SWC (Free) Walks

Walk 47 : Lewes Circular via Glynde and Southease

An engergetic walk over the South Downs with great views, 3 hills, 3 pubs, and a ridge.

Length	13 miles
Toughness	8 out of 10
Maps	1A Lewes to Cliffe Hill 1B Glynde 2A West Firle 2B Southease 3A Rodmell 3B Kingston 3C Kingston to Lewes
Features	This engergetic walk (550m; 16,000 feet of ascent) over open downland (so good views) combines parts of walks 24, 25 and 26 from Book 2. There are 3 distinct hills (and parts of 3 ridges), and from the top of each, the entire route can be seen. For the heroic, there are 2 extensions which add to the milage. The walking is easy however, over wide distinct paths. Its either up, or down, never undulating! The walk also passes 3 train stations (so if you want to drop out, its quite easy) and 3 good pubs. You can start at any point along the route. Navigation is quite straightforward, as most of the walk is over open downland. This walk can be done in either direction, clockwise or anticlockwise. Clockwise, from Lewes (historic town, castle, good pubs), the walk heads straight up a 160m ascent to a hill with a grandstand view of the circuit to come. Then straight down to Glynde (which has a highly recommended pub) and its station, cross the A24. Then straight up onto the South Downs ridge (another 200m), then straight down to Southease (station). Cross the valley to Rodmell (another nice pub), then straight back up to the downs (190m) and a ridge walk. Then back down to Lewes. The walk can be done by map or book. It is recommended to take a map however, as, if doing it by book, there is a long section which you will need to follow in reverse. If you have done the walk before though the 'right way round', you should have no problem as the route is quite simple. As the route is over hight, treeless hill, you can literally see where you're going most of the time!
Walk Options	The 2 extensions are only suitable for summer, with longer daylight. (Clockwise: Lewes - Glynde - (1) - Southease - (2) - Rodmell - Lewes) Option 1: From Glynde, follow the full walk 25 route via West Firle (i.e. don't cut the corner from Glynde onto the ridge). Just longer. Option 2: From Southease, take the new South Downs Way route to Rodmell (which is prettier and a bit longer), rather than the shortcut along the road. Best Antickockwise.
Lunch	In Lewes, the The Lansdown Arms, is a few meters north of the station, and is recommended In Glynde, the Trevor Arms, is next to the station, has a beer garden, and is also recomended Between Glynde and Southease, Option 1 has the Ram Inn in West Firle Between Southease and Lewes, is the Abergavenny Arms in Rodmell
Transport	By Train: Start the walk in Lewes (don't start from Southease as its last train is quite early, and there is no pub to wait in) By car: Start in Glynde (pub), Kingston (closest to London), or Rodmell (pub), all of which have free parking.
Saturday Walkers Club	The train nearest to 9:45.

Walking Instructions

Its possible to follow the route using Book 2, but printing out the OS map would help, especially the 'in reverse' bit.

Clockwise

Lewes Station to Glynde Station

By Book

1. Follow the start of Book 2, Walk 25, as far as Glynde Station (Points [1] to [3] in the instructions).

By Map

1. Map 1A. Turn right out of the station.
2. Then right on the main shopping street (downhill).
3. Straight on across the bridge, and straight on up the hill to the Golf Club clubhouse (CH on the map).
4. Leave the road to the right of the clubhouse
5. Circuit around the bowl (north around the bottom of the golf course, then west following the ridge via Saxon Down (map 1B), then south to an intersection of paths just to the north of Coombe Hill)
   • The summit trig point, 164m (not really worth it), a Marilyn, is hidden in the golf course, there is a badly waymarked path to it.
   • The Walk 25 route goes straight through the valley, not round it via Saxon Down.
   • The short detour to Mount Caburn (100m) is well worth the view.
6. Head west, downhill, to Glynde (village shop).
7. Then South along the road, past the train station.

Glynde Station to Southease Station

By Book

• Follow Book 2, Walk 25, as far as Southease Station (Points [3] to [6] in the instructions). This is the longer (via West Firle option).
• The map route takes 2 shortcuts. You should be able to follow the brief instructions below (basically, straight on, then turn right at the top of the hill).

By Map

1. Map 2A. Continue south along the road, past the recommended Trevor Arms pub.
2. Continue south along the road (NB this is a shortcut from the route walk 25 takes). Cross the busy road, and continue south.
3. (The book route avoids the crossing, and rejoins about 30m south of the main road)
4. Either follow the minor road up to the ridge, or take option [1]
   • Option 1: (this is the book route) Turn east, pass Preston Manor, then south along a road, then southeast at the junction to West Firle, pass the Ram In and continue through the village and up onto the downs. Once on the ridge, sharply back on yourself and follow (due east) the SDW, rejoining the main route by the carpark.
5. Map 2B. Follow the South Downs Way (SDW) downhill, cross the road, and carry on to Southease Station.

Southease to Lewes

By Book

1. Follow Walk 26 to point [2] in the Abergavenny Arms pub in Rodmell. This is the longer option. You should be able to follow the shorter option using the brief instructions below.
2. Then follow Walk 24, points [5] to [1] in reverse, to Lewes. The notes below should help.

By Map

1. Map 3A. Follow the old SDW route, along the road, west from the station, through Southease village, then north along the main road to Rodmell and the Abergavenny Arms
   • Option 2: Follow the new SDW route, north along the river, then west across the fields to Rodmell.
2. Head south west, along a minor road opposite the pub up to the ridge
3. Map 3B. Follow the SDW north west along the ridge (with a big drop on your right hand side)
4. When the ridge turns due west, you turn north east, steeply downhill towards towards Kingston in Lewes.
5. Continue on this path all the way to Lewes. Map 3C. Cross a minor road, and later a bridge over a motorway.
6. The path becomes Juggs road which joins Priory Street, follow it (east)
7. The road curves north to the station, just past it is the The Lansdown Arms.

Anticlockwise

By Book

1. Lewes to Southease : Walk 24, [1] to [5] (Rodmell) then walk 26 [2] to [3]
2. Southease to Glynde : Walk 26 [3] to [4], then follow walk 25 in reverse from [6] to [3].
3. Glynde to Lewes: Walk 25, [3] to [1] in reverse.

By Map

Lewes to Southease

1. Left out of the station, right on Priory Street, join Judd Lane, straight on (cross over the motorway, then a small road), and continue up to the ridge
2. Follow the ridge southeast
3. Turn left onto a quiet lane stepply downhill to the Abergavenny Arms pub in Rodmell
4. After the pub, either, follow the road south, then turn left through Southease village to the station (past a big church), or take option 2 (follow the new SDW route towards the river)

Southease to Glynde

1. Continue east, cross the road, and up onto the downs along the SDW
2. At the path junction by the carpark, head north downhill along a quiet lane
   • or take Option 1 : continue east along the ridge, then sharply back on yourself, northwest to West Firle. Pass the Ram Inn, heading NW then N, and turn west towards a farm at the entrance of Firle Manor, then join a quiet lane [the main route] heading north to the main road)
   • Cross the busy road, and continue north, past the Trevor Arms to Glynde Station

Glynde to Lewes

1. Turn left at the village shop, cross the style and up on to the downs
2. At the ridge, first detour 200m south to Mount Caburn, retrace your steps, then skirt north around the 'bowl' shaped valley in front of you.
3. Skirt below the golf course, cross the style just after the clubhouse
4. Down the lane to Lewes, cross the bridge, along the high street
5. Left to the station, passing the Landsdown Arms on your way

Driving	Start: Lewes Station is near : BN7 2XP. [gmap]
Train Travel	London to Lewes
Map Walk	This walk requires a map for navigation. You must take an OS Map and compass (or for inner London walks, an A-Z). OS Maps extracts can be printed out from the 'OS Map' link above, streetmap, or multimap