Sunday Aug 24, 2008: 10 miles, ascent approx 380m (Map: OS Explorer 122)
The promised rain arrived early in the morning as forecast, only it was heavy and not light as per the BBC, on top of that it took a while to clear, leaving a very grey and heavy sky. I procrastinated and caught up on various indoor chores, but by early afternoon things were looking up and I was going stir crazy. Not feeling like a drive and not sure how far I felt like walking, I chose a local walk up on the Downs with a few options for length and time - by the time I got going it was almost half past two.
I wandered down through Lewes to join the Ouse Valley Way on the South bank of the river Ouse opposite South Malling. After a mile-long riverside stroll, I turned west on a footpath that passes under the railway and then joins a byway between Offham and Landport. I headed N to Offham, where I crossed the A275 to join a bridleway going SW and up the side of Offham hill. This particular track has a tendency to be slippery, especially in wet weather, so I decided to try an alternative route.
A hundred yards or so along the track from the A275 there is a style tucked away on the north side that leads into some adjacent Access Land. I walked parallel to my intended track across the steep hillside, assuming that there would be another style or cut-through into the woods at the top, but there wasn't, so I gingerly negotiated the barbed wire fence to rejoin the track shortly before it entered the woodland (through a gate). The bridleway leaves the woods after about a quarter of a mile, but it is possible to keep on a path in the woods (more Acces Land) that winds its way roughly parallel to the bridleway before rejoining it. The bridleway then continues NW along the edge of woodland and then through more open gorse and scrub to Mount Harry.
By this time the sun was out and after a short sweetie stop I descended roughly E to a crossroads of bridleways. Looking up to Blackcap, I could see that it was apopular spot this afternoon, so gave it a miss, taking the track NW behind the hill. This track becomes a fairly narow path that passes through some lovely mossy old coppice on the steep hillside before emerging onto a broader chalk track at some old chalk workings. The broad track ascends to the SW and I followed it up to a junction with the South Downs Way - I don't know why but this bit of track always takes longer and feels steeper than I expect.
At the junction I headed S for Ashcombe Bottom and followed the bridleway SW down through this lovely hidden place. At the bottom of the wood, which was an awful lot squelchier under foot than last week, I hesiated at the path junction, considering whether or not to head NE and for home. That took about 5 seconds (it was about 5 o'clock so I had ages yet) before I turned W and up, stoppng on my favourite local hillside for a banana, before heading further W towards the SDW about half a mile away.
On reaching the acorn waymark I decided it was time to turn for home, so I joined the SDW going first NW and then NE back towards Blackcap, stopping to look out for the first signs of spindle berries and noticing the abundance of haws already ripening. Sticking to the bridlepath below the top of Blackcap, I made for Mount Harry again and retraced my steps towards Offham, stopping to look at the vast quantities of berries here as well (does this mean a hard winter?). It had turned into a beautiful early evening, I could see for miles and the sun was casting low shadows across the hillsides and through the beech trees.
From Offham took the byway S towards Landport farm and home. What had started as a crappy almost autumnal day had ended with a beautiful late summer evening, although autumn appears to be very much on its way.