Wivelsfield to Lewes linear
Distance:12 miles
Map:OS Landranger 198
Walk surveyed and described by Elizabeth Jackson, based on Ken’s walk summary as follows:
Wivelsfield to Lewes via Ditchling Common to Ditchling (lunch - food usually available in pub or café). Hilly afternoon via Westmeston, Streat and the Downs.
Description checked by Howard Densley.
Start
At the bottom of Wivelsfield station steps go right past the cycle rack. Turn right at Junction Road and go uphill and, after several turnings (soon after the top of the hill, on the flat) turn left into Cants Lane. Continue to the road’s end. Follow the public footpath sign ahead along Cants Lane. Follow a public footpath sign left, then turn right at the T-junction (OS map ref. 330 193) and again right after a few yards. At the next signpost go straight ahead (rather than to the right).
Going right, join a track/road at Hope Farm and continue past a pond (which may not be visible when there is seasonal thick vegetation) on the left. There is a Ditchling Common Country Park sign on a gate on the left at the main road.
Cross the busy road and after about 5 yards take the first path on the right and follow bridleway sign ahead as it curves between woodland. Where paths cross by 2 oak trees go straight and continue ahead. Take the main track to the right, slightly downhill at the junction of three main paths. Where the track bends left at a stile go into the open field with woodland on the left. Go past a bench on the left and after about 70 yards there is another bench. Turn downhill at the end of the open space, keeping left by the trees. At a T-junction there is a gate by a pond. Go left through the gate and along a path.
At Ditchling Common car park cross a busy road and turn left. Walk carefully along the verge until the main road curves. Opposite a road sign marked ‘Industrial Depot’ turn right on to a broad track. Go through a gate and continue straight ahead to gate no. 661 and bridge no. 661 over the railway line.
Go through both gates and take the path half left across a field - usually with cattle -(going south) down to a stile. Cross this and take the first stile on the right (Sussex Border Path). Continue ahead through woodland over wooden planks in muddy places. Go half right over a small stream following the path on the ground to a newer bridge with handrails over another small stream.
An enclosed path has polytunnels on the right and leads to another small footbridge. Go straight ahead to a ladder stile and then to another bridge and another path enclosed with wire fencing. At the end of the enclosed path and more wooden planks, go ahead across a field to more wooden planking and then through a gate.
Go ahead to concrete slabs over yet another brook. Follow the path a few yards to another plank and stile. Follow around a garden fence and over another plank and stile then go straight ahead past a redundant stile, but no gate between electrified fences. Then go over planks and straight ahead (there is a the field on the left). Go ahead to a large and high gate with a ‘Please close the gate’ sign. Again, go ahead then through another large gate. Go ahead past Fourfields Farm/Mac’s Farm and over a ladder stile and shortly turn right over a plank and stile to an open field. There are sometimes horses in the field.
Cross the field diagonally to the left to another stile and bear right to a kissing gate and on to another kissing gate marked ‘Official Path Diversion’ near a white house.Turn left on an enclosed path, continuing past the house on left to end by more houses. Turn right on to a lane and go down a slope to the main road (High Street). Go left on the main road past East End Lane to the crossroad in Ditchling of the High Street, South Street and Lewes Road.
Take a break for lunch in Ditchling. There are two pubs, The White Horse which is OK but not cheap and The Bull. Ditchling Museum, near the church, is well worth a visit, and has a small café. The churchyard is useful for picnics.
After lunch walk down Lewes Road. Opposite Ditchling Recreation Ground go past house no. 78, and beyond it take an overgrown path to the right off the main road (the public footpath to Westmeston).
Cross a broad residential road and continue diagonally from the road on an overgrown path towards the Downs (the entrance to this path is near no. 14, Aspen). Go over a brook and through a squeeze stile and follow a path over a field and through a wide metal gate. Go ahead at footpath post and at the next post bear right on a path into woods and past 2 redundant stiles, 3 yards apart. Walk over wooden planks on the left to a large tied-up kissing gate and on to an open field with sheep in an enclosed field to the right.
Go through another high kissing gate and over a wooden bridge with handrails then a ladder stile over a small stream. After about 50 yards go over a stile, across a field, then go over another stile and down steps to a road.
Turn left and go along the verge a few yards. Cross road at footpath sign and go up steps and over a stile and then left along an enclosed path. Cross another stile and go ahead through a gate and go ahead past a redundant stile near a pile of logs. Bear right, through a squeeze stile and then left to a ladder stile. Cross the field (with horses) to another ladder stile and along an overgrown path down two steps to a broad track.
Turn left and shortly right along another overgrown path snipping back nettles and brambles as you go. At the end go over the stile and turn right along a track to the main road with fast traffic.
Slightly to the right and over the road is the public bridleway sign. Go through a gate, walk alongside a building and up through a gate into open access land. About half way to the top of the downs go through another wooden gate and steeply up.
At the top of the hill turn left. Go down through a gate and over the private road and bridleway. Continue straight, not right, along the South Downs Way. Cross a bridleway and continue, crossing a path leading down to Plumpton. Continue to a gate where a signpost marks ‘Public Bridleway Lewes 3 miles’ You are at Blackcap.
Go ahead through a gate and continue past a trig point on the left. Continue towards white buildings on the near horizon in the middle distance. Go ahead to the right of trees (not on the path bearing left). You should see the chalk cliffs above Lewes soon. Go through another gate. You are now at the end of Blackcap.
After about 50 yards, ignore the bridleway to the right and go downhill through trees and along a rutted track. At a 7-barred metal gate take the path to the right past riding stables (Suzy Smith Stables). When you come to a private road take the bridleway ahead. The town of Lewes is coming into view. Go straight ahead crossing a track and along a rutted bridleway (with horse jumps to the left) and continue gradually down turning right on to a wide track. Continue past the perimeter wall of Lewes prison, past houses and through a wooden gate, past Heath Stable Cross Road to the road. Cross the road and continue straight along Spital Road to Lewes Town Centre.
Continue into 20mph zone along Western Road. Go up the steps to the churchyard to continue along Western Road. After the White Hart Hotel turn right down Station Street to Lewes station.