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- The Great Outdoors
South Downs Way: Winchester to Eastbourne
by: Jim Manthorpe
UPDATES
Updated information
Thank you to all those readers who send us updated information, including Richard Marshall and Rodney Duggua, Nick Price, Trudi & Andy Rintoul
The information has not yet been checked by Trailblazer but it will be for the next edition.
Page 150 - Rodmell
The Abergavenny Arms closed in 1 January 2009.
How to carry it
Lightweight backpackers such as myself use much smaller packs than you suggest for an LDP. I used an Exos 46. It did require that I strapped my Laser Competition tent wrapped in a thin sleeping roll to the outside. I carried all main meals – freeze-dried – but bought lunch where I could. Inside my rucksack was also a complete Amateur Radio station for Summits on the Air.
Base layers
I find a synthetic base layer lasts only a day before it smells. A single Merino wool top would have lasted the entire walk had I not changed to my spare on the last day “because I could”.
Boots / Feet
Much of the Way is on flinty chalk tracks which are hard on the feet when dry. When damp, the chalk can be incredibly slick.
Water Taps
As I dislike carrying more weight than necessary and also occasionally wild camp if I’ve been lucky and have got permission, I spend a lot of time researching water supplies along a route.
The SDW is well provided with water taps along much of the eastern part of the route.
Some taps are on the maps, here are further ones:
Truleigh Hill YHA (Map30) Outside front door.
Saddlescombe Farm (Map 31) On wall of outbuilding.
Housedean Farm (Map 35) On front wall.
Southease Church (Map 38) On east facing perimeter wall.
Birling Gap (Map 45) On south facing wall of PC to west of CP.
There is supposed to be one near Houghton Bridge but I didn’t find it.
Flora and Fauna
There are lots of Wood Anemones in the verge near Coluter’s Dean Farm.
Map 1 –The path alongside the river is the route of the Way and this is preferable to the road. Turn south directly opposite the City Mill down a set of steps.
Map 3 – There was a collection of military tanks visible in the distance to the north of the Way.
P77 - Milbury’s will make you a cup of tea or coffee but they don’t do morning coffee or afternoon tea. There are no cakes available.
Map 5 – Deer can often be seen in the fields to the south – even in broad daylight.
Maps 6 - 7 – the new route bypassing Exton does not appear to be open yet (June 2010), according to the official website www.nationaltrail.co.uk/southdowns - this indicates that the route through Exton is likely to be in place until 2011. (The reader who sent this in has not walked the section yet so can't be sure.)
Map 7 – On both visits, the track east of the main road was horrible and the worst I have ever seen on a National Trail. It was a lagoon of stagnant mud fed by a small steam. I suggest avoiding it by detouring towards Meonstoke and using the permissive path up the old railway to re-join the Way. From here the route up the hill is shared with horses and can also be muddy – but tolerable.
Meadow Pipits nest on Old Winchester Hill and areas around the summit are fenced off in spring.
Map 8 – Meon Springs Fishing Lakes behind Whitewool Farm takes campers and offers refreshments. Cakes were mentioned on the blackboard displayed on the lane but they had none.
Map 9 – Wetherdown Sustainability Centre takes campers at £7.50 per night for a 1-man tent.
P89 – The Lemon Drizzle cake and Chocolate Brownies at the QECP café come highly recommended (RM)!
Map 13 – There is no right of access to the ruined tower.
Map 16 – The giant chalk ball is a sculpture by Andy Goldsworthy and is one of a series in the area.
P96 – The shop in Cocking is open from 0600. His wife makes excellent homemade cakes.
P98 – Moonlight cottage charges £40 for single occupancy. They are about to expand and add more rooms.
Map 22 – Beware swans near the River Arun. They can be aggressive.
P117 – Washington C&C Park has good facilities. They charge £8 for a one-man tent. The buses from Washington can be used to re-join the Way.
P124 – Truleigh Hill YH takes campers.
P 128 – Spot the unusual gate to the church at Pyecombe. It pivots at the centre.
Map 31 – There are often paragliders riding the thermals above the escarpment at Devil’s Dyke.
At weekends, there is a mobile refreshments van tucked inside in the farmyard at Saddlescombe Farm. It’s quite easy to miss if you are walking east.
Map 33 – Don’t rely on the drinks from the Ice Cream van at Ditchling Beacon CP. He runs out when it’s hot.
Map 36 – Look out for a small wind turbine on the gas pressure reduction station at the head of grassy valley. It’s a very obvious landmark.
Map 38 - On both occasions there was a bull in the field just before the first lane. It was harmless but it gave me a nasty look and I gave him a wide berth. On my first visit there was also one on Mill Hill.
There is supposed to be a new refreshments facility opening in spring 2010 in the Itford farm area to the east of the A26. There was no sign of it on 11-4-2010.
Map 42 – I think the official title of the NT property in Alfriston is the Clergy House. It has a charm beyond its size.
P150 - There’s no sign pointing to the Pleasant Rise Campsite. The campsite is basic – but they are talking of refurbishment of the shower block etc..
Maps 44 / 45 – The Seven sisters may be visually stunning but they are a bit of a sting in the tail.
Map 49 – The bridleway down to Jevington through the woods looks like it could be very muddy in winter.
August 2010
Other than for using my car to get to railways stations such as Chichester, or Havant, I used public transport throughout. Overall, this was a very satisfactory experience.
Public transport My main source of public transport planning was www.traveline.org.uk
I found that you had to be precise in saying starting and finishing points when using Traveline, for example ‘Brighton Railway Station’ as you would be presented with options such as ‘stop’ i.e. bus stop or ‘address’ i.e. actual location. The website enabled you to locate the position of bus stops and this was very useful when pitching up in unknown places.
It is worth checking any deals that the bus operators offer for special tickets if you are using more than one bus for the day. eg on the day I did the Buriton to Cocking section, I bought a Stagecoach Explorer ticket for the buses I used and it saved me nearly £4 for the journeys involved. The ticket is valid with other operators in the area such as Countryliner whose bus runs from Petersfield to Buriton.
I also signed up to an account on Southern Railways whose trains I used the most (other than for South West Trains to Petersfield and Winchester). As an online customer, Southern gives you a 15% or sometimes 25% discount.
The Brighton and Hove bus area benefits from real time information both at the bus stops and on the buses themselves.
Southern Railways do a ‘Downlander’ Ticket, giving you unlimited travel within their train travel area including, in ‘the Downs area’ (roughly Brighton, Lewes and Eastbourne) free travel on buses – the routes are specified on line. The most westerly point of validity of the ticket is Southampton and the most easterly is Eastbourne, at a cost of £10 for an adult. This is valid off peak Weekdays and with no restrictions over the weekend
For further information: - www.southernrailwaytickets.com
Exton to Buriton Service number 17 is operated by Brijan tours. This was an excellent ride through the heart of the Hampshire countryside at cost of a £1.75. (Included in 3rd edition)
Buriton to Petersfield
Countryliner number 95 serves Buriton and Petersfield. Most, but not all of the 95 services stop at the railway station, it operates Monday to Saturday.
Maps 14 to 16 should refer to the A268.
Maps 14 and 15 Look out for the memorial to the German Airman or to the Devil’s Jumps Tumuli.
Cocking to Amberley Compass Bus 71 runs a limited service to Storrington and Pulborough from the railway station.
The path shown in the field from the railway station to High Titten is now a pavement that runs parallel to the road.
Map 32 page 135. Pyecombe Just south of the Plough Inn, there is a garage and length of road opposite the garage entrance and exit, where the bus stop (and shelter) serving Brighton is located i.e. Metrobus service 273 and Countryliner service 40 (not 40X).
Southease, there is a water tap at the Church.
At Southease station the train that heads towards Brighton and Lewes stops at the platform on the village side. There are no notices on the station to indicate what platform services serve which station, especially as the timing of the Seaford train at Southease is only a few minutes ahead of the train coming to Southease from Seaford.
The official SDW waymark sign at this point says it is 6.5 miles to Alfriston.
Map 36, Page 147 Bethel B&B, Kingston Ridge, Kingston-near-Lewes. The map has the arrow indicating Church Lane pointing to the wrong road. It should be Kingston Ridge. Kingston Ridge is also part of Juggs Road that continues through to Lewes.
August 2011
p.107, third edition, the Roman road, Stane Street, was built around 50AD.
October 2011
Alfriston,The George proved to be extremely welcoming with good food and a very good pint.
We stayed at Pleasant Rise Farm at the far end of the village, past a riding school. The twin room was the largest we stayed in with great views of the Downs and very peaceful.
The sandwich shop next to Smugglers, opposite the start of the walk, makes great fresh sandwiches/baguettes to order.
Page 158, As you cross the Cuckmere river, the blue triangular signs we had been following continue for the inland route and become yellow for the coastal route. Not a problem, but an interesting point.
Exceat. There are 214 steps through the trees before Exceat but the view from the top over Cuckmere Haven is breath-taking!
'Have a rest before you tackle the 6th 'Sister' - it's a killer!' - Trudi & Andy Rintoul
15 February 2012
Amberley. Riverside Tearooms at Houghton Bridge is on the South Downs Way and has a large amount of walkers and cyclists in.
March 2012
South Harting. The Severals B&B, Nr South Harting, West Sussex GU31 5JJ Tel: 01730 821720. www.theseverals.co.uk
