Devils Dyke south circular

by Ben Perkins

Click here to view map

This is a fairly energetic walk, taking you over hills and past farm buildings.

This is an exceptional walk across rolling downland to the north of Brighton, starting from the tourist “honeypot” at the Devil’s Dyke Hotel.

From here, the walk heads southwards before turning east on a fairly energetic up-anddown route, with a final climb up to the summit of West Hill, an outlier of Newtimber Hill and a fine viewpoint. The return route drops down to pass close to the secluded downland farm at Saddlescombe.

For the last mile you can choose from alternative routes alongside or deep within the spectacular dry valley of the Devil’s Dyke, now managed by the National Trust and to which there is unrestricted public access.

1. To start the walk, head back along the approach road to the Hotel and car park, soon using a path on the left verge which, at one point, offers a dramatic view along the full length of the deep rift of the Devil’s Dyke.

After about a quarter of a mile, just after the road bends round to the left, turn right through a gate and head south beside a left-hand fence, with a wide view ahead to the sea. .

This path follows the top of a wide ridge, gradually losing height. .

2. After a little over a mile, just short of the point where the path ahead begins to rise on to Benfield Hill, turn sharply left along a fenced track which drops down into Benfield Valley. At the bottom, you will pass, on the left, New Barn Dewpond. .

A narrower path continues up the other side of the valley with a golf course on your right to reach a junction of tracks at the site of Golf Course Halt on the former Devil’s Dyke Railway which operated between 1887 and 1939. .

Go ahead here along a tarmac drive which soon joins the access from Brighton and Hove Golf Club house. Walk along a path, parallel and to the right of this drive, out to the Dyke Road. .

3. Cross the road, go over a stile, set back from the road opposite, and head squarely out across a field. .

Depending on the state of cultivation there may be a trodden path but the next stile, in a crossing fence, is soon in sight providing guidance. .

Maintain direction down across the next field, soon with a scanty hedge on your right. At the field corner, go left and, after 70 yards, join a road over a stile on your right and turn left along the roadside verge.

4. After about 100 yards, turn right through a gate and climb steadily along a wide, rutted chalk-and-flint track. After about half a mile, at a junction of tracks, go straight ahead, still gaining height.

After about a quarter of a mile, at a waypost indicating a choice of bridleways, go ahead through a bridle gate and along a narrow, rather overgrown hedged path. A bridle gate brings you out into the corner of the summit area of West Hill at the start of the large National Trust open access area of Newtimber Hill.

5. Once through this gate, turn left, dropping downhill along a left field edge with a superb view ahead to the Devil’s Dyke and westwards along the line of the Downs towards Chanctonbury Ring.

Go through a gateway and continue downhill between tree-lined banks. Just after this path ends, a stile on the left provides access to a path leading to an interesting well house containing a donkey wheel.

The walk continues along the main track as it skirts to the right of the farm buildings at Saddlescombe Farm. Immediately past the buildings, fork left downhill to a bridle gate and along the short drive ahead to reach a road.

6. Go through the gate opposite and ahead along a faint unfenced grassy path which contours along the hillside, neither losing or gaining height, to reach a stile.

From here back to the start you have a choice of routes, on either side or along the floor of the Devil’s Dyke. The one described is perhaps the easiest and certainly one of the best.

Over the stile, go ahead along a terraced path which climbs gradually along the left side of the Dyke with a spectacular view all the way. About halfway along the Dyke, ignore a left fork, keeping to the lower path.

A few yards past a water trough, keep right, staying close to the edge of the steep slope of the Dyke. To the right of the path, a small stone platform is the only remaining evidence of the cable car system which crossed the Dyke at this point between 1894 and 1909.

Your path finally curves round to the right across the upper end of the Dyke and climbs to reach the Devil’s Dyke Hotel car park.