Motoring Notes
Seaside Touring from the Country
IT has become a habit of motorists going on holiday to make for an interesting seaside place, and from there to tour nearby inland beauty spots. Not many think of reversing this process. Yet within easy distance of many fine stretches of coastline there exist excellent country centres which afford motor tourists a wider field of exploration than can any coast town, without restricting their enjoyment of the sea.
One of the most suitable examples of the kind of inland centre I mean, is Crowborough, in Sussex. It is situated on the edge' f a lovely forest, eight hundred feet above sea-level. Its scenery is superb, its views extending over at least three counties. It possesses one of the most noted golf courses in Britain and two of the very finest hotels, besides numerous other houses affording accommodation. In every respect it forms an ideal motoring centre ; yet how many visitors go to Crowborough with the express intention of touring the South Coast ? Less than an hour's run by car from Crow- borough will take you to Eastbourne—one of the most beauti- ful of coastal towns—while Hastings, Bexhill, Newhaven and Brighton can be reached in an hour by other roads. It will indeed be found a pleasant change to journey to these watering- places one after the other and enjoy your fill of seaside enter- tainment and yet be able to return at will to the comfort and seclusion of your temporary country home. When interest in the sea-coast dwindles, there is other diversion at hand in a series of tours in a wide historic area.
Battle Abbey, Bodiam and Hurstmoneeaux Castles, and Pevensey can easily be included in one day's itinerary. And what prettier villages can you wish to see than some of those round the Kent-Sussex boundary, as, for instance, Northiam, Hawldiurst, Ticehurst, Burwash, Heathfield, Cranbrook and Goudhurst ? There are many others, too, of equal beauty and interest, connected by well-kept by-roads which are a joy to use. In fact, very few counties are able to boast of such excellent connecting roads, however unimportant these may seem to any but motorists wishing to use them.
• That famous spa, Tunbridge Wells, is, moreover, within a few minutes' reach by car, and has two good golf courses to appeal to visitors. Because of these courses and those famous links of the Royal Ashdown Forest Club, no golfer can ever become tired of his stay in Crowborough. Another country resort of the same kind is Hindhead, which is a similar distance from the coast, is situated well above sea-level, is surrounded by glorious country and offers fine hotels and good golf to visitors.
Crowborough and Hindhead are, however, only two of the numerous places of this kind which many motorists, after they have once visited them, will make their definite choice
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