Day 8 - Ditchling Beacon to Southease

Today we had the luxury of starting 'on the top'.  And I can honestly say it makes a huge difference not to have to spend the first hour flogging up the next hill.

We're now going east of home, which comes as a bit of a surprise after 7 days of generally getting nearer to home.

The first 'sight' today was Plumpton Agricultural college (below) which has grown steadily over the years - perhaps I should have said organically! - and is now a very large and impressive set of buildings.

 

 

One of the most noticeable things about the South Downs Way is the constantly changing surroundings.  Not the views - that's obvious - but the fact that you can be walking across open downland one minute and along a woodland path the next. 

 

Then there are the unexpected excitements like a path diversion for an archeological dig!

Another bit of lovely woodland with dappled sunlight . . .

 

 

The A27 . . .

 



 

Well, that's quite enough of that.  Back to the lovely views, this time of Kingston near Lewes in the foreground, with Lewes behind.  Fortunately, you can't really make out the appalling '60s concrete tower block that is County Hall and where Glynis recently retired from.  She did give her former colleagues a wave from the top of the next hill.

 

 

A little further on, we came across a gaggle (flock?, murder?, parliament? - what IS the collective noun?) of hang-gliders.  There were two in the air, making the most of the north easterly breeze rushing up the hillside and they were able to stay in much the same place for ages, just circling round and round.  There were quite a few others setting up in amongst vehicles labelled 'general builder' and 'landscape gardener'.  Obviously when times are hard you just have to fly over it all . . .

 

 

At long last, I managed to find some poppies at the edge of a field.  This is such a typical Downs plant and I thought we were too late in the year for them, but I was wrong.

 

SIGN OF THE DAY (need I say more?)



 

And finally, here's the view just before we started to drop down off the ridge to Southease.  The lump on the horizon towards the left hand side is Firle Beacon, the highlight of the next section.  At the right-hand edge of the horizon is Seaford Head, the first of the chalk cliffs that in due course become the Seven Sisters (final day!).  And now for a soak in the bath . . .