Or Why Aren’t They Called the Ups?

Today started with a hot and student be-packed bus and a climb, up, down and up again to re-join the Way at Ditchling Beacon where we broke off yesterday. It seemed to take a fair amount of walking just to get started. But again once we were there, whilst there was a  bit more cloud than on previous days we were rewarded with fabulous views towards the sea and across the High Weald. You could even see the sea at Eastbourne and beyond to Pevensey. What stunning landscape to have on your doorstep.

Some of the days walk involved walking towards and past a large field full of poppies, it was a beautiful site to see them fluttering and waving in the breeze.

We were going to have lunch the other side of the A27 (thankfully crossed by a bridge these days) but were caught out by the sneaky hill which takes you through Bunkers Hill Plantation – just look at the contours on the OS map! After that we decided we needed fortification before going up the hill the other side of the road which would take us on to Juggs Road. Vegetarians look away now… as a treat for our lunch today I snook a small pork pie from Mr Archers into our picnic. My view is if you’re going to eat meat get it from the best shop in town – which Archers butchers is.

Ok Vegetarians safe to read on now.

I’m not sure whether the aforementioned lunchtime treat helped or hindered our climb up to Juggs Road afterwards, but after a bit of a slog we made it up to the top of the hill. How many more times can I go on about the wonderful views – well at least it’s not burial mounds and Hill Forts!

We did try and take in as much as possible but it is impossible with 360 degree views to absorb it all. Lucky for us that all this is in our back yard. I do hope we’ll be visiting for many years to come.

We walked along the top for a while admiring the views until we gently descended to the Greenwich Meridian marker post and so we crossed from the Western to the Eastern Hemisphere.

It was difficult to resist the simple sign “To the pub” just above Rodmell and we did divert there for a cup of tea and scones at the Abergavenny Arms – well there was a while before the next train from Southease so it seemed rude not too!

Once again fortified we stopped to visit the lovely Southease church before catching the train back to Brighton.