Introduction Comments Map GPS Weather Photos Videos History Download Walk (pdf)

Lewes Circular via Swanborough and Black Cap Walk

Lewes Priory, Swanborough, the South Downs Way, Black Cap (hilltop) and Lewes Old Racecourse. Undulating.

Circular East Sussex

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sun, 04-May-25 Lewes Circular via Swanborough and Black Cap Hilltop
Sat, 28-Sep-24 Lewes Priory, Swanborough, the South Downs Way, Black Cap (hilltop) and Lewes Old Racecourse 11 sunny
Sat, 09-Sep-23 Lewes Priory, Swanborough, the South Downs Way, Black Cap (hilltop) and Lewes Old Racecourse: a new Lewes Circular [New Walk] 4 sunny and hot with some breeze on the tops at times

Sunday 04-May-25

Stargazer
SWC 407: Lewes Circular via Swanborough and Back Cap Hilltop t=swc.407

Train: Take the 9:48AM Southern service from London Bridge (yes, London Bridge!) (10 :02 East Croydon), arriving Lewes at 10:50. Direct return trains from Lewes are hourly at 21 past the hour.

Distance: 14.5 miles/23.3 km with shorter options available -- see the walk notes for ideas -- including alternative endings and bringing a picnic to avoid the loop to the pub.
Difficulty: 6 out of 10 -- Good prep for those going to Scotland!
This undulating walk takes in Lewes Priory, Swanborough, the South Downs Way, Black Cap Hill top and Lewes Old Race Course. If you thought you knew the area around Lewes, this walk may surprise you! More information and the walk directions can be found here.
Lunch : The recommended lunch stop is the Half Moon (01273 890 253) in Plumpton which involves a detour (3km) and is reached after 15.7 km. It serves food until 4pm on Sunday. It would be wise to call ahead!
Tea: Various options back in Lewes.....see the walk notes for ideas!

Saturday 28-Sep-24

Thomas G
Length : 23.3 km (14.5 mi)
Ascent/Descent : 527m
Net Walking Time : ca. 6 hours
Toughness : 6 out of 10
Take the 09.24 Eastbourne train from Victoria (CJ 09.31, EC 09.40), arrives Lewes at 10.26.
From LBG , take the 09.15 Brighton train and change at Haywards Heath (09.59/10.08).
Return trains : xx.25 and xx.55.
From the blurb:

“If you thought you knew Lewes and the surrounding South Downs, this walk may surprise you. It follows a Book 2 alternative walk as far as Swanborough, then climbs up to the Downs by a track called Breach Road. It follows the South Downs Way (SDW), more North than West, as far as Black Cap. Be warned that on a windy day there is little shelter – the descent to Housedean Farm offers some respite, but not for your ears, as you have to cross over the A27. A late lunch is possible by descending again to Plumpton, an optional loop which is included in the distance. The approach to Lewes is via the old racecourse, using a bridleway which is still popular with horses today.”


Walk Options :
· From Housedean Farm on the A27 you can catch a Bus 28/29 (the Regency Route) which runs regularly seven days a week between Brighton, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells.
· Cut out the loop down to the lunch pub, cuts 3.0 km and 130m ascent.
· After lunch you could catch a train from Plumpton. For this option, go on the footpath from the top corner of the pub’s garden and it will take you all the way to the station.
Lunch : The Half Moon in Plumpton. 15.7 km into the walk, open all day, food served all day.
Tea : Plenty of options . See webpage or pdf for details.
For walk directions, map, height profile and gpx/kml files click here . t=swc.407
  • Sat, 28-Sep-24

    11 on this new walk for most of us, on a wonderful sunny day, with the walk author to keep us on track. A new route out of Lewes for me and the walk was generally thought to be a good addition to the Lewes options. Some surface mud in places, but generally good walking. We did have a lot of bikes on the South Downs Way, on some kind of event, plus the odd group of runners on another. Four of us did the loop down to the pub. Five got the 1655 after beer or cake. The rest presumably an earlier train.

Saturday 09-Sep-23

Thomas G
Length: 23.3 km (14.5 mi) [3 km less if not descending to the lunch pub in Plumpton]
Ascent/Descent: 527m
Net Walking Time: ca. 6 hours
Toughness: 6 out of 10
Take the 09.24 Eastbourne train from Victoria (CJ 09.31, EC 09.40), arrives Lewes at 10.26 .
From LBG , take the 09.15 Brighton train and change at Haywards Heath (10.00/10.08).
Return trains: xx.25 and xx.55.
From the blurb:
“If you thought you knew Lewes and the surrounding South Downs, this walk may surprise you. It follows a Book 2 alternative walk as far as Swanborough, then climbs up to the Downs by a track called Breach Road. It follows the South Downs Way (SDW), more North than South, as far as Black Cap. Be warned that on a windy day there is little shelter – the descent to Housedean Farm offers some respite, but not for your ears, as you have to cross over the A27. A late lunch is possible by descending again to Plumpton, an optional loop which is included in the distance. The approach to Lewes is via the old racecourse, using a bridleway which is still popular with horses today.”
Walk Options:
From Housedean Farm on the A27 you can catch a bus 28/29 (the Regency Route) which runs regularly seven days a week between Brighton, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells (so you could do the walk in two shorter stages).
After lunch you could catch a train from Plumpton. For this option, go on the footpath from the top corner of the pub’s garden and it will take you all the way to the station.
Lunch: The Half Moon in Plumpton. 15.7 km into the walk, open all day, food to 15.00.
Tea: Plenty of options . See webpage or pdf for details.
For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here . t=swc.407
  • Mon, 04-Sep-23

    Note that there was a path closure in July (see paragraph 4). If this is still the case you need to follow the sports fields as briefly explained in the directions. I believe that the closure order is still in place, but work may have finished.

    Mike

  • Sat, 09-Sep-23

    The great minds at Thameslink had a brainwave and put on an extra Fast Train to Brighton just before the 09.15 from LBG, which despite that was still rammed, mostly with folk going to Brighton (do they have a beach there or something?), but the Eastbourne train from Victoria was as normal: some seats available.

    There were the usual plethora of walking groups on the train: Capital doing Hassocks to Lewes, Outdooraholics doing the 7 Sisters in good size and some genteel LDWA folk warbling on about their 30 milers and 50 milers, while staying on to Eastbourne seemingly.

    Compared to those large numbers of walkers, a diminutive 3 SWC-cies emerged from the train, being met by a 4th one outside (not the walk author). We set off in very warm weather, soon getting hot, put in the odd stop for drinking some water and made good use of the shade provided by trees, hedges and buildings. There was more shade than one would have thought, actually...

    Through the Priory and on up the Downs, where the hoped-for breeze materialised, not strong, not continuous but there often enough to make a difference.

    Stupendous views as one would expect including a few sights other SWC walks don't really offer: the AMEX Stadium, a few high rises in Brighton plus that silly spiralling viewing thingie they have down there. We eventually got to the turnoff for the Plumpton pub around 14.00 hours, where 2 turned right towards Lewes and 2 left to the pub. This is a nice loop even if involves a steep and steady re-ascent (mostly in woods though). The pub is Ok to good, I'd say. Food was average, service was trying hard and the drinks were good.

    By the time I reached Lewes I had 'lost' walker 4, no doubt distracted by butterflies again (he spotted 13 different types, so probably had a good day?). 17.25 train

    A very fine route. Encountered on the Downs: plenty of cyclists, some walkers (mostly SDW completists by the looks of them), and 1 jogger going uphill in the midday heat.

    sunny and hot with some breeze on the tops at times 4