Bishopstone and Newhaven

by Ben Perkins

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In the 18th Centuary a tide powered flour mill, Tide Mills, stood here - the disused sluices can still be seen from the sea creek walk.

Starting from the seafront at the western end of Seaford, this walk heads inland to visit the tiny village of Bishopstone with its fine church, one of the oldest in Sussex.

It then extends into the Downs before turning to follow an undulating route back towards Newhaven. After a brief skirmish with the industrial fringe of this seaport, the final section of the walk follows a sea creek, keeping parallel to the coast, and passing the site of Tide Mills, a former 18th Century flour mill which was driven by tidal power.

1. From the Buckle car park turn right beside the road which soon heads inland, passing beneath a railway bridge next to Bishopstone Station, your starting point if arriving by train, to reach the A259.

Cross the main road at the recently installed pedestrian crossing point, turn right for a few yards and then go left along a path, signed to Bishopstone. It crosses rough ground to a stile and then bears slightly right along the foot of a grassy bank.

Where this bank ends, scale a flint wall using steps constructed from tree stumps and go half left across a field to join a lane. Turn right into Bishopstone village.

The church is accessible via a short detour along a lane on the left. Parts of the church have Saxon origins, notably a sundial over the fine Norman porch doorway.

2. A few yards past the access to Bishopstone Church on your left, turn right along a track, signposted as a public bridleway, which commences a steady climb up on to the Downs.

After about 250 yards, just short of the point where the main track turns away to the right, fork left along a hedged path which beyond a stile, follows the top of a grassy slope with a hedge and bank on your right.

Go through a swing gate and follow the right edge of two large fields. About half way along the second field, at a waypost, side-step to the right through a gap in the hedge and resume your previous direction, now along a path between high hedges.

3. At a path junction, bear left and, after 15 yards, turn left again over a new stile and head out across a large arable field where a path should be clearly visible through any growing crop.

A view soon opens up ahead towards Newhaven Harbour while the path drops down into Devilsrest Bottom.

Towards the bottom of the slope, join a fence and go ahead, keeping it on your left. From the field corner a rather overgrown path continues along the valley, opening out to continue as an unfenced track.

At a waypost bear half-right across rough ground to a stile beside a gate, pass through a swing gate, ahead and follow an enclosed track out to a lane at the tiny hamlet of Norton.

4. Go over the stile opposite and follow a chalk and flint track which soon curves left and climbs obliquely up on to the shoulder of Norton Hill. As you climb you get a good view across the valley to Bishopstone Church and part of your outgoing route. At the top, go straight ahead across the summit ridge.

Cross two stiles in quick succession and veer half-right downhill across pasture where there is a vague path which leads to a stile beside a gate. Go forward along a track, passing to the right of stables and along a wide fenced grassy strip.

5. At the bottom of a slope, turn left along a gravel track, signed as a footpath which takes you out to the A259.

Cross the road, turn right along the opposite verge and, after a few yards, go left through a gate to enter the Ouse Valley Nature Reserve. Follow the signed footpath ahead which uses a hard-surfaced cycle path for a few yards before forking right as a clear grassy path.

A useful notice beside the path gives some indication of the wildlife which flourishes on the reserve. Cross the access to a landfill site, and continue through an area of rough pasture.

The path then burrows into scrub. Shortly fork right and, after a few yards, at a signed path junction, turn left. After about 200 yards, turn right along an unsigned path which crosses a footbridge and passes along the left edge of a recreation ground to join the end of a cul-de-sac road. Follow this out to a T-junction.

6. Turn left to follow this road past the entrance to the Newhaven ferry terminal on your right. Shortly, just after the road turns to the right, fork right along a path, signed as part of the Sussex Ouse Valley Path and the Vanguard Way, which you later follow back to the start.

Shortly cross the railway via footbridge and continue beside the railway fence, soon you’ll find the wide tidal Mill Creek on your right.

The path passes through the site of Tide Mills where you get a good view of the tunnels, within which the power of the tides was once harnessed to drive the large flour mill which flourished here during the 18th Century.

You can detour to right and left of the path here to view more of the site. A series of information boards provide much historical detail about the Mill and the substantial village which once occupied the site, now reduced to a fragmented ruin.

7. To complete the walk, continue with the Ouse Valley Path which follows the top of a bank and eventually feeds into the western end of the Seaford promenade path. The car park and Bishopstone Station are now only a few minutes walk away.