Day 9 - Southease to Exceat, 10.8m 4.75h

With the promise of a small chance of a very little light rain, we set off on the penultimate leg of our South Downs adventure.  Uniquely among the downland communities the SD Way passes through, Southease makes no provision for walkers; indeed they clearly don't want us there at all.  I loved this sign, which clearly doesn't apply to the locals when it suits them . . .

 



 

 

Once across the river (Ouse) and up Beddingham Hill, there are some fine views of Newhaven.  Smack in the middle of the photo you can just make out Newhaven's fairly recent incinerator, which looks uncannily like an enormous nuclear submarine has run aground in the town. Wow, is it ugly!

 

 

But then Beddingham Hill also has the mandatory communications masts - I've lost count of how many of the South Downs peaks are enhanced (?) by the presence of masts like these.  Still, it gives you something to aim for . . . 



 

 

From Firle Beacon, there's a good view of Firle Tower, which I thought might be a folly.  A web search reveals that : "Dated 1819. Built by the third Viscount Gage as a game-keepers cottage and
placed at the top of a small hill so that the game-keeper could signal to the
keeper of Plashet deer-park at Ringmer, which also belonged to Lord Gage.
Circular tower of 3 storeys. Faced with flints. Castellated parapet. Sash
windows with glazing bars intact."  As I thought - a folly.


Sadly, from the Trig point atop Firle Beacon, you can still see Newhaven.

 



But then we descended into the picturesque village of Alfriston where we had a lovely lunch and a very welcome sit down in Badger's Tea Rooms.

Leaving Alfriston, we wandered along the banks of the Cuckmere until we reached Litlington, where the official path climbs over three steep ridges to reach a point you could also reach by continuing along the river bank.  But we're doing the official SD Way!  From Litlington Hill, there's a good view of the Litlington White Horse, cut out of the chalk in 1924.

Up some horrible steps

. . . and down the other side to a spectacular view of Cuckmere Haven and its textbook meanders.