A South Downs Way Story
Segment:
© 2004 by
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The bridle path between Eastbourne and Alfriston goes inland instead of hugging the coast, and I walked that segment to see how it compared with Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters. This time the bus schedule dictated that I walk west to east. Getting to the charming tourist village of Alfriston required me to take a train to Lewes and then a local bus. I left town on a footbridge over the Cuckmere, went up a hill past the smallest church in Sussex, and soon I found myself traversing the downs just above the head of the ancient Long Man of Alfriston. This androgenous, football field-sized cutting on the side of the chalk down could just as easily be a woman, from what I could see, but it was still a cool site. The path continued past tumuli and barrows before taking a quick dip down into Jevington and its pretty Norman church. After a climb back up, it then hugged the edge of the escarpment until losing itself within the Eastbourne street grid, where I arrived just at sunset.
Eastbourne-Alfriston
7.5 miles
2 March 2003
Walked in reverse from Alfriston to Eastbourne