Tuesday June 24, 2008: 5.5 miles, approx 330m ascent (Map: OS Explorer 122)
It was already midsummer and I had't been for an after-work walk on the Downs yet. The route I chose started from the car park by the Jack and Jill windmills on the Downs near Clayton in West Sussex. I followed a shorter version of the route described in the walk "Fresh Air and Exercise and Jack and Jill" from March 31 this year.
It was a lovely evening when I set off at about 6.30 pm. I followed the bridleway just north of the car park, heading east for a short distance and then roughly southeast, passing New Barn Farm, where I saw a few linnets, and crossing the South Downs Way by the golf course. Keeping going in the same general direction, and seeing my first and only poppies of the evening, after wiggle and a short eastward section, I then joined the Sussex Border Path going northeast. Close to the SDW I detoured north for a short stretch to cross the SDW at Keymer Post (a big footpath signpost - not on the map, it's near the marked 234m spot height). Here I went east for a couple of hundred yards in the access land north of the SDW, to pick up Burnhouse Bostal, which I followed down hill (northeast-ish) to Underhill Lane. The slopes above the bostal were scattered with orchids, little pink ones and pale pink spotty ones (apart from bee and spider orchids and early purples, that's the sum of my orchid knowledge).
Going east for about a half mile along the lane I arrived at the car park (not marked on the map) by the Beacon road at the foot of Ditchling Beacon. Crossing the car park I took the footpath south for an uphill slog onto the ridge half a mile west of the Beacon trig point, passing a yellowhammer on a gorse bush, I was greeted at the top by a stonechat sitting on a fencepost. Staying on the access land north of the SDW, I headed west, crossing my outward path back at Keymer post . Here I turned north on the bridleway down hill, joining Underhill Lane just east of Whitelands. Following the lane west this time, after just over half a mile I turned onto the footpath continuing west and the curving south round the lip of an old chalk pit to join the bridleway up towards my starting point by the windmills.
Although disappointed by the lack of poppies (had I missed them, or wasn't it a good year for poppies?), I got back to the car feeling like I'd had some good exercise on a lovely evening, and headed home for toast.