Horse racing, an evening at the opera, chasing the finest dover sole in the world or visiting an historic site or garden – Bexhill is an ideal base for pottering. Here are a few of our favourite haunts, plus a few that we have been meaning to visit. The nearest large-ish town is Hastings, 10 minutes by rail and a great spot for fish and pubs. It also has a bijou theatre, The Stables, which programmes an interesting range of amateur and professional productions. Not far north is Battle, the site of the 1066 ding-dong and very quaint, if a bit of a tourist trap. Rye, another of the Cinque Ports, is also packed with visitors in Summer but well worth a visit for its interesting shops, quaint lanes and superior restaurants. If you are going there you may well with to detour to the harbour area for a windswept walk through its nature reserve. If you are lucky you will see little terns. On the way to Rye by car the Hastings Country Park is a great place to walk, with or without a dog. The other hidden gem is Winchelsea, a ‘new town’ created in 1288 for Edward I to replace a strategic stronghold when the original town was inundated during a period of extreme weather. It the the English equivalent of the Gascony bastides, build on a strict grid. West of us, beyond the supposed landing site of W the C (disputed) is ancient Pevensey with its Norman fortress built on the site of a huge Roman fort, with much of both left to visit. The genteel village of Northiam is the centre of one of the most picturesque parts of the country and home to Great Dixter and its the sensational gardens laid out by Lutyens and developed for many years by Christopher Lloyd. Glyndebourne needs little introduction and is about 45 minutes away by car. Finally Fontwell Park and Plumpton are two race courses that can be easily reached by rail from Bexhill station. We have yet to arrange a race day for friends but, if you like the sound of the idea, please let us know. Hastings, Eastbourne, Battle, Rye, Winchelsea,      Pevensey, Northiam, Glyndebourne, Fontwell Park, Plumpton. Design: WebMagicSouth