NATIONAL TRAIL

NATIONAL TRAIL

South Downs WayCircular Walks around Ditchling Beacon

NationalTrailsin Englandand Wales

Wander the Wide Green DownsWander the Wide Green Downs

Three WalksThis leaflet offers youthree walks of varyinglength. You can enjoytoday’s beautiful wildlifeand landscape, followingroutes ordinary peoplehave used for thousandsof years.

The timings areapproximate and excludeany long stops for lunchetc. You can get lunch inDitchling (pub, café,shops). We suggest youtake something to drink ifthe weather is hot,especially if you are doingthe longest walk. Afterrain, or in winter, parts ofall the walks can be muddy,so wear appropriate footwear.The long walk can beparticularly muddy but it iswell worth it!

Underhill Lane allows you to cutout the climb up the hill, but the

views make it well worth the effort.

A Stroll.About 3 miles (41/2km),11/2hours

From Ditchling Beacon car park this takesyou through the Ditchling Beacon NatureReserve along the ridge of the Downs toJack and Jill Windmills. Superb views.

A Short WalkAbout 3 Miles (41/2

km),2 hoursincluding a climb

back up the hill.

From the Beacon this takes you to Ditchling villageand back along routes used since prehistoric times.Ideal for a Sunday outing with a pub lunch.

A Longer Walk9 miles (14km),5 hoursincluding a climb back up the

hill.

From the Beacon north toBlackbrook Wood and back viathe village. Great for wildlife andhistorical interest. Particularlygood in spring but expect mud.

The South Downs Way National TrailThe South Downs Way is a100 mile (160km) route forwalkers, cyclists, and horseriders, and runs from thehistoric English capital ofWinchester to the whitechalk cliffs of Eastbourne.It is one of a family of

National Trails,offering visitors thechance to travelthrough some ofthe finest sceneryin England andWales.

How to Get ThereWeekends and Bank Holidays;79 bus to Ditchling Beacon fromBrighton (1/hr, Sun only in winter) -Brighton and Hove buses 01273 886200.

If you drive, please park considerately.There is a National Trust pay and displaycar park at Ditchling Beacon and freeparking at the bottom of DitchlingBeacon and in the village.

Please note that all of the car parks getvery full. To avoid disappointment andfrustration, if possible please travel by bus,

www.buses.co.uk.

Sussex Wildlife TrustSussex Wildlife Trust is the leadingconservation organisation in East andWest Sussex. We look after about1400ha (3500 acres) of Sussexcountryside and welcome you tocome and discover our best nature reserves.

For more information on the Trust’s work andwildlife sites to explore please ring (01273) 492630or visit www.sussexwt.org.uk

The South DownsThe South Downs aredesignated as two Areas ofOutstanding Natural Beauty(AONB’s): Sussex Downs andEast Hampshire. For moreinformation please phone01243 558700 or go towww.visitsouthdowns.com

For more information go to www.nationaltrail.co.uk

or contact:

The South Downs Way National Trail OfficerSouth Downs Joint CommitteeVictorian Barn, Victorian Business CentreFord Lane, Ford, W Sussex BN18 0EF

Telephone: 01243 558716

Email: sdw@southdowns-aonb.gov.uk

Photo: Bill Jenman © SWT

Photo: Bill Jenman © Countryside Agency

Working in Partnership to Protect the South Downs

KEY:

A Stroll

A Short Walk

A Longer Walk

Footpath

Bridleway

Other routes with public access

National Trail

All maps reproduced from or based upon 2005 OrdnanceSurvey material with permission of the Controller ofHMSO (c) Crown Copyright reserved. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead toprosecution or civil proceedings West Sussex CountyCouncil Licence No. 100018485

Map reproduced from the 2004 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey Explorer series Map 122: Brighton and Hove

Text: © Counrtyside AgencyPhotography: © David Plummer www.davidplummerimages.co.uk except where stated.

NATIONAL TRAILCircular Walks around Ditchling BeaconT

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A Westmeston Church dates fromthe 11th Century

B Look ahead to Blackbrook woodon the horizon as you follow theancient drove road northwards

C Blackbrook wood is an ancientwoodland, saved from destructionby developers in the early 1990swith the help of the Wildlife Trust.A carpet of spring wildflowersshows the benefits of coppicing(regular woodcutting, allowing thestumps to regrow to form the next crop)

D A ford and a footbridge cross the streamby a pretty cottage

E Ditchling Beacon Iron Age hillfort. Theearthworks can still be seen today. Sadlymuch of the southern part of the fort hasbeen destroyed by ploughing, however.Over 1600 years later Ditchling Beaconwas part of a chain of bonfire sites usedto send a signal along the coast whenthe Spanish Armada approached

F Jack and Jill Windmills date from the1800s. Jill is open from May toSeptember, afternoons only. Seewww.jillwindmill.org.uk for more info

G The sunken path or Bostal dates backover 6000 years to the Stone Age

H Ditchling is a very attractive old villagewith a good pub, shops, and places tostay

I Chalk was excavated here during the late1800s for agriculture and to make burntlime for building mortar etc. Remains offour limekilns are also in this area

The ghosts of long gone shepherdsUntil about WW1, sheep were grazed on the openDowns watched over by a shepherd. In those daysthere were no trees or fences on the Downs like thereare now. Each evening he would take his sheep off thehill and fold them onto the ploughland at the bottom ofthe slope so that their dung would fertilize it. The walks

in this leaflet follow the ancient routes to andfrom the hill that the shepherds have used

for thousands of years.

Ditchling BeaconNature ReserveOn the Nature Reserve traditional grazinghas been re-introduced to restore chalkgrassland. The short, warm turfmaintained by livestock is perfect for

downland herbs, flowers andbutterflies to thrive. Across the SouthDowns only 5% of the original chalkgrassland remains.

Kestrels hover, glide and circle as theysearch for voles and beetles in thegrassland. Spotting its prey, the birdrapidly drops headlong with foldedwings towards the ground.

Skylarks’ loud, continuouswarbling song is thesound of summer alongthe Downs. They nest onthe ground, favouringareas with short grass andfew trees.