Offham circular

By Ben Perkins

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This is a superb walk, much of it across open downland to the north and west of Lewes.

The climb from Offham to the summit of the Downs at Blackcap uses a new route, recently opened up for public use for the first time, which follows the rising floor of a quiet downland valley up on to Mount Harry.

Much of the rest of the walk crosses high grass downland, returning via the site of the Battle of Lewes at Landport Bottom, before dropping down through a housing estate to join a path along the river valley back to Offham.

1.From wherever you manage to park, walk back past Offham Church to the road junction of the lane to Hamsey with the A275 and turn left in the Lewes direction. After about 80 yards, turn right along a path, signed on a waypost as a public bridleway to Blackcap. After a few yards go right along a chalky track, marked with a blue arrow.

After another 100 yards or so go right over a stile where a notice indicates that you are entering open access land where you can walk freely. Follow a faint path which contours along the lower hillside without gaining or losing much height at first. It passes through an area of scrub and joins a wider unfenced path which curves right up the steadily rising floor of the combe.

Pass to the left of a pair of food and water troughs, go steeply up for a few more yards and then bear left to find a rather faint path which burrows through an area of trees and scrub to reach a waypost where you rejoin the bridleway you left earlier.

2.Turn right here to follow a wide trodden path gently uphill with a fence on your left. Where the fence turns away to the left go ahead across a more open grassy area, through more scrub and passing beneath power lines.

Continue with this clear, unfenced bridleway through a gate and up over the broad summit area of Mount Harry where once again you can wander freely over the whole area, owned by the National Trust.

On the summit there is a new fire brazier, erected in 2002 replacing an earlier one, used as a message beacon in former times.

Continue across fine open downland up to the trig point and tree clump on Blackcap, a high point offering fine views northwards into the Weald and eastwards along the line of the Downs to Firle Beacon and beyond.

3.Pass to the left of the clump, replanted in 1953 and now solid and mature, continuing on a path which follows the ridge to a gate.

Through this gate, turn left along the South Downs Way, signposted to Housedean Farm and the A27.

After about half a mile, turn left through a gate, still with the South Downs Way which drops down along a right field edge, passing beneath power lines. After another quarter of a mile, beyond another gate, fork half left, parting company with the South Downs Way and walking beside a righthand fence.

Where this fence bears away half-right, continue down across pasture, through an area of scrubby woodland and across grass to reach a bridle gate.

4.Through this gate, go over a crossing path and bear half right on a path which climbs obliquely up a scrub-covered slope. Once out into the open, go left along a left field edge with scrub on your left. Go through a gate in the field corner and bear half-right on a trodden grass strip which climbs gently across high open pasture.

Go through a gate in a crossing fence and veer half-right across the next field. On the other side of this field, the path officially goes through a gate and follows a muddy defile through scrub. For a better route, just short of the gate, turn left along the right field edge with the scrub on your right, passing through another gate.

5.Immediately after passing beneath power lines, turn right along a wide chalk track which passes through scrub and continues beside the old Lewes racecourse.

As you approach the old racecourse buildings, just short of a gate, fork left along a track with a post and rail perimeter fence and horse paddocks to your right.

Where the fence bends right, go with it but, after ten yards, go left through a bridle gate (not the one ahead). Go forward, keeping to the right of a strip of gorse and scrub. In the field corner go ahead through two gates and follow the left edge of a sloping field, with a low bank and a thin line of stunted trees on your left. This is part of Landport Bottom, another public open space on the site of the Battle of Lewes, fought in 1264. Follow this path for half a mile out to join the A275.

6.Cross the main road and follow a tarmac path which starts almost opposite. On reaching the end of a cul-de-sac, go forward for ten yards, then left along another tarmac path which drops down to join a busy road. Cross the road and descend a flight of steps opposite which lead down to an estate road.

Go left for 20 yards, then right along Blois Road. At a T-junction turn right and at the next junction, left. At successive road junctions go left along Fitzroy Road, right along Pellbrook Road and left along Horsbrook Road.

At another junction fork right, passing to the left of a children’s playground and then go left along Landport Road which soon becomes a track. At the entrance gates to two properties, fork right continuing along a good track which runs along near the bottom of a steep wooded slope and takes you back to Offham within yards of the church and the start of the walk.