V. (Edward Verrall)
Sussex (England) -- Description and travel
An intermediate dweller at Frog Firle was one Robert Andrews, who, when
unwell, seems to have been attended by William Benbrigg. Miss Florence
A. Pagden, in her agreeable little history of Alfriston, from which I
have been glad to borrow, prints two of Mr. Benbrigg's letters of kindly
but vague advice to his patient. Here is one:--
"MR. ANDREWS,
"I have sent you some things which you may take in the manner
following, viz.:--of that in the bottle marked with a + you may
take of the quantity of a spoonfull or so, now and then, and at
night take some of those pills, drinking a little warm beer after
it, and in the morning take 2 spoonfulls of that in ------
bottle fasting an hour after it, and then you may eat something,
you may take also of the first, and every night a pill, and in the
morning. I hope this will do you good, which is the desire of him
who is your loving friend,
"WM. BENBRIGG."
Alfriston once had a race meeting of its own--the course is still to be
seen on the southern slope of Firle Beacon--and it also fostered cricket
in the early days. A famous single-wicket match was contested here in
1787, between four men whose united ages amounted to 297 years. History
records that the game was played with "great spirit and activity." Mr.
Lower records, in 1870, that the largest pear and the largest apple ever
known in England were both grown at Alfriston, but possibly the record
has since been broken.
The smallest church in Sussex is however still to Alfriston's credit,
for Lullington church, on the hill side, just across the river and the
fields to the east of Alfriston church, may be considered to belong to
Alfriston without any violence to its independence. As a matter of fact,
the church was once bigger, the chancel alone now standing. What
Charles Lamb says of Hollington church in Chapter XXXVI. of this book,
would be more fitting of Lullington.
[Sidenote: HILL WALKS]
We have come to Alfriston from Lewes, proposing to return there; but it
might well be made a centre, so much fine hill country does it command.
Alfriston to Seaford direct, over the hills and back of the cliffs and
the Cuckmere valley; Alfriston to Eastbourne, crossing the Cuckmere at
Litlington, and beginning the ascent of the hills at West Dean;
Alfriston to Lewes over Firle Beacon; Alfriston to Newhaven direct;
Alfriston to Jevington and Willingdon;--all these routes cover good Down
country, making the best of primitive rambles by day and bringing one at
evening back to the "Star," this mediæval inn in the best of primitive
villages. Few persons, however, are left who will climb hills--even
grass hills--if they can help it; hence this counsel is likely to lead
to no overcrowding of Fore Down, The Camp, Five Lords Burgh, South Hill,
or Firle Beacon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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