Stage 4: Cocking to Amberley

Saturday 26th November 2022 began with a teeny-tiny mishap. An innocent little error that anyone could have made. Who was to know that there was more than one 'Cadence Cafe' nestling along the South Downs Way? Not us.

A wrong postcode was given. Some intrigued conversations about the strange route took place. Sat nav duly pronounced our arrival. We sat for a moment, bemused, not recognising our surroundings from where we left off a month ago. 'Upwaltham' instead of 'Cocking'. It's an easy mistake.

There were furious observations from Chauffeur Gooda, who 'didn't have time for this' and needed to 'get to work, not gad about country lanes.' There may have been some swearing. There were certainly dark mutterings about taxis. We felt it best not to say very much. 

Instead, we did what we should have done from the start, and resorted to the tried and tested method of navigating by the stars pubs. We discovered that we were about fifteen minutes' drive away from the Blue Bell Inn where we enjoyed our last, walk-completing congratulatory pint. 

There were further tense moments in the car as we made our way cross-country, followed by a hasty exit when we finally recognised the right spot at the correct Cadence Cafe. (Some appeasement may need to be made to a long-suffering husband.)

Still it was all worth it, because this was possibly our favourite stage so far. 

The (actual) start was marked by a prettily-coloured shepherd's hut. The aspect was further enhanced by a table and chairs arranged outside it, which somehow suggested 'watching the sun go down with a gin and tonic'. 

 Prettily-coloured shepherd's hut suggesting 'watching the sun go down with a gin and tonic' 

The next point of interest was at Graffham Down, site of Bronze Age bowl and bell barrows.

We learnt our lesson last time and made sure that there were plenty of stops en route. Log piles provided the first opportunity for a rest, and we paused for the now-traditional granola slabs. Though Strictly Lady Lloyd was somewhat concerned about the possibility of some sort of domino-effect avalanche and the threat of being 'logged on' in a very different way from during the working week. 

Delight in not being logged on

The second stop, not long after, was at the Cadence Cafe in Upwaltham. It looked strangely familiar. We enjoyed a cup of tea and welcome toilet stop. (Any walk which doesn't involve the shewee is a winner.) The decor at the barn was delightful. I particularly liked the cycle-wheel lighting and ivy and geraniums tumbling from milk churns.  

  

There were beautiful murmurations against a cloudy sky as we traversed fields on the now-familiar chalk path. The day was mild for November (always a good idea to put SLL in charge of the weather), and we were very pleased to reach the half-way point of our route. 

Eastbourne 55 miles; Winchester 45 miles

We made the edge of the Slindon Estate our lunch stop. It was a little early, but there's such a lack of benches and places to sit along the first fifty miles of the South Downs Way that it seems rude to walk past without making the most of it. 

Lunch on a (rare) bench

Then, just past the summit of Bignor Hill from which we enjoy impressive views of the the scarp slope of the South Downs down to distant flood-plains by Amberley. The exposed walk across the top here was the chilliest, windiest part of of the day.   

 scarp slope in front of flood-plains by Amberley

Another marker along this part of the route was the memorial to 'Toby'. Google tells us that the mounting stone belongs to Toby Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, the secretary of the Cowdray Hounds who lived from 1888 to 1955. 

Toby's Stone

We both felt the pull of home, since this is the nearest part of the walk to where we live. It felt good to walk across the A29 at the top of Bury Hill, and feel as if we had 'earned' a view that we have enjoyed so often passing through in car journeys. Though it also seemed as if we were taking our lives into our hands somewhat: cars seemed to travel fast and appear from nowhere along this stretch.

crossing the A29 atop Bury Hill

finally 'earning' a much-loved view of the Downs

The exposed branches of trees looked like antlers on stags in a stand-off:

 

After a couple of steepish ascents this morning, it was now downhill towards Amberley. After nothing but rain for weeks, the going was unsurprisingly wet and muddy the lower we got. It was also very slippery in places, with SLL even performing a sliding pirouette at one point. Just an excuse to get to the pub quicker, I reckon. 

Today's conversations included work-rants, the merits of air-dryers and air-fryers, and the impossibility of replacing a favourite potato-peeler. I like to think that airing all our grievances with the world fortifies for the days ahead. 

The land around us was wet and marshy; quite unlike anywhere else on the route so far, and did not invite straying from the path - for fear of being submerged.

water, water, everywhere

A fabulous outing on the Downs with a welcome pint in the Bridge Inn at Amberley to finish it off. 

Cheers!

Just short of 13 miles in total today. It was Lord Lloyd on chauffeur duty in the afternoon, and I'm delighted to say that he appeared to have no trouble in locating the correct establishment.

Bring on the next leg in late December.