Exploring the South Downs

The South Downs are my back garden. I can fall out of my house and be on those rolling hills within ten minutes. Working in London I can retire to my country estate (two up two down terrace) sandwiched between the sea and the Downs at the weekend and wander anywhere within this 100 mile stretch of lush gentle hills. Go west from my abode and if you like shaded glades, deer leaping out of the undergrowth and cool forest paths interspersed with open fields you’ll be in your element. Go east towards Eastbourne and it’s mainly wide open downland covered with sheep and cows, expansive vistas and sun dusted flinty tracks. 

The weekend of the royal wedding and FA cup final day was an opportunity to wallow in extreme enjoyment, and between the two events was a significant window of opportunity to escape to the countryside on a glorious early summer’s day. It was a day to go west, young man! That meant heading out down the A27 towards Chichester, whipping past Arundel and then heading towards Slindon. Utterly spoiled for choice as both of those towns are full of interest as well.

Turn off at the Slindon turning onto the A29, head briefly north east and then escape the busy coastal route by taking a left turn at 90 degrees and entering the village of Slindon, a comfortable village sprawl on the southern edge of the Downs which is famous for being Britain’s pumpkin capital (don’t even ask!). As you drive into the village you pass the village hall on your left immediately followed by the Forge, an attractive community shop and cafe with outdoor benches where you can enjoy your ploughman’s or whatever takes your fancy. It’s a cool place to stop on a long walk or if you just want an excuse for a full English or a cream tea.

From here follow the winding village street up past St Mary’s, the church on your left, then past the duck pond. Keep ahead and then you have Slindon college, walled off to your left, an independent day and boarding school for boys needing learning support. In the Middle Ages whatever building preceded this present ‘village manor’ type edifice was the site of one of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s residences. Just past the entrance the road bends round to the left in one of those inexplicable contortions found all over England. At this point a lane branches off down to the right which will take you to the evocatively named Gumber Bothy, a dead end which makes it even more enticing. It’s actually a farm and centre for outdoor activities ideal for Duke of Edinburgh Award types, but that’s for another day.

Keeping to the main road, from here a mazy route through rolling countryside eventually gets you to a T junction. Turn right and then drive up through the village of Eartham to eventually merge with the A285 from the left. Head on north and you really hit the delicious folds of the South Downs before taking a left turn onto Drake Lane. Hugging the valley bottom, the lane takes you to the village of East Dean on the road between Singleton and Upwaltham. Here you are really getting lost in the backside of the Downs.

East Dean duck pond

Your classic signpost

East Dean village centre

The tidy hamlet of East Dean congregates around a duckpond planted on the village green opposite the non-Conformist chapel sitting on the main road. On the green is one of those black and white painted signposts that makes you think you’ve landed in the Thirties in a time machine, a circle on the top branded with the letters WSCC (West Sussex County Council) and pointy pointer directions to more leafy villages. It’s straight out of a Will Hay film. Up the hill is the village hall, once the village school and then you reach the church. Don’t forget the pub which is almost opposite the green and you’ve got your archetypal English village, a glorious retreat if you commute to London or anywhere else for that matter. Villages like this are two a penny in England, it’s not one of the iconic Cotswolds or Devon eye candy places, but it would do me fine.

Road from East Dean

Rustic charm?

Industrial type building

The Fox goes free!

I took the route west along the road to the village of Charlton, in the Chichester district of West Sussex, which seemed to be a little more countrified than East Dean, even more in the back of beyond and funnily enough minus a church and village green (perhaps I missed them) but there was still a welcoming looking pub with a wonderful name, ‘The Fox goes Free,’ and some attractive rural settlement. You might think nothing ever happens in a place like this but if you’re a Doctor Who fan you’d know of course that the village was used for the location filming of ‘The Terror of the Zygons’ as a fictional Scottish village. And did you know that the first women’s institute in England held its inaugural meeting in the First World War? 

Charlton village

Back to front cottages?

Charlton village

Path up to the downs

Heading through the main street west you get to a long old building bordering the road which seems to be back to front i.e. what should be the front garden seems to be out the back! Just after there is a road junction and a little lane goes off to the right. Take this lane and you are taken up into the Downs above Charlton and another enviable choice of paths as you rise towards the crown of the Downs. A walkers paradise. I could have stayed up there for much longer, but was being lured by the possibility of catching the remainder of the cup final. More walking will have to wait for another day