Arts and Culture

Be inspired by some of England's famous artists, writers, poets, actors and musicians....

Sussex has always nurtured artistic talent, and no more so than today, with a profusion of local craftsmen, artists and writers having found inspiration here. If literature is your passion then visit the homes of some of England's finest writers including Rudyard Kipling, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and
Virginia Woolf. In addition, Charleston Farmhouse, frequented by the famous Bloomsbury Group, remains a testament to the life and times of some of the most influential and intriguing artists of our time.

J. M. Barrie (1860-1937)
British novelist and dramatist. Best remembered for creating Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up, whom he based on his friends, the Llewelyn Davies boys. He lived at Chiddingly.

Dirk Bogarde (1921-1999)
Actor, lived at The Old Rectory, Lullington and wrote about it in his autobiography - ‘A Postillion Struck by Lightning'.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930)
Novelist and writer of detective fiction and science fiction, was famous for the Sherlock Holmes stories. He lived at Windlesham Manor in Crowborough for 23 years, and died there in 1930. A statue has been erected in Crowborough to honour his life. The Conan Doyle collection of memorabilia is housed at Groombridge Place.

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
British author and poet, famous for work including ‘The Jungle Book' and ‘Puck of Pook's Hill'. Lived and wrote at Bateman's in Burwash 1902-1936. Bateman's is now owned by the National Trust and is open to the public.

A. A. Milne (1882-1956)
Dramatist, novelist, journalist and children's writer. Few writers are as closely linked to the landscape as
A. A. Milne. He made Ashdown Forest, Hartfield famous as the place where the Winnie the Pooh stories were written.

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
Virginia Woolf, novelist and essayist lived at Monks House, Rodmell. Her sister, Vanessa Bell, interior designer and painter, lived with artists Clive Bell and Duncan Grant at Charleston Farmhouse, Firle. The writer David Garnett also lived there. It became a meeting place for the group of writers, artists and intellectuals known as ‘The Bloomsbury Group'.

Vivien Leigh (1913-1967)
English actress, famous for films including ‘Gone with the Wind' and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire' lived at Tickerage Mill, near Uckfield between 1960 until her death in 1967. Her ashes were scattered on the lake at her home.