Train: Take the 9:46AM Southern service from London Victoria (10:02 East Croydon), arriving Lewes at 10:50. Return trains from Seaford are hourly at 59 past the hour. For those walking on to Exceat -- buses run from near the Cuckmere Inn at the Seven Sisters Country Park back to Seaford every 10-15 minutes. Buy a day return to Seaford.
Distance: 13.9 miles/22.3 km with shorter options available -- see the walk notes. Walking onto Exceat adds about 4 miles/6 km.
Difficulty: 7 out of 10 -- Good prep for those going to Scotland!
This walk is mainly along ridges and offers superb downland views throughout with an excellent lunchtime pub. The beauty of this walk is that you can see the way ahead so direction finding is fairly easy. Also, as Monday will be the full moon -- it should be bright and high in sky (if not too cloudy) -- so will provide a nice opportunity for a moonlit extension if conditions permit. If too cloudy admire the moon -- it is still a lovely walk with fine views! More information and the walk directions can be found here.
Lunch: The recommended lunch stop is the Ram Inn in West Firle 5.5 miles (9km). A booking has been made for 12:45pm.
Tea: Various options in Seaford.....including the lovely pub on the station!
2 comments:
It is worth pointing out that the buses from Exceat are only every half hour after 8pm. The last practical train from Seaford is at 20.59: there is a 21.57 train but this involves a bus replacement service from Lewes to Brighton and gets to London very late (0.42).
So to get the 20.59 train, aiming for the 20.23 bus would be recommended. Allowing two hours to walk in the moonlight from Seaford to Exceat, you would want to be setting off on this leg of the walk not long after 6pm. (After this time, an out and back walk onto Seaford Head would be possible.) It will be fully dark at about 7.15pm
Remember buses no longer go from the Cuckmere Inn: you now have to walk 400 metres along the main road to the Seven Sisters Visitor Centre stop.
8 assembled at the main entrance to Lewes station for the usual formalities after which those planning to dine in the pub set off at a steady pace to arrive in time for the 12:45 booking. On the downs outside of Lewes we met number n=9 who had set off directly from the station. The walking was fab -- bright skies, fresh breeze and great views.... we arrived in time for lunch and it was marvellous -- really a great pub! Two of the picnickers waited for the lunchers -- but things became fragmented as one group left ahead
of the others and the other experimented with a more direct ascent to the downs and took the higher downland route on the approach to Bishopstone village.... however, all but one did regroup for a spell just before the descent to Bishopstone where we lost one to a bus and one to a caravan. The rest carried on to Seaford and enjoyed hot/cold bevies and snacks at the charming Steamworks on the station. Three caught the 17:59 and 3 intrepid souls set off about 18:25 for an evening walk over Seaford Head and what a delight it was with a beautiful full moon to guide us along the way.....truly magical. We caught the 20:20ish bus back to Seaford, had time to get take away pizza from Dominos and a few other essentials from Tescos before catching the 20:59. A fine day (and evening) out in w=bright-sun-then-moon-with-fresh-breeze.
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