Luxuriant Meandering
There was an almost immediate giving way to indulgence on this journey. From the outset, I was determined to turn my back on the sea but having found myself so close to the mouth of the lovely Cuckmere, it was irrational not to follow the river down to the waves. It followed then that there was not an inconsiderable swaying of the way from the water, through the woods, only for it to throw itself back south to dissect the Seven Sisters and to be in sight of the twinkling ocean, once again.
You will know then that this route is not an efficient or practical one but 'luxury' might describe such a walk of pure pleasure. I am gratified to find the etymology is not one originally of 'light' or richness but has its roots in the Latin for lustfulness and Greek in twisting, bending. A definition of excessive and unrestrained plantlike growth. My desire was to get to the water and dive for cover in the shelter of the trees but I could not help walking the paths available through the National Trust and Forestry England access land.
The mixture of a lazily serpentine estuary, the beech-shaded interiors and chalky cliff exposure were all enveloped in what is now the parched South Downs National Park downland. It was hard to categorise. It did make for a very satisfactory, if not a little too thirsty traverse in the continuing heatwave. The views of the sea become increasingly snatched as you travel north and these are finally relinquished to those of the urban scrub of the Polegate interior.
A good connection to Brighton by train and a bus from a stop, a little down Queens Road will see you at Exceat in around an hour or, less luckily an hour and a half. Return is by train via Lewes, changing at Haywards Heath or Wivelsfield.
My decision to lap the water before going north meant a short backtrack from the bus stop at Exceat. Return on the road to the Exceat Bridge and the canalised section of the river, called the New Cut. It was constructed in 1846 to improve drainage. To the west are the Chyngton Brooks. To the east, the water meanders widely. Egrets, swans, herons, cormorants and oyster catchers were doing morning things. The sheep were annoyed to move off the path. Follow the footpath straight down to the sea.
After taking in the the shingly mouth, return to the line of dragons teeth from WWII. These were to stop tanks. Now walk behind the rope and on the south side of the lagoon. This area was a delight of sea lavender, mullein and sea kale. Now, the rabbits looked cross at my arrival. On the east side, join the concrete NT path north, below the line of pillboxes. You are actually walking on an old tramway once used for transporting gravel.
The path will join with the South Downs Way and continue through the gate to climb the slope northeast. The other footpath has been lost to this major route, so go with it and rise up. Great views are to be had looking back at the valley as you return to Exceat. We will return to the Seven Sisters Country Park later.
Cross the road carefully and take advantage of the facilities at the Visitor Centre. I stopped at the Saltmarsh Cafe because it was 9.02 and a breakfast beckoned. There were some excellent walker's conversations to be eavesdropped. Rejoin the SDW or do as I did and randomly walk through the car park and join one of the numerous trails. There were very few if any bikers on this Friday morning but the place has at least two defined routes you will see directions for. It might surprise you that Friston Forest is a relatively young forest, planted to protect the water supply in the area from agricultural pollution, in the decades preceding WWII. Its history is short and interesting. Continue through quaint little Westdean and up the wooded slope before turning left.
Beyond Charleston Manor and out of the trees, views to the valley open up towards Litlington. Goats were helping with the grazing on my right. Cross the slopes of Clapham Farm and you will see the chalk horse on the slopes at High and Over, to the west. I gave a husky-sounding goat a good scratch. This is also the Vanguard Way we met back on the Eastbourne Road. Quite suddenly, you'll be down at Litlington and you could stop here for a snack by the river. Instead, turn sharply up hill on the bridleway back to Clapham Barn.
The swathe of forest is to the south and I was just thinking what the landscape would have looked like some 4000 years ago when I passed a long barrow on my left, of all things. Actually, there is quite a cluster of barrows in this area and some now hidden in the trees. Here we have Manure Barn Barrow and Charleston Bottom Barrow. Not massively visible but testament to the significance of this area for people for long time. Continue into the trees and then backtrack on another bridleway to ascend the hill. A flurry of butterflies filled the forestry track. Leave the forest and head for the tree.
Enter the forest again and immediately turn left. Turn right at the next junction. Turn left at the next forest track to Beggar's Croft. You will be at a beloved MTB bomb hole. Now head south past some benches. Turn left on the bridleway. Only when you have descended the hill and at another tumulus, turn right onto a broad forestry path. At the next major junction, head up hill, when you can until you can emerge on the footpath to cross the East Dean Road.
You'll be back in Seven Sisters Country Park and on the Country Park Trail. Drop down to New Exceat Barn and continue left before the pond. The path follows the edge of the sheep field. Here, I gathered my own herd as I disturbed those resting on the boundary. They needn't have accompanied me but I finally deposited them as I approached Cliff End. Cross the fence and you can bag the trig, if you must. Delicious views of the sparkling sea lay beyond. I find the clifftop undulations and for-shortenings give an Escher-like appearance. The people milling about on the Seven Sisters path looked almost unreal. Drop down into Short Bottom and climb Short Brow.
Almost immediately, turn back inland and pass through the gate. You might want to hover a bit at the clifftop before this, to make our journey feel worth it or just accept that we are almost heading back to where we've been. Back on New Barn Hill, you will pass a memorial stone to the WWII Friston airfield. Keep going on the edge of the field at Gayles Farm. Back at what is now the Seaford Road, be comforted that we're pretty much just going to head north now, on the footpath. This broadens as you pass Friston Pumping Station. Go beyond Friston Place and then take the bridleway on the left that goes northwest to cross the open space of Friston Hill.
Now follows the hot edge of the forest, as the path we take turns right. Benches are available but I remembered that even though I had now consumed all my water, I had two oranges in my bag. I ducked back under the cover of the trees and sat on a stump. Back on track, continue as the path merges with a bridleway and bears right onto another wooded hill. Cross the SDW and continue to descend to Holt Bottom and Green Lane.
You could bypass a visit to Jevington and the Eight Bells altogether but why not take a break. The pub is right from the bottom of Green Lane. Back on the byway, follow the Wealdway until you can turn right back to the Jevington Road. The right turn is unsatisfactory as it a little hazardous walking with any traffic but it allows you to join the footpath that backtracks with the road, on the left. Cross this field and descend through Dean Wood to cross the road again and follow the footpath through the waterworks to eventually rejoin the Jevington Road, over the footbridge and into Wannock. After Filching Close, join the footpath on the right into Paragon Fields.
The most efficient walk through Willingdon might be to join the 1066 Country Walk through the cemetery but you can weeble your way as I did, along to Gorringe Valley Road and eventually, to the northward Eastbourne Road. I took advantage of the co-op for an ice-cream as befitted.
Take the track and footpath to Mornings Mill Farm and bear right before you get there, still on the 1066 Country Walk, over the railtrack. I rather enjoyed the scrub before switching back on the Cuckoo Trail and cycle route 21. We are station-bound. Leave the Cuckoo Trail at Morrisons, on the Pevensey Road, where I bought potatoes and continue behind it on Parkers Way. This will walk you through the car park at Polegate Station.
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