You will next be walking in a field, with a gorgeous view to the left. To me, views are everything. On the other side of the field, join and follow a left field-edge. Left out of the station, right on Priory Street, join Judd Lane, straight on (cross over the motorway, then a small road), and continue up to the ridge, Turn left onto a quiet lane steeply downhill to the Abergavenny Arms pub in Rodmell, After the pub, either, (shorter, old SDW route) follow the signposted permissive path south (parallel to the main road), then turn left through Southease village to the station (past a big church), or take option 2 (follow the longer but prettier new SDW route towards the river, then south to the bridge, cross it for the station), Continue east, cross the road, and up onto the downs along the SDW, At the path junction by the carpark, head north downhill along a quiet lane, or take Option 1 : continue east along the ridge, then sharply back on yourself, northwest to West Firle. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Second time that Ive done it. Hmmm. Just a little reminder in case you had forgot where you are. Thanks Tracy Oh it must be lambing season, I love walks around this time, Hello, my name is Zoe and welcome to my blog about walks and hikes in England. You can stop halfway and make the 20 min walk into Rodmell to check outMonk's House(Virginia Woolf's 17th century home)if you wanted to make more of a day of it. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 2 h 43 min to complete. and turn west towards a farm at the entrance of Firle Manor, then join a quiet lane [the main route] heading north to the main road), Cross the busy road, and continue north, past the Trevor Arms to Glynde Station, Turn left at the village shop, cross the style and up on to the downs. The Southease Swing Bridge is one view you will encounter. Copyright @ 2019 She walks in England - All Right Reserved. How to get there: Buy a return ticket from London Victoria to Southease. Famous for being the home of author Virginia Woolf, Rodmell is a must see place for many fans of the Bloomsbury set. I deliberately didnt stop as I was aiming for a specific train back from Southease but next time I do it would allow at least an hour to take in the breathtaking views and to pause and realise you can hear nothing but skylarks. Most notably is the fort, as well as the museum and its focus on the maritime and wartime history of the town. Jun 5th, 2022 . I just couldnt stop. Dont worry, if you make this mistake like I did, its only a short walk along this road before you are bombarded with South Downs Way signage. Click here for a full-sized map of the Southease to Lewes walk. A narrow path squeezes along the right edge of a garden to join a road. I found myself walking along a ridge with a 360 degree view of the hills, with their gentle undulations, and patchwork fields of different shades of green, brown and yellow. Next, you reach some woods where you have a very steep but short incline. Thats not to say the first half wasnt good, because it was, but I realise some might not want to walk that far. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Walkers can largely follow signs to Rodmell on the way but can enjoy a few other specials sites en route if they so wish. After about 30-40 mins you should start seeing the Southease bridge in sight. You should be able to follow the brief instructions below (basically, straight on, then turn right at the top of the hill). After the second gate, you will leave the river by taking a left to go under the metal bridge. until 4pm daily. Keep walking until the sound of traffic fades and you are left with the sound of crickets and birds. Join with your email address to receive exclusive content and post updates. Passing over Seaford Head you get fantastic views of the path over the Seven Sisters ahead then head inland to follow the banks of the river Cuckmere through Westdean, Litlington and Alfriston. The South Downs Way winds its way through the village towards the nearby River Ouse and the railway station. Walk in Virginia's footsteps along the river from Southease railway station or Lewes. If tired, you can omit this last section and still enjoy a 17.4km (10.8 mile walk).. Clockwise (directions on pages 6-9 of the pdf) leaves the longest section, Lewes to Southease, till last, and you face a long slow climb up to the highest point on the walk as part of this. Its also possible to follow the route using TOCW Book 2, but printing the map would help, especially the 'in reverse' bit. People mill about buying tickets and looking down the tracks from the bridge and it's quintessentially English. With cows and haystacks dotted about in the fields below, I realised I was walking towards a farm house. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Somewhere. Its a winding road and the cars look quite vicious powering along it. On entering the village you will pass Monk's house which has some fascinating history of its own. We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. 3 - Towards the bottom of the hill, just short of a gate, turn right, walking parallel to a fence on your left. However things do change and all outdoor activities involve a degree of risk. Where the fence turns away to the right, go ahead, soon curving right on a well-trodden unfenced grassy path, which climbs to pass the trig point next to Red Lion Pond. Using a part of the South Down Way, this circular walk goes through Southease, Rodmell, along the River Ouse and include one steep hill. Every now and then you'll spot the coastal train snaking along the landscape - this is the train you'll be returning to Lewes on. HP10 9TY. Notes: You'll be getting the train back so worth checking times first but you can easily pass the time at the lovelySouth Downs YHAat Southease. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to A Gannett Company. The village comprises fewer than 1000 inhabitants, a 13th century church, Iford and Kingston Primary School and a pub called 'The Juggs' all of which provide focal points for the village. Walk through the field, continuing up, and under the telephone pylons. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. 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. 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. The trail sign will point ahead and to the left. It heaves at the struts of the bridge and teases the banks with waves that break sporadically into puddles on the path. Just a quiet road with signage pointing the pub. (I have walked along this way a couple of times and the haystacks arent a permanent fixture, so you arent guaranteed to see them). You will follow the South Downs Way (SDW) for part of the walk. Southease to Lewes(part 3) 11.1km (6.9 miles) Toughness 7 out of 10 (three steep climbs, but mostly easy level walking on good paths with easy navigation) Maps OS Explorer OL11 (was 122) Brighton Features This is an energetic walk (550 metres or 1,600 feet of ascent) over three distinct downland ridges, with magnificent views throughout. To complete the walk, go straight ahead from point six, over the crossing track and the stile opposite, from which a clear unfenced path drops steadily downhill. The footpath hugs the river, comfortably elevated from the waters surging width. Walk to the other end of it and go through the little gate. And a view ahead of a white chalk cliff face. Train from Glynde to Lewes from end of shorter walk, Whats underfoot: Excellent walking along good paths and tracks, and across open downland. Name Civil Parishes Notes ; Ampthill PLU : Ampthill, Clophill, Cranfield, Flitton, Flitwick, Haynes, Higham Gobion + 2 detached portions, Houghton Conquest . By book : Walk 26 [3] to [4], then follow walk 25 in reverse from [6] to [3]. At the ridge, first detour 200m south to Mount Caburn, retrace your steps, then skirt north around the 'bowl' shaped valley in front of you. Time: It took me about 6 hours, which included lots of photo stops. Walk and hike from Lewes to Southease along the South Downs Way, 8 Best Surrey Hills Walks: Full Route Guides, Ultimate Seven Sisters Walk Guide: Seaford to Eastbourne, How to walk from Hastings to Rye England, 6 best walks from Brockenhurst in the New Forest, Chee Dale Stepping Stones Walk: Ultimate Guide, 57 Best Camper Van Accessories And Gadgets. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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. First built in 1791 and restored in 1880, the bridge is a fine piece of engineering and is a welcome site on the walk. The trail is near a pretty steep decline into the valley below. Then I can live here. Over another stile, maintain direction steadily up to the top of the ridge. Hurry! You will be continuing on in this direction for a while, and after going through more gates you will find yourself on the first ridge, with views to your right down to the villages below, and views to your left of the South Downs hills. You will see Ouse Valley, Southease and Rodmell Village along this journey, where you can explore churches that date back to the 12th century. Turn left out of the station and go across the river. From here on out, you will be following the South Downs Way. It is from here that you get good views of the towns by the sea, Newhaven and Seaford. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I stand on Willey's Bridge, probably for the hundredth time since I moved to Lewes, and take a moment to soak up the winter sun, white cliffs glinting in the distance. Walking in the South Downs, having views of the rolling hills is not unusual. In the Easter, late May and summer school holidays it is open daily except Wednesday. A convenient rail service links you to Southease. You'll start to see more wildlife and, depending on what time of day you're walking, seabirds will be quietly fishing on the banks. At SussexLive we have another perfect stroll to keep you entertained and enjoy the outdoors this time of year. Well, this one had plenty. This is the longer option. With its castle, saxon twittens, ruined priory and architecture from the Normans onwards, its really worth spending time there. southease to lewes river walkmuseum quality dinosaur models. The Southease Swing Bridge over the River Ouse in East Sussex, The route takes you away from the River Ouse across farmland and into the village of Rodmell, Southease church dates from the year 966 making it one of the oldest in Sussex, Monk's House is now full of treasures relating to the Bloomsbury Group, The walk culminates at the Abergavenny Arms. Quite exposed for some time. This is the longer (via West Firle option). As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. 06-Jun-15 Let me know in the comments if you try this walk, and if you Instagram use tag @tidebloguk. 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. From: Kingston Ridge, BN7 3LA Kingston Near Lewes, England . By Book: Follow Book 2, Walk 25, as far as Southease Station (Points [3] to [6] in the instructions).