Exploring the South Downs RSS

Exploring the South Downs -

We were heading to start our walk at Ditchling Beacon. It's a very popular trail and being a glorious Sunday and with our late start, we figured the parking would be full. We found a little place to park at the bottom of the hill. A good starting point for a steep climb up the grassy banks, quickly reaching the breathtaking views. (Ditchling Beacon is one of the highest points in East Sussex and offers breathtaking panoramic views of the South Downs National Park.) Once we reached the top, we we joined the chalky path and headed along towards Devil's Dyke....

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Exploring the South Downs -

It was a cold December day with morning frost on the ground. We prepared for a picnic walk, packing layers, hats, waterproofs, gloves and filling thermos flasks with warming drinks and set off for Devil's Dyke. Devil's Dyke is a giant V-shaped valley with grassy banks that look especially interesting in the frost, with the cloud hanging low. It became a tourist attraction in the late Victorian times and remains popular with dog walkers and view seekers today. The air was cold, after a lot of stick throwing with the dog we realised we needed to keep moving to warm up again. At...

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Exploring the South Downs -

The forecast looked good, we packed a picnic and looked up a route on Komoot. Between 3-4 hours on the filter, we'd set off later than we hoped and ideally needed to be back before dark. Komoot offered us a circular route covering about 16km. Perfect. Having recently passed her driving test our eldest was eager for the practice and drove to our starting point from granny's house (in granny's car)... Ditchling Beacon. It was a faboulous sunny Sunday, so inevitably there were lots of cyclists to negotiate on the way up the hill. Safely parked up we packed up...

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