Length: 23 km (14.3 miles) Options to drop out early
Toughness: 8 out of 10 Several steady ascents
London Victoria: 08-54 hrs Southern service to Oare CJ 09-01 hrs EC 09-10 hrs
Arrive Lewes: 09-56 hrs Change trains
Leave Lewes: 10-15 hrs Southern stopping service from Brighton to Oare
Arrive Glynde: 10-21 hrs
Return: Seaford to Victoria, changing at Lewes: 25 and 53 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Seaford
My apologies for the early start, but the later trains do not work for this walk today.
This walk will be familiar to all regular SWC walkers, many of whom regard it as the best walk in the original TO book. But for newcomers, you are in for a treat ! The walk comes in three sections. Section one in the morning has you walking through the picturesque village of Firle before you climb up onto the South Downs, for a lengthy ridge walk on the South Downs Way. You then drop down to the village of Alfriston for lunch at one of its three excellent pubs: The George Inn, a favourite with SWC walkers; the newly refurbished Star Inn, and Ye Olde Smugglers Inn. Picnickers usually stop by the church.
After lunch section two starts with a walk beside the Cuckmere River to the village of Littlington, then over fields to the hamlet of West Dean before a climb up to Friston Forest. Through the forest and you arrive above Exceat. Drop down and you can conclude your walk here if you wish, by taking the regular bus to Seaford. Otherwise, you embark on section three by taking the Vanguard Way steadily uphill to a point above Cuckmere Haven. Depending on tide times today, swimmers can descend to the Haven for a swim. Returning back on top, you now enjoy an undulating clifftop walk with magnificent views behind you of the Seven Sisters - all eight of them ! You drop down from the clifftops to the town of Seaford, to walk along its promenade before you head for the town's centre and post walk refreshments. Recently walkers have spoken highly of Seaford Sailing / Yacht club which is open to the public for refreshments. Otherwise, please refer to the Directions for drink options. Personally, I like the mini-pub within the railway station premises. If you are hungry after today's exertions Trawlers fish and chip restaurant is a favourite with SWC walkers.
This walk comes highly recommended, for old hands and new !
T=1.31
Walk Directions are here: L=1.31
7 comments:
I’m thinking of doing this walk but on a later train as I’m not sure I can make the 8.54.
As far as I can see the trains are running every hour. Or is there something going on with the trains that I’m missing?
Probably to accommodate swimmers and the heat
If you want to frequent the Sailing Club, which is the only seafront cafe in Seaford, continue to the far end of the promenade and get the train back from Bishopstone station. There is more information here: http://sailinginsussex.org/galley/
My favourite walk!
The train from Victoria was full - with Meet-Up groups, a CLOG group and some SWCers. On arriving at Lewes the SWC contingent found its connecting train to Glynde had been cancelled, with an hours wait until the next one. After a bit of head scratching we opted to take taxis to the walk-start - which worked well, supplemented by one car driver kindly giving lifts to three walkers. Three others had escaped the train disruption by taking earlier trains out of London, and some took later trains, so quoting walk numbers today is a bit hit and miss - but let's say n=16.
We were most fortunate with the weather. The forecast was not too promising, with showers - some heavy - predicted, but it did not rain until some of us were on the train home. It was a bit humid in the morning, but with a pleasant breeze on top of the Downs. The w=sun-came-out-mid-afternoon and the last leg of the walk along the cliff tops to Seaford was glorious. Before that, in the morning, I have never seen the South Downs Way so busy - horse riders, mountain bikers, runners, walkers et al - and how nice to see some families out in force. Alfriston was also busy and some of us managed to be fed at the George and the Smugglers pubs before embarking on the two afternoon legs of the walk. Admirers of butterflies would have enjoyed today - they were everywhere and lots of different species as well.
On reaching Cuckmere Haven I don't believe anyone was tempted to take to the waters - and the sea at Seaford was considered too rough for safe swimming. So instead some took tea on the promenade whilst others enjoyed a drink or two at the comfy pub in the railway station premises. The trains seemed to be running to schedule from Seaford to Lewes and Brighton, but some London bound trains from Lewes were cancelled during the early part of the evening - I hope everyone managed to get home safely eventually.
Apart from the minor inconvenience of some travel disruption (understandable during the Pingdemic) most seemed to enjoy their day over the South Downs to the sea.
Five of us met at Glynde more or less on time including two new / newish walkers One by train from Lewes. The London train made an extra stop at Glynde to make up for the cancellation. Three of us came from the Eastbourne direction but the taxi group had departed. We stopped at The Ram in Firle for a swift half where we were passed by another who had walked from Lewes. After lunch at The George I walked back to Berwick for the car and collected Joanna from Litlington tea garden
As far as I know the rest of our group made it to Seaford.
Thank you, John for your additional report. If only there had been an announcement on our train from London about the additional stop, then we would not have disembarked at Lewes !!
With your numbers I now make it we mustered n=21
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