Eastbourne to Wartling

I am currently at St Mary Magdalene Church in Wartling. I arrived at 6pm, and therefore have not been able to take a picture of it. This will be the first night that it will be cold, so I've wrapped up warmly.

What a contrast with this morning, I had an Airbnb booked and the hosts couldn't be nicer and the bed more comfortable. Here I'll sleep in a pew with the seating shelf made wider.

I want to start with a picture from Herstmonceux Church, looking back over the Pevensey levels with the South Downs in the background.

 

From my Airbnb it was up for a mile to come back to the official route, and from there to Jevington. There was on place with really good views, towards East. with Hastings and Dungeness visible and towards the West & North I could see over the plain towards the High Weald.

Jevington Church is part of the East Dean, Friston and Jevington benefice. Or EDFJ benefice for short. Or as they had discovered: Every Day Following Jesus. I liked that. It was a slogan that they repeated everywhere. Good Idea! 

The church itself was quite dark inside. 

 

 

From Jevington for the final time up the Downs again.

And the down towards Willingdon:

 

Here the South Downs ends and the plain below contains the conglomerate of towns belonging to Eastbourne.

I had my main meal in Willingdon, at the "British Queen" Pub. An unusual name especially at this time. But the food was good! From then I had to cross various roads, including a dual carriage way, a rail line and I had to pass various building sites.

before I got to Sharnfold Farm. This was the official half day point (I guess it may have been mentioned historically in Old Way). Today there's a farm shop and café, where I had a break for a coffee. 

Then I had to cross a few fields, with no signage at all, and then on the road for a while before getting to a walk alongside the river Yotham and later Hurst Haven towards Herstmonceux. This was about 5 miles but felt like 10! Nice surroundings though:

At Herstmonceux there's the Church, the Castle and an observatory :

 

 

Observatory? What observatory? Turned out that I had missed a right. So had to go back and got on the right path for Wartling. 

Usual stats (long walk today!)

Alfriston to Eastbourne

Today I am starting with a nice view over Littlington with the church of Alfriston in the background :

I said goodbye to Alfriston this morning and to the Old Chapel, it was good to stay there for a while. I have attended both the morning service in St Andrews there as well as the 1 min silence for the Queen. Had dinner in the Smugglers Inn twice, good quality and reasonable prices. I lost my hat and found it again (after a prayer) in the Village Shop!

The journey today was to Litlington and the up on the fields and woods to West Dean. The latter is a beautiful village, almost being transported back in time.

 

 

The Church nearly unchanged too:

 

 

From there up a steep hill again to have a few over Cuckmere Haven:

 

 

It looks really impressive, but you have to know that the meander is really closed of from the River, which runs now in parallel straight to the sea..

From the mouth of the Cuckmere it went East up the Seven Sisters. Especially the first slope was really steep, sometimes going up on all fours! That was a bit scary with a full backpack!.

But the views were gorgeous, the sun came out and the sun cream too!

But I was not alone, lots of foreign students learning English, and other tourists.

 

Not always behaving safely either! But all seem to be finding it easier to go up than I! I bit discouraging to be overtaking by so many fit people. 

I had a nice cheese roll up there which I bought in Alfriston 

After a very long time we got to see Eastbourne and the direction was mainly down again.

 

At the outskirts of Eastbourne there was a promise of a holy well coming up in the lower cliff, but I couldn't find it. 

I then decided to go straight to my Airbnb (my first), on the way helping a few German students to find there way and walking more or less together. I felt I was there Guardian Angel for a while!

The hosts at the Airbnb are very welcome, although I had brought my own dinner (frozen cauliflower biryani, bought in Alfriston), they invited me to join them in eating it. They even have done some washing! 

Ending with the usual stats

Sunday in Alfriston

It has been quite chilly today, fortunately I found this in the pub with my meal...

 

Lewes to Alfriston

As I am writing this, I sit in the Smugglers Inn in Alfriston. I am staying overnight in the Old Chapel Centre, which is used to be a URC and is now a community centre. The twinning society has a do tonight, and they should be finished by 10pm. That means that until that time I have to be in the pub! I just had sausage and mash and will get a dessert later.

But first the walk. It was nice today! Interesting paths and also nice villages to visit. The route went from Lewes up the Downs to another Iron Age fort and high point: The Caburn. 

View over Lewes:

 

On the way up:

The Caburn:

On the way up I was overtaken by presumably a group of Brighton students. So much easier to ascend a hill when you're young and only have light daypacks. They went another way, but I met up with them again on the Caburn. They must have walked along the contours, while I went down & up through a valley. So they caught up with me again! 

 

Here are two pictures of the A26 & A27. Why? I have driven these roads quite frequently when I had to work in Brighton, from Tunbridge Wells. And often in traffic as well. It is good to look at them from above.

 

I never realised that this point was above it... 

From there the route went down to Glynde. This is the difference between the Old Way and the South Downs way. The Old Way links towns villages and churches together. The South Downs way stays on the top of the Downs on doesn't do these detours! 

Glynde is a lovely village, it boasts of course an elaborate church St Mary's. It is almost part of the Glynde Place, 

 

 

The figure above the entrance is a modern depiction of Mary. 

Glynde also has a lovely tea room and garden, nice for a coffee break

 

From Glynde I crossed the river Glynde Reach and railway to go to Firle, walking just north of the Downs 

The approach to the church in Firle is quite special. It sits a bit further out of the village but is connected by a covered footpath

 

And at the end of the footpath is the door of the St Peter's church. The whole church also feels open en welcoming.

 

With little seating area: 

 

 

Used for small groups or for prayer? 

The other novelty is that it not only had a seat on the garden but a table too. Perfect for a lunch stop. 

 

 

After Firle it went up again to Firle Beacon.

 

 

View back over Firle:

 

From there down again to two villages: Alciston and Berwick 

 

 

Both have nice churches, but Alciston is very peaceful and understated

 

 

There is also Pilgrims bell that Pilgrims are allowed to ring

It is newly cast to commemorate the establishment of a pilgrim path that connects all the churches of the benefice together. It rang very nice, with a very long and mellow after tone.

Berwick's church is totally different. It has been completely adapted to show and preserve a decorative scheme of paintings by the Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell was commissioned by Bishop Bell of Chichester in 1941 at the height of World War II. 

It looks very rich, but also, to my taste, over the top. 

From the outside it is a regular church

 

From there it went to Alfriston my end point for today. 

Tomorrow is Sunday so I am not walking and staying two nights in Alfriston. I won't do a blog post but may just post one photo. 

Ending with the regular stats: