Why England's most underrated river is about to become its cleanest Southease is an excellent place to start walking or cycling the South Downs Way. Navigation is easy, the walking is over wide and distinct paths, and while there are three substantial climbs, most of the walk is flat, gently undulating or downhill. Quite exposed for some time. A few yards past the shop, go right through a bridle gate, follow a trodden path across pasture to another gate and then climb steadily up on to the Caburn downland, with a fence on your left. Views are nice over the countryside. (I have walked along this way a couple of times and the haystacks arent a permanent fixture, so you arent guaranteed to see them). It's an easy, breezy walk - one that isn't taxing and is full of detoxing fresh air and a mix of landscapes to inspire and feast the eyes. For Sale: 4 beds, 3.5 baths 2448 sq. As I made my way up I saw some cows up ahead, right in my path. I did this walk as a continuation from the section of the South Downs Way, from Hassocks to Lewes. Southease, Ditchling Beacon & Lewes - Walk - Visorando Walk to the other end of it and go through the little gate. This does not mean though that the village is unpeaceful, on the contrary the existence of a number of fine manor houses testify to the serenity of the village. A narrow path squeezes along the right edge of a garden to join a road. You basically keep going straight till you hit the bridge over the river Ore. Dont go over the bridge. As well as hot drinks, cakes and sandwiches, they serve puddings, pizzas, salads and jacket potatoes. READ MORE: Weir Wood Reservoir: The beautiful East Sussex walk with a pub at the end. 4 - After almost half a mile, turn right over a stile and sharply back to the right, across the corner of a field to pass through a hedge gap, across another field and through a gateway in a second hedge. Elevation gain: With all the hills you will have walked up about 2018ft (615m), but the highest point of the walk is roughly 690ft (210m). Shortly turn left along Ranscombe Lane, passing the village shop on your left. Over the past month, I have found myself in a field with a bull twice. The Railway Land is one of my favourite places in Lewes - it offers so much for a relatively small space and is full of wildlife and history. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Chichester. Begin your walk from Southease Station. Shorter walk options: As there is a station at the start and end of each section of this walk, you can do any one section as a walk in its own right, or any two consecutive ones (even starting at Southease, lunching in Lewes and finishing in Glynde or vice versa). Lewes to Saltdean walk South Downs Way along a chalk ridge in the morning, remote Rodmell for lunch, then back up and over the downs to the coast. Starting at Newhavens Riverside Park the Egrets Way follows the course of the River Ouse north to Lewes passing close to the villages of Piddinghoe and Southease. At the bottom, I took a left away from the farm house, leaving my imaginary farmer husband behind and found myself on a main road. Iford can be accessed from the GMT footpath which links to the Egrets Way at Swanborough holiday lodges. I instead continued following the direction of the SDW, I had a train to make (I still believed I would make it at this point). River Ouse Walk, Sussex U.K. Lambs, countryside, Lewes, Southease 2 - About 150 yards short of the twin masts on Beddingham Hill and just before a cattle grid, turn left across grass, walking parallel and a few yards to the left of the tarmac road, which comes up from the foot of the Downs at this point. As I made my way downhill, a couple of farmers in their trucks drove on by, I looked at the time and realised a train would be arriving at Southease in 15 min. 76 m. User Ratings Be the first to add a review! It was so calm, just how I was feeling in that moment. In the afternoon, the Little Cottage Tea Rooms in Glynde (if they are open) are a possible tea stop, though sadly there is no longer a pub stop in the village. One of the pleasures of the walk is that the entire route is in view for much of the walk, so you can look back at the terrain you have already done or ahead to the delights to come. A cyclist hoists his bike over a stile and excitedly reports a seal in the river a few miles further inland. The route needs very little explaining as it is well signposted and largely follows the banks of the River Ouse. Comments have been closed on this article. It's been an incredibly busy month and when Sunday came the temptation was to catch up on chores and general life admin. Useful post? This trail is a route along the beautiful coastline from Saltdean to the Cuckmere River, taking in Cliffs, Nature Reserves, Seven Sisters Country Park, Watch Towers, Forts, Lidos and Harbours. Name Civil Parishes Notes ; Ampthill PLU : Ampthill, Clophill, Cranfield, Flitton, Flitwick, Haynes, Higham Gobion + 2 detached portions, Houghton Conquest . There are often cows around here but just be bold and walk straight through them, they won't take any notice of you! Leave the road to the right of the clubhouse, [Map 1B] Circuit around the bowl you can see in front of you. It's deserved time away from the busy pressures of modern life and provides a beautiful reconnect with nature. On a slightly more haunting note - it is also somewhere here that Virginia Woolf lined her pockets with stones and stepped into the river. Sussex is home to an infinite number of fantastic winter walks. Where this fence turns away to the left, follow the track, now less distinct as it curves right along the side of the combe, then left across the valley and left again, obliquely up the opposite slope to join the access road coming down from the top of the Downs. I did this walk a couple of days ago, perfect blue sky. Take a right at the second or third road (either will do), and once you reach the church, walk downhill to the left of it. This walk might now be one of my favourites. After the walk, please leave a comment, it really helps. As I didnt see the bull, does this count as the third time? The famous Lewes raft raft is back and the eggs are flying once again- on a windy day. saturdaywalkers@walyada yada yadakingclub.org.uk. Then once out of the woods, you walk down a steep hill until you hit the road. The town looks so pretty from here. Southease Villagein East Sussex is located in the Ouse Valley, roughly midway between the county town of Lewes, to the north, and the port of Newhaven to the south. Wow. Second time that Ive done it. From the bottom of the hill go straight ahead along the pedestrianised Malling High Street. On the clockwise walk a short diversion off the walk route as you approach Lewes would take you to the charming Juggs Inn in the village of Kingston. Lovely trail, beautiful views and relatively easy. Continue on, going under the telephone pylon till you exit the woods in the village of Offham. Keep walking until the sound of traffic fades and you are left with the sound of crickets and birds. I continued up with the fence to my right (and the cows just the other side of it) when I then noticed another opening in the fence.right next to the cows. I usually get lost when I go for walks but Zoes directions were so easy to follow and the photos really useful to reassure you that you were on the right track. This walk is about 14.6 miles and covered 10 miles of the South Downs Way. But still, this is now my most photo heavy blog post. (Logistical info such as how to get there, timings and an interactive map will be at the end). Cross the new bridle bridge over the A26 and follow a clear track obliquely up on to Itford Hill. HP10 9TY. And this one has them. With a distance of around 7 miles the route takes the user on a journey through landscapes that are as archaeologically fascinating as they are naturally captivating. With great difficulty, I managed to narrow it down to about 70, but that is still too many for this blog. At the bottom of the hill, go over a stile and follow a path along the floor of a quiet downland valley (Oxteddle Bottom). As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. To me, views are everything. I concluded that I wouldnt and that I might leave here today all cut up. Getting to the Start Lewes is just off the A27 to the north east of Brighton. Southease is a Community Rail Station Station Partners I passed an unusual amount of South Downs Way signage. BY . Newhaven to Lewes. Southern Service operates a train from Southease to Lewes hourly. This is the moment things changed. Once you leave the road, the walking trail will still be level for a bit as you pass by more fields. Well, whatever they were doing, it was scaring me. Gentle afternoon to historic Winchelsea and Rye via a noted viewpoint. On the anti-clockwise walk the pedestrianised Cliffe High Street is the first bit of the town you come to, and has several cafes and eating places as as well some fine old pubs. If you have any questions about any of them please feel free to leave a comment on the post or send me an email. By Car: Roadside parking is possible in several places on either side of the River Ouse to the west of Southease Station, accessible by car only from the west. I did think twice (or 5 times) about whether I should walk through this field or turn back. It is open 12pm to 11pm (10pm on Sunday) but serves food only 12pm-3pm and 6pm to 9pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm Sunday. Whilst the short walk may not tire you out, it will leave you breathless purely by the sheer beauty of the town of Rodmell and its quaint old dwellings. Most historians agree that Lewes' name derives from the Old English 'hlaews' ('hills' or 'mounds') as Lewes is built . I cant recall how many gates you walk through on your way up, but at one of them you will see your first signage pointing to the South Downs way. Over another stile, maintain direction steadily up to the top of the ridge. Wildflower Meadow: Grow your own in a container. and videos to The area is a designated National Nature Reserve and is the site of an Iron Age fort. Continue south along the road, cross a busy road, and continue south on a lane for 30 metres. In both directions the Landsdown Arms is a characterful pub near the station, and The Runaway, the buffet on platform 2 of Lewes station, is recommended for its excellent range of cakes: it is open until 6.50pm Monday to Friday, 5.50pm Saturday and 5.20pm Sunday. Beautiful winter day. A narrow path squeezes along the right edge of a garden to join a road. I just couldnt stop. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. Two small vilages separated by the C7 but linked by the Parish Church, St Nicholas in Iford. The trail is near a pretty steep decline into the valley below. Head east, steeply downhill, to Glynde (village shop). https://you-well.co.uk/visiting-sussex/#Lewes. A glimpse of how far up you will have to walk. Turn left and follow this road for a little over half a mile out to the A27. Cream teas are served Wednesday to Saturday from 3pm to 5.30pm. Maybe the sign was pretend lol. All images by Emma Croman unless otherwise stated. Take the left turn onto a much smaller path with nothing but views of the South Downs hills ahead (and some telephone pylons). Seagulls dart and plunge above the water, screeching and switching their course with breakneck turns. But a mind is nothing without pressing the reset button from time to time and poor Monty was well overdue a good half day of him and I time. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Welcome to the South Downs Way. Opposite the entrance to Itford House on your left, turn right with the South Downs Way. You will start your walk to Southease, from Lewes train station. More details Which Bus lines stop near Southease? Its also possible to follow the route using TOCW Book 2, but printing the map would help, especially the 'in reverse' bit. My guard went down a little (but only a little) and I was able to properly look at my surroundings. It is four miles south of Lewes and a similar distance north of the port of Newhaven, home of the Dieppe ferry. Lewes is an ancient town with a sizeable population serviced by a wide selection of amenities a good range of pubs catering for all tastes, lots of boutique shops and the usual selection of grocery shops and supermarkets. The walk starts in Southease and passes to Rodmell, though there is nothing stopping you from doing it in reverse. Southease, Rodmell and Lewes Brooks - Walk - Visorando From here on out, you will be following the South Downs Way. Turn left and walk into Glynde, passing the conveniently placed Trevor Arms to reach Glynde Station, where the shorter walk ends. An easy-going route which is suitable to most abilities, so a wonderful opportunity to get outdoors. Begin your walk from Southease Station. There is not much to choose between them in terms of views or gradients climbed: rather it is the length of sections and the positioning of lunch and tea options: Anti-clockwise (directions on pages 3-5 of the pdf) is in many ways better. This walk's detailed directions are in a PDF available from wwww.walkingclub.org.uk. Nestling in an idyllic setting in the South Downs National Park. I take your privacy seriously. The YHA Courtyard Cafe near Southease station is only open to the public till 4pm officially, but after that time you can sometimes still get served. You then have an exhilarating finish over Mount Caburn that brings you directly down into the part of Lewes with the best tea options (Cliffe High Street). A Gannett Company. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Where this fence turns away to the left, follow the track, now less distinct as it curves right along the side of the combe, then left across the valley and left again, obliquely up the opposite slope to join the access road coming down from the top of the Downs. As I made my way through this field, I was on super high alert, keeping myself next to the barbed wire fence, prepared to jump over it if the bull appeared. Pass to the left of a circular fenced pond, go through a bridle gate and bear left. Pass to the left of a circular fenced pond, go through a bridle gate and bear left. Tickets cost 2 - 4 and the journey takes 14 min. There was even the dreaded bull. This walk is one of my absolute favourites. Walkers alongside the River Ouse near Southease in East Sussex. I stood there for a solid 5min working up the courage to walk past it where the cows could get me. Happy hiking ;). You are spoiled with a changing landscape with this walk - on the left there are chalk hills and on the right rolling farmland. You will reach the ridge and find yourself surrounded by the rolling hills of the South Downs, and you start to get a peak of the sea. Southease, Rodmell and Lewes Brooks walk or cycle Sussex Walks - Lewes to Southease TIDE Go over a footbridge and on in the same direction across grass and up shallow steps. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 2 h 43 min to complete. There has been a village here since at least the time of William the Conqueror. Southease, Lewes and Offham Circular - Walks in Sussex Traveling in Kingston near Lewes - The nicest routes | RouteYou Learn how your comment data is processed. The walk to the sea is for another. Opposite the entrance to Itford House on your left, turn right with the South Downs Way..
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