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Rule of Thirty: for the foreseeableLength:
24.2 km (15.1 mi)
Ascent/Descent:
584m
Net
Walking Time: ca. 6 hours
Toughness:
7 out of 10
Dropouts: at Southease or Glynde stations; longer:
via West Firle (29.7 km/18.4 mi)
Take
the 09.24 Eastbourne
service from Victoria (CJ 09.31, EC 09.40), arrives Lewes 10.26.
From
London Bridge,
take the 09.15 Thameslink service from Cambridge to Brighton and change at
Haywards Heath (10.00/10.08).
Return
trains:
xx.27 and xx.57.
This
walk is written up in either clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.
I
am posting the clockwise one, but you can of course do what you like… incl.
walking a longer version via West Firle.
“This
is an energetic walk over three distinct downland ridges, with magnificent
views throughout. 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. 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.
As
well as plenty of grand downland walking, the route includes a start and finish
in historic Lewes, quaint corners of which you see both at the start and end of
the walk, an optional detour to Mount Caburn (Iron Age fort) with its dramatic
viewpoint of the whole circuit, and the pleasant small village of Glynde.
You
also pass the remote station of Southease, with its YHA cafe nearby. The walk
passes 2 train stations on the way between the 3 hills, so if you want to drop
out, it’s quite easy.”
Lunch:
The Ram Inn in West Firle on the long clockwise
walk (lunch served to 15.00, then the bar menu) or the…
Abergavenny Arms in Rodmell
on any anti-clockwise route (9.0 km/5.6 mi, food all day) or even on the normal
clockwise route.
Tea: Plenty of options in
Lewes. For details see the pdf. T=swc.47
For
summary, walk directions, map, height profile,
photos and gpx/kml files click here.
5 comments:
Hi, Anyone know if Southease YHA is open for drinks etc now? Planning to get train back from Southease and unable to get this info from Google. Thank you.
Please see above. Thank you.
Yes, the Courtyard Cafe in the Southease YHA is open for refreshments. We were there a couple of weeks ago. Very nice cakes. We were told by staff that it is open till 10pm.
Thank you, branchline.
The weather forecast for today had steadily worsened over the last few days, and it (the weather) lived up to the forecast: drizzly at first, then rainy, then with some hard rain, then plenty low cloud, so much so that one could hardly make out The Ouse in the valley below, then clouds breaking, some sunny spells, followed by a thin layer of grey clouds with sunny breaks. 9 walkers today, incl. 1 first-timer, all walking clockwise. 3 of those we 'lost' at about the same time in three different directions: where the long walk turns left to West Firle, one paced ahead uphill w/o rain gear, while the rest stopped to put some rain gear on (we never saw him again); one turned back as he was sodden and planned to train it back from Glynde (but - after refreshments at the Tea Room in Glynde - walked back to Lewes); 1 (lagging behind the others) erroneously assumed we had turned left to West Firle and did the same. He had lunch there, took a taxi to Rodmell and had his dessert there, to then finish the walk with the other 4. If you have counted: that leaves 2 others, they finished at Southease (Courtyard Cafe then train).
From inside the pub in Rodmell, we had noticed that the sky was brightening up, and indeed the post lunch route was entirely dry and at times fairly sunny. The contrast between not seeing much from the Downs pre-lunch, and now having grand views, was quite something. All in: pleasant company, good chat and an improving weather during the day.
16.27 train for the dasher, the 17.27 missed by a few minutes by the pub lunchers. Some retired to The Depot, the new-ish place in the former brewery depot by the station (Long Man brewery beers, just outside Harvey's brewery, how do they get away with that?). n=9 w=wet-to-lunch-then-dry
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