Crossing the English Channel

The road from West Hoathly to Amberley crosses the East Sussex National Nature Reserve which has been designated as an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). There is a succession of untamed landscapes here: farmsteads, forests and hilltop villages. When you get to Clapham village, the view is breath taking. That these landscapes have remained unchanged for centuries is down to the Dukes of Norfolk who have protected them from property market predators. Bringing joy to us all...

Clouds Hill is a cottage in Bovington which was the retirement dwelling of T. E. Lawrence, the famous author of 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom.' He was killed in a motorcycle accident nearby in 1935. The Tank Museum is the largest museum in Europe dedicated to armoured vehicles (300 vehicles), and it has a permanent exhibition covering the life of the man who was an officer and a spy, an author and an adventurer.

In the New Forest, made a royal forest in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, the Chewton Glen team offers you silvotherapy sessions. Initiated by specialists, these “forest bathing” in the heart of one of the most important primeval oak forests in the country allow you to disconnect and to listen to your body and mind. A reboot amid an exceptional site...

The descendants of the Dukes of Norfolk - the country's most important Catholic family - still own this castle. The imposing grey citadel and dungeon have overlooked the small village of Arundel since the 11th century. William Turner painted it several times, including the well-known 'Arundel Castle on the River Arun, with a Rainbow', which today hangs in the Tate museum. (1824). The castle also featured as the set for Nicholas Hyunter's beautiful film 'The Madness of King George' (1994), which won accolades at both the Oscars and at the Cannes Film Festival. 

People don't generally know, but Jersey was one of the earliest surfing spots in Europe. As early as 1920, following Nigel Oxenden, surf enthusiasts took advantage of the strong swells of the south-west of the island, along the bay of Saint-Ouen. In the 1970s, the keenest among them created surfboard production workshops on the spot. There are still plenty of locals surfing in the UK's ‘warmest' waters! In 2017, they created the Jersey Surf Film Festival.

Located at the extremity of the Port de la houle, the market stalls with some benches undeniably offer the best spot to discover local oysters. Eight producers offer their fresh oysters directly for sale every day of the year. Facing the rock of Cancale, everyone can taste on the spot their choice of oysters, hollow or flat, washed down by a small glass of white wine. Before leaving, the consumer throws their empty shells into the sea..