A lovely full English brekkie (no beans) was waiting for me in the bar at the Chequer Inn, more than enough to spur me on towards Lewes. This was the longest leg of my three day extravaganza at about 20 miles (32.5km).
Leaving Steyning by way of its historical Church Lane, it’s only 10 minutes to reach the edge of town before dropping down to Bramber. A picturesque ruin of the Norman castle and a beautiful little church give a clue to the importance of the little village in the early Norman period. A great way to start the day!
At Bramber I picked up our old friend the Monarch’s Way, following it up, and up, and up Beeding Hill and onto the South Downs proper; both sticks were needed! It was a hard slog, but totally worth the work to get up to the downs and look back towards Steyning and the Chanctonbury Ring.
From hereon we’re on the South Downs Way (SDW) pretty much for the rest of the day. The SDW is mainly made up of chalky gravel paths and cuts through farmland with very little cover. This means two things: 1) sun cream 2) all round spectacular views across the plain to the north downs and down towards the sea.
It really doesn’t get better than this in terms of taking in a landscape, and for km after km I marvelled at the rolling hills, open spaces and fabulous skies (listening to sci-fi movie soundtracks; if you haven’t yet crested a steep hill as John William’s score announces the destruction of the Death Star, I can recommend it). Paragliders wheeled overhead and flocks of goldfinches gambolled around the fencelines as the white path snaked ahead. As it was a lovely day, and a bank holiday weekend to boot, the path was lively with fellow walkers and cyclists. Most parts of this section of the SDW are accessible by car at specific points, so you can take in just a taster, without committing to long miles!
I came down from the, err, Downs for lunch in Pyecombe, a tiny village just off the A23. On the SDW is the Shepherd’s Church (more correctly, the Church of the Transfiguration), a tiny aisle-less church which has served the shepherds of the area and their families for generation. It houses a kitchen that is always open to walkers, riders and pilgrims; I refilled my water bladder, had a pint of squash and left a note of thanks. This was, without doubt, a profound experience; the modern ’pilgrimage’ doesn’t usually involve refreshments in small churches as it undoubtedly would have done a few centuries ago. I was touched and delighted to have found such a fundamental part of the experience unchanged.
After my sojourn in the church I walked the short distance to the excellent Plough for lunch; lovely staff and yet more fabulous food. Really spoiled on this journey!
Rejoining the SDW the next 10km took in some of the stars of the route; the Jack and Jill windmills and one of the highest peaks (at 247m) of the South Downs, Ditchling Beacon. This was also the point where (I think) I crossed from West to East Sussex; another county conquered!!
A quick mention of the very welcome pink van of Ramblers Coffee, serving decent tea and cake squarely in the middle of nowhere on the SDW (well, near Streathill Farm, about 1.5km on from Ditchling Beacon). Also has a toilet. Win.
At Black Cap I left the SDW and started the descent into the Ouse Valley, which holds Lewes. Crossing the A275 and entering Offham, the route picks up a byway heading south before striking out eastwards to meet the river Ouse. Meandering down towards the town, it’s a gorgeous sight in the summer sun and a real treat on which to end this three day adventure on the Old Way. From the end of the river path I took a 10 minute march through the town, through the Norman castle gates, to meet Mr C (who had kindly come to pick me up, what a guy!)
Wow! What an adventure. Three days, 81km/50 miles and a host of amazing views, beautiful buildings, brilliant food and moments of reflection. Once again I am amazed at just how much is on our doorstep; I loved making new discoveries (and will definitely be revisiting some of the hostelries!). My 'token' for this three day section is a sample of the ubiquitous flint and chalk that characterises so much of the landscpe; once part of a seabed, its hard to comprehend the millenia that have gone into the making of the paths I have followed. This particular example shows signs, I like to think, of shaping into a tool of some kind. I'm no expert, but I'm going to cling to this idea of a fellow traveller working the flint, before abandoning it to chase something tasty-looking down the hill.
Here's the map for day 6; it took me about 5.5. hours; on the whole actually, initial climb to the SDW excluded, this was not a massivley challenging walk in terms of terrain. There were some downwards slopes coming into Offham that were very rutted and hollowed so needed care, but otherwise a delightful journey.
This marks the halfway point(ish) of the Old Way so am on target for a Canterbury arrival on Easter Sunday 2022. Huzzah!
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