South Downs Waywards

Covid has destroyed lives and disrupted life generally in 2020, and I'm afraid, although it isn't really ‘up there’ with the big tragedies of the year, being suddenly plunged into Tier 4 restrictions as of Boxing Day means that it has also scuppered the South Downs Waywards’ plans for the foreseeable future.  We have already had two aborted December days due to the weather, and we had the 27th December down for our next try of Stage 2. The Boxing Day change means that we can no longer travel out of our area, or together, and therefore a trip to Exton was definitely off the cards for the time being. There was still the matter of the Christmas excesses to be walked off, however, so we thought we would undertake a nearer, interim circuit walk on the Downs instead. Cissbury Ring was plan B, but the weather app promised rain for most of the day, while Storrington and Sullington looked much drier. We went for Plan C: a five mile circular walk starting at Sullington Church to slough o...

And we're off! It turns out that if you make a spreadsheet and put some dates in the calendar, things actually happen. To be precise, walking has happened: the South Downs Waywards are on their way.    Last weekend was a washout so our original plans for tackling Stage 1 of the route had to be postponed. A rare 'upside' to Lockdown means that calendars are fairly empty right now; thus it was easy to rearrange for this weekend.  Husbands were bribed for drop off and pick up, and we put our best feet forward for a 7 am start along Winchester's River Itchen.  Rookie error: may have set off too early It was not quite light as we set off; In her determination to guard against  any possibility of wandering the Downs in the dark, Hearth-mother may have over-estimated how long it would take to walk 12 miles (actually 13 by our count). Wooded weald The A272, the A31 and the A3 all cross cut the chalk ridge trail and the gentle hum they generate is barely perceptible...

I have lived and loved in Sussex for more than three decades, close to the magnificent South Downs. The Downs are a place that I 'know' from views from the road and short walks around the famous bits, but for some time now I have been contemplating walking the entire South Downs Way - 100 miles in total from Winchester to Eastbourne. What finally prompted me to make this a reality was being taken on a 15 mile looping walk from Chanctonbury Ring and around Steyning, Wiston and Sullington by Strictly Lady Lloyd (SLL) earlier this month.  Early morning view of Chanctonbury Ring The weather, for mid-October, was astonishing: blue skies and sunshine caused unexpected vest tops and sunburn (partially caused by pub garden break). SLL and HM: Cheers! But what was even more astonishing was how much the terrain changed along the walk. Every rounded corner or hill summit provided a new vista, and served to whet my appetite for venturing further afield. Glimpse of Wiston House Path towards...