Over the Downs between Patcham and Pyecombe

By Ben Perkins

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Make a slight detour to visit the Chattri, a monument which is dedicated to the Indian soldiers who died in the First World War

This is a fine and exhilarating walk over the Downs to the north of Brighton between Patcham and Pyecombe, crossing high ground on either side of the A23 and traversing the shoulders of Newtimber and Wolstonbury Hills with exceptional views.

1. From the far end of the bridge beneath the Brighton by-pass providing access to Waterhall Playing Fields, turn right. It is labelled as Private Road: Bridleway only.

After less than 100 yards, go left through a bridle gate and follow a wide, grassy path up on to the Downs. Towards the top of the hill, just after passing an enclosure on the left surrounding a telecommunications mast, turn right along a narrow path which burrows through scrub to a gate and then bears left to continue uphill between fences.

The path widens to become a farm track which heads generally northwestwards across high downland passing, on the right, a fenced enclosure surrounding a restored dewpond.

2. After the best part of a mile, bear half-right with the main track, ignoring a gate ahead and climbing gently.

Where the enclosed track ends, go ahead along a left field edge. After about 100 yards, ignoring an unfenced right fork, go ahead through a gate and along a narrow, enclosed path.

Where the ground levels out, go through a gate next to a National Trust notice for Newtimber Hill and ahead along the right edge of rough pasture, crossing the flat summit of West Hill, an outlier of Newtimber. From this path there are fine views to the right towards the deep dry valley of Devil’s Dyke and the western Downs beyond.

3. After about 400 yards, at a second National Trust notice, fork right through a bridle gate and follow an unfenced grassy path which descends across Cow Down, diverging gradually from the hedge on your left.

Prominently ahead is Wolstonbury Hill and over to your right, across the valley, the twin windmills of Jack and Jill are in sight.

From about halfway down the hill the main path keeps to the left of a hedged bank, dropping down to cross a bridge over the new A23. On the other side of the bridge turn right beside a redundant section of the old trunk road.

4. After about 60 yards turn left along an access track, signed as a footpath. Where the drive ends next to a new house, go over a stile and half-right across a yard to a second stile.

The path on the other side of the stile is currently blocked by slurry. If it is impassable, divert to a gate further along the fence.

Either way, once inside a field, head obliquely half-right up a grassy slope to a stile in the top right corner. A trodden path continues in the same direction up through scrub and rough pasture to a second stile and on through the next field, crossing the lower southern shoulder of Wolstonbury Hill where a view widens out northwards into the Weald.

On the other side of the field, cross an enclosed bridleway using two stiles and maintain direction across the next field to join a track over a stile beside a gate.

Turn right. A few yards short of the A273 road, turn right through a bridle gate to follow a signed permissive bridleway, very muddy in places.

5. Where this path emerges on to the A273, cross the main road with care and follow the access drive to Pyecombe Golf Club opposite. Beyond the clubhouse the drive becomes a track as it climbs steadily up on to the Downs.

After about two thirds of a mile, a few yards past a gate, turn right along a signed bridleway which descends into a valley and bears right up the other side.

At a T-junction of paths, turn left and, after 160 yards, go right between fences with a belt of stunted trees on your left.

6. After another 200 yards or so, bear left through a bridle gate and along a right field edge. After 100 yards, go right, through a gate, to follow an unfenced strip across high downland.

The path passes to the left of a prominent clump of trees and continues along the right edge of two fields. Down the hill to the left of the path, at the start of the second field, is the Chattri, a memorial to Indian soldiers who died in the First World War, a peaceful spot and worth the short detour.

Continue, with the remains of a fence on your right, along a ridge, gradually losing height. Go though a gate next to a power pole and on in the same direction across open downland. Where this large field narrows to a point, go through a gate to join a lane.

7. Go ahead for a few yards to a junction and then turn right down a ramped slip road. At the bottom of the dip, go ahead along a No Through Road, Braypool Lane, ignoring the access to a roundabout on your left.

After about a quarter of a mile along the lane, at a waypost on the left, turn left, signposted to Waterhall.

Cross a footbridge over the A23 and follow the path round to the right until you can go left between posts and left again, doubling back along a lane which returns you to the start.