February 2026
Well, January has been and gone and, for some, that can be a long month. It certainly feels that way sometimes when the weather is cold and wet, as it has been.
February is shaping up to be surprisingly busy at the cottage so we look forward to welcoming our new guests, whilst keeping our fingers crossed for some fairer weather.
On the calendar, Valentines Day is looming as we move further into February and the eternal question of how - or where - to spend the day is perhaps on the mind of every suitor. There are some great options for a romantic dinner in the area, and for fine dining, there is the beautiful restaurant and dining room at Alex Polizzi’s The Star, which has the added bonus of having a very snug bar that serves amazing champagne cocktails, martinis and other delights. It is also less than two minute’s walk away, which is a lovely bonus to be able to walk there and back in no time at all.
On the next corner in the village is Poco, a family run Italian restaurant, which is now offering fine dining to take away as well as to dine in. Slightly further out of the village is the Rathfinny wine estate and this has one or two restaurant options that offer fine dining and wine sampling from their considerable vineyards on the slopes of the Downs just outside of Alfriston. There are also a wide selection of pubs in the area with our favourites, for food, being the Sussex Ox at Milton Street (walkable, but really only in late spring, summer and early autumn when the ground is relatively dry) and the Eight Bells at Jevington.
Also in February, the South Downs Dark Skies Festival starts on Thursday 12 February and runs until Sunday 22 February. There are lots of things going on but our personal favourite is the astrophotography competition where you can see some pretty amazing photographs of the night sky. Click here to see the program. If you do happen to participate, and are staying at Flint Cottage, don’t forget to tag the photos with #flintcottagealfriston Happy star-gazing !
Finally, time is getting on to see the Lee Miller exhibition at the Tate Britain which ends on the 15 February…we ourselves will be going soon and this is highly recommended for fans of the photographic medium. If you’re unable to go then a visit to the home of Lee Miller, Farleys House & Gallery in nearby Chiddingly, is a good alternative and features many works by her. Lee Miller was a legendary war and surrealist photographer, Vogue model and WWII correspondent who made Farleys her home after the war, with her husband, Roland Penrose, co-founder of the ICA and a major promoter and collector of modern art. Please note that Farleys is currently closed and reopens in April after the winter break.
See you all in March for the next post.
