Ditchling to Brighton Walk

Walking is something that's always been part of my life, and even though my blog is predominantly a foodie one it's nice to write about some of the places too. I think the very best way to appreciate the country for all its beauty is to walk it. This walk is fairly ambitious, but the are ways to make it easier. Firstly you could do it in Summer and not In the Winter after heavy rain (the fields at the foot of Ditchling Beacon were like rice paddies), and second you could just catch a bus to the top of the Beacon and start from there, cutting out the worst of the climbing. I'm not particularly good at measuring walks in distance but you should leave at least 4 hours for this one, I'd say it's about 12 miles.



This walk starts in the old village of Ditchling, north of the South Downs. Getting there might be easier by bus but you could do the 25 minute walk from Hassocks station.




It's a pretty place, that like many villages in England has been sat at the foot of the downs since Saxon times.



Walk south from Ditchling high street, here's the clue, that's the direction that all the big hills are in. You need to find a small path that's takes you to Ditchling Beacon. It's hard to find, but my recommendation is look for the road sign to the beacon and its behind that.




The path takes you behind lots of houses and gardens, at one point you'll come out into a residential area and need to pick it u again yo your right (literally follow the sign here). At the end of the path you climb over a style and you're in a field.




Here you just follow the brown patch, it's an obviously well trodden track and you just head along it. Don't be tempted to stray off to the left, keep aiming for the big hills and after about 4 fields you reach a small road. Head left along the road and you'll find yourself at a small car park at the foot of Ditchling Beacon. This sign is opposite.




Walk up the path from the car park that takes you up the beacon. It's a hard slog, but mercifully it's through forest and the tree roots act as steps as you climb. At the top of this path you'll reach a gate. Take the left hand path here.

As you continue to climb you'll start appreciating how high you actually are.



Finally at the top you'll get to enjoy the view from the highest point in Sussex. Welcome to Ditchling Beacon. You've done the hardest part of the walk, now you can enjoy a bit of the Sussex countryside and see a few of the farms that produce the food we cook with.



If you keep bearing left and climbing you'll eventually hit the car park at the top of the Beacon, if you're lucky the ice cream van will be there! At the entrance to the car park you'll pick up the South Downs Way, and that's where you're headed for a bit now.




The South Downs Way stretches from Eastbourne to Winchester, and that walk itself is immense and highly recommended. It's 100 miles though, when I do it I tend to stay in a few of the many B&Bs on the way. I love it, it's an ancient path trodden by generations of Romans, Saxons and Normans before you. It's also very useful as a walkers superhighway on top of the downs.



After a while walking on the SDW you have passed Plumpton College down on you left and you'll be level with Plumpton.




Here's where you're going to take a shortcut. The fence on you right stops at a corner and there's another track leads off from the SDW heading south, take that path. A little way along it starts to go down hill, but before you get to there there's a gate where you can get onto the other side of the fence to your right. As you walk along you'll see the Amex stadium in Falmer in the distance and a V shaped patch of forest which is what you are aiming for.



Keep walking down the hill, it gets steeper and steeper until at the bottom the path starts to head right and you find yourself walking up the other side of the valley. At the top of the path on the other side there is a gate with a sign post next to it.



You are heading in the opposite direction to the signs, right as you've come through the gate. You're on your way to getting off the downs and onto road again. After a bit of walking along this track you'll hit road, head left down the road to take you all the way into Falmer. Look for the Swan pub on Middle Street.




Opposite the pub is a bridge taking you over the A27 to the other side of Falmer. Falmer is one beautiful village but sadly the A27, which was built over an ancient road that historically linked Brighton to Lewes, cuts it in half.



On the other side you'll find the duck pond from which Falmer draws its same ("fallow" is old English for a pale coloured pond).



If you head round past the church and the graveyard you'll find the Falmer to Woodingdean link path. This track takes you neatly up to the top of Woodingdean and you'll now be leaving the AmEx behind you.




At the top of the path I would advise not going down the hill into Woodingdean, you'll only have to walk back up the other side of the high street. Instead cross straight over the road (being careful!) and take the tarmac path that leads you behind Woodingdean. At the end of that path you are on Warren Road.

Now I've gotten you this far, the last part is up to you...



Option A: If you go left, back in the direction of Woodingdean you'll see a car park on the other side of the road. If you take the track through the car park it will take you down the hill to Ovingdean, past a 13th Century church, past the 1930s Ian Frasier House of Blind Veterans UK and under a tunnel to Ovingdean beach where you'll find a cafe. From here you can walk West to Brighton Marina and to shops restaurants and pubs.

Option B: You go right on Warren Road, away from Woodingdean and eventually that will turn into Elm Grove which will take you steeply down to the level in central Brighton.

For me, it's usually option B as that leads to the nearest decent pub and a well deserved rest.



All satellite images courtesy of Google Maps