Some Sussex Churches and countryside - Slaugham, Ditchling

A walk on the Downs - at least - that's how the day started out! When we found that even on a hot summer's day an icy wind slices across the top of the hills and whips one's hair into a cone to rival those sold by the man at the Ice Cream van we packed a slightly surprised George back into the car and headed down the North side to the pretty village of Ditchling. We didn't intend to stay long so just a quick look around St Margaret's Church and Churchyard - found a couple of interesting tombstones and a splendid old crooked house!

Inside the church (an interesting read here - http://www.beaconparishes.org/about_stmargarets - we found a couple of very old gravestones inside the pretty church.

Outside I found this one - which seemed to tell the story of a whole family.

George, having exhausted a wide selection of things to smell, then decreed that we should leave and so we did!

Slaugham

Many many years ago when we were children our parents used to bring us to Slaugham for a walk around the pond. I remember happy times running about with crunching leaves underfoot and a crisp chill in the air. Some 40 years later I decided it would be nice to revisit Slaugham and it's pond and take George for a walk around it. Slaugham is a pretty village with what is, apparently, the only white telephone box in the country! This ceases to be fascinating around 4 seconds after you start looking at it - so on to the pond we went. The first thing we found was notices pinned to the trees warning of diseased water and urgent advice not to allow animals anywhere near it. If George had a brain this news would have displeased him greatly - there's nothing he likes better than to sit down in some cold slimy water. Unto each his own and all that...........

So we began the walk around the pond - in my memory this used to take at least a whole morning so it was with some surprise that a mere ten minutes later we found ourselves around it and back at the start point! I suppose it's like Summer. And Christmas. So so far away when you're a child. So long lasting when you're in it. So fleeting as an adult. Nevertheless - it was a nice walk and we mumbled a bit about the passing of the years and made our way to the parish church of St Mary.

Some pictures of Slaugham Pond

St Mary's Church Slaugham

Set in a lovely position in the village and with impressive grounds this is a Church and Churchyard worth exploring. 

Interesting read here - Wikipedia Article on St Mary's

Once we'd finished calming George down after a brief but exciting visit from an unscheduled squirrel we had a wander around the grounds. The church was closed despite signage indicating otherwise. 

This is a picture of the oddly unkempt area of the graveyard - in many ways these neglected areas are more interesting than the perfectly manicured grounds but this one was full of nettles and every one of them looked as though stinging me that day was their very raison d'etre!

On the last side of the Church we found this - 

- the burial place of Catherine Matcham - a sister of Lord Nelson.

On to West Hoathly by way of Ardingly reservoir and a strange picnic spot that had, apparently, been donated to the public by some kind and altruistic gentleman in 1965. It was fine for sandwiches but you couldn't spend a day there!

West Hoathly was really rather lovely. I bought some beans from outside a house. The sign urged one to help oneself - the later addition of a note recommending a donation left no doubt that one really HAD better leave a donation! I don't think he does a roaring trade because barely was I back in the car but he was there collecting the donation! It must have pleased him as he didn't summon the villagers to run us out of town with pitchforks!

St Margaret's Church was a real jewel in this tranquil backwater and the grounds and graveyard seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see.

More wanderings to follow.................

Wild Apple Jelly and a ramble through Ovingdean to St Wulfran's Church

Ovingdean is situated between Rottingdean to the East and Roedean to the West - an exceedingly pretty little village and home to the delightful St Wulfran's Church which dates from the 11th century and is one of the oldest buildings in the City of Brighton and Hove. 

More about St Wulfran's here

This was not our first visit here but was the first time we have found the Church open and it was worth the wait! There are some pictures to look at further down.
After a good look round the Church we wandered as we usually do around the graveyard and this one does not disappoint. It's beautifully kept and features some very handsome statuary and graves dating back to the 17th century.

George was getting bored by now so it was time to go apple hunting. We took the path alongside the now derelict Bulstrode's Farm and found plenty of apples and in very little time, but plenty of nettle stings, we had a large bag full.

Home then and straight into the business of cooking the apples to make our locally famous Chilli Jelly. The apples provide a good neutral base in which to suspend either prettily cut fresh chillies or swirls of extra hot chilli flakes. I'm going to use the fresh chillies give to us by a friend who grows them in his garden.

This is how I do it.

In a large preserving pan place 3 - 4lbs of apples. Cover with water and set to cook on a medium heat. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and allow to simmer until the apples are mush. This takes around two hours. We really want to extract maximum flavour and juice from the apples. 
When the apples are fully cooked I set up a rig to strain the cooked juice and separate it from the mush. To make crystal clear jelly the liquid needs to drip through a piece of muslin. Cookbooks make this sound a lot more difficult that it needs to be. I have in the past used a tea towel inside a sieve, a sieve lined with kitchen paper or muslin or very fine netting - any of these will do. The object is to separate the liquid from the mush. In order for the jelly to be absolutely clear never press the apple mush through the sieve or fabric - this will make it cloudy. It has to be left to drip away quietly and thoroughly - set it up and check only that it's not overflowing. Have another pan ready to decant juice into if needs be. If you can leave it to drip overnight so much the better. When it's all done dispose of the leftover mush. 
Now all of the liquid in your preserving pan must be set onto a simmer or slow boil to reduce by half. When this is done, measure the volume of liquid you have left and for every pint you will need 1 lb of sugar. Now reduce it again, once more over a lowish heat, until it is again reduced by half. By now the juice will look good and rich - not at all watery. 
Remove from heat and add the sugar, stirring it in slowly and gently. Dissolve over a very low heat. When the sugar is completely dissolved ensure that everything you're going to need is at hand. Jars should be sterilised and on a low heat in the oven. Lids ready, chilli flakes or chopped/sliced fresh chillies to hand. 
Raise the heat underneath the pan until you reach a rolling boil. At this point add the chillies. It's almost impossible to give quantities - we like it fairly hot so I'd use around 2 dessertspoons of hot chilli flakes or up to 10 fresh chillies. 
It's very useful to have a jam thermometer to hand - it will tell you exactly what heat you're looking for to achieve setting point. If you don't have one then you have to check and keep checking. Have several saucers in the fridge and to test for setting point put a spoonful of jelly onto the saucer, allow to cool and push with your finger. If it wrinkles then setting point has been reached. Take care not to cook too much longer after this point - it's easy to go past it and be left with a sticky sugary mess that's not much use for anything and certainly can't be called jam or jelly! 
In order for the chillies to appear suspended in the jelly it may need to cool a little in the pan before putting in jars. You'll be able to tell quite easily when this point is.
Ladle your jelly into warmed jars and seal immediately. If it does appear that the chillies are floating to the top turn the jars upside down (Carefully! They're hot!) for a minute or so, then upend to the correct position. 
This jelly keeps well - I've got jars from two and three years ago and it only improves with age. Once people taste this it's going to be hard for you to hold on to any for yourself! It's delicious with cheese, excellent with cold meats and a wonderful addition to gravies or marinades.

Blackberry picking and a recipe for 'to-die-for' Blackberry Curd

Wandered over to the glorious Sheepcote Valley this afternoon with a (too small!) tub to pick some blackberries. After falling in a ditch, being swarmed by thunder flies and told off by George for not being entertaining enough we managed 2lbs of juicy berries which came straight home and into the pan. They're being turned into Blackberry Curd.
This is how................

Place 2lb of fruit into a large pan and just cover with water. Cook on a very low heat until the berries are more or less mushy (approx an hour) - by now quite a bit of the water will have evaporated. Allow to cool then push as much pulp through a sieve as you can - leaving behind seeds, stalks and whatever else came home with the berries! Set the pan of pulp aside.

You will also need -

Sterilised jars

450g granulated sugar

200g unsalted butter

6 medium free range eggs, well beaten and preferably sieved (bits of egg in your curd? No thanks!)


Place your blackberry pulp into a large pan and add the sugar. Dissolve completely over a low heat. Now add the butter and again, slowly, melt it into the mixture. Add the beaten egg and immediately start whisking - and keep stirring or whisking (it's very important to keep the mixture moving and the heat low - unless you want blackberry flavoured scrambled eggs!)  until the mixture thickens enough to cover the back of a wooden spoon. Don't be alarmed - this does take longer than you think it will! Just look at it as a workout for your arm/s! My batch took about 25 minutes on a low heat - and all the while I was checking using the back of the spoon test as well as placing a small amount on a saucer to cool - when it looks spreadable and not runny you're getting there.
Remove from heat and start potting up - sealing each jar as you go. This will keep for up to 3weeks in the fridge, but should be consumed within a few days once opened. 

Pretty labels and fabric jar covers turn these into wonderful gifts too.