Ditchling Beacon, Westmeston, Streat, East Chiltington and Plumpton
By Ben Perkins
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The walk follows a fine stretch of the South Downs Way and passes close to three churches at East Chiltington, Streat and Westmeston
I first put this walk together for a book of South Downs walks, long out of print.
If any Argus walker has a copy of the book and is familiar with the walk, this version introduces several variations and is described in the opposite direction.
It's a splendid circuit, well worth recycling, combining one of the finest stretches of the South Downs Way with an excursion northwards into the Weald where it passes close to three small and charming churches at East Chiltington, Streat and Westmeston.
The first two of these three small settlements are linked by a track which follows the line of an old Roman road, the so-called Sussex Greensand Way, which once ran along a low greensand ridge between the London-to-Lewes road at Barcombe and Stane Street.
1. From the Ditchling Beacon car park, cross the road and start the walk eastwards along the South Downs Way, which follows a fine grassy path along the top of the steep northern downland escarpment.
The views northwards into the Weald are superb and, at intervals, looking eastwards along the line of the Downs, you should be able to pick out the easily recognisable profiles of Firle Beacon and Mount Caburn facing each other across a valley.
After a little over a mile, go straight across a road coming up from the foot of the Downs and continue with the South Downs Way, now enclosed between fences. After another 300 yards or so, fork left along a roughly made-up track, Plumpton Bostal, which drops obliquely down the scarp slope to join the B2116 at the foot of the Downs.
2. Cross the road and turn left, passing the Half Moon Inn. Immediately past the pub, fork right along a path which burrows through a thicket to a stile and then heads out across a field, diverging at about 20 degrees from the fence on your left.
On the other side of the field, go over a stile and follow a wide fenced grassy strip. Join the drive to Plumpton Agricultural College and turn right.
Follow the drive as it passes to the right of the main college buildings. Just past a bus stop sign on the left, turn right through a high wooden gate in a fence, signed as a footpath. Follow a clear path through an area of planted woodland. Ignoring a waymarked path off to the left, go ahead over a footbridge and follow a right field-edge out to join Plumpton Lane.
3. Your next path starts over the stile opposite. Go forward along a left fieldedge, cross a stile beside a gate in the field corner and head diagonally across the middle of the next field.
In the field corner, go over three stiles in quick succession, the third one being step-less, and head out across a paddock, aiming just to the left of a large group of buildings where you can join a drive in front of a house called Stable Cottage.
Pass in front of this house, go over a stile beside a gate and go ahead along a gravel treelined track which, after two-thirds of a mile, brings you to the isolated East Chiltington Church with its 13th-Century tower.
Distance/time: Seven-and-a-half miles, taking three-and-a-half hours.
By car: Start from the National Trust car park on the summit of Ditchling Beacon. The road over the Beacon is accessible either from Ditchling to the north or Brighton to the south and the car park is at GR 331130.
By public transport: Hourly Sunday bus service from Brighton.
What's underfoot: Almost entirely along good downland paths and tracks. One muddy path approaching Westmeston and a final steep climb.
Thirsty work: Pub at Plumpton (point two).
So you don't get lost: OS Explorer map 122.
4. Pass to the right of the church and immediately fork left along a track, keeping the flint churchyard wall on your left and soon heading generally westwards. After a little over a quarter of a mile, go straight across Plumpton Lane and follow the drive to Plumpton Racecourse opposite.
This becomes an unmade track as it continues along a low greensand ridge for over half a mile with fine views southwards through gaps in the hedge to the Downs and, at one good viewpoint, a well-placed memorial seat.
5. On reaching a lane at Streat, turn left. After a few yards, just after passing the gateway to Streat Place – a rather grand restored Jacobean mansion – on your right, fork right along a track which starts next to a telephone box and soon bears right, passing Streat Church on your right.
After little more than 100 yards, soon after passing Streat Cottage, also on your right, go left over a stile and head half-right across a field to another stile in sight. Over this stile, descend steps opposite Hayleigh Farm and turn left along a track, now heading for the Downs, hard-surfaced at first, then, narrower between hedges and muddy underfoot in places.
This is one of the many north-to-south former droveways, once used by cattle being taken between summer and winter pastures. Eventually you will reach a gate with a sign on it indicating you are following a path diversion where the track acquires a more solid surface.
6. After 100 yards or so, go right, over a stile and along an enclosed path, following it as it is signed left and right. Once over a stile into a paddock, veer half-left across a field corner to another stile leading out to the B2116 road.
Cross the road and turn right on a path along the top of the roadside bank. Follow this path and the road past Westmeston Church. Very shortly, turn left along an access drive, signposted as Westmeston Bostal.
Beyond the gateway into Westmeston Farm, go ahead through a gate and along an enclosed path, soon between banks. After about a quarter of a mile the path comes out into the open and bears round to the left, commencing a steady climb up the scarp slope.
After about 100 yards, double back sharply to the right, past a way post to follow a superb steeply-rising terraced path which takes you up to the summit of the Downs ,where you can rejoin the South Downs Way within a few yards of the start.
