Rottingdean to Kemp Town

By Ben Perkins

Click here to view map

For our New Year walk I have picked a linear downland route within easy reach of Brighton, starting from Rottingdean and passing close to Rottingdean Windmill and the historic downland church at Ovingdean.

The walk then rises to high ground with fine views as it heads northwards and westwards, avoiding, as far as possible, the built-up suburb of Woodingdean before heading back towards the coast beside the racecourse and into Kemp Town, where the walk ends and you have a choice of bus services, either back to Rottingdean or into the town centre.

1.From the road junction and traffic lights on the A259 at Rottingdean, head inland beside Rottingdean High Street. Take the second turning on the left, Nevill Road.

At the top of the hill, turn right along Sheep Walk which soon leads you out on to open downland.

Go ahead, veering slightly left, on a path which passes about 50 yards to the right of Rottingdean Windmill. This smock mill, built in 1802, was in service grinding corn for 80 years. It has been restored and is now maintained by Rottingdean Preservation Society.

A little further on, immediately to the left of the path, a stone pillar marks the site of a fire beacon, first used to warn of the arrival of the Spanish Armada.

Continue along the chalk downland ridge of Beacon Hill, a designated local nature reserve.

2.At the far end, join a road on a bend and turn left down the hill. At a road junction at the bottom of the hill, cross the road, go ahead over a stile and climb with a fence on your right.

About two thirds of the way up the hill, side-step over a stile in this fence and resume your previous direction, now with the fence on your left. Ignoring a private stile, into the grounds of Roedean School, continue for a few yards to the field corner where you should cross another stile and turn right, to follow a right-hand fence.

3.Just short of a gate in the next field corner, turn right over a stile and drop fairly steeply down with a fence on your left. Towards the bottom of the field, veer half-right to a stile over a flint wall.

Carry on down the hill with the wall on your right until you can go right over a stile in this wall and down steps formed with millstone fragments.

The entrance to Ovingdean Church is now on your right, an ancient and unspoilt flint building with a tower dating from 1200. It has an interesting interior, too, but was locked when I visited in the autumn. Continue down the church access to join a road and turn left.

4.Shortly, where the road bends right, go ahead along the concrete access road to Bulstrode Farm which, beyond the farm buildings, becomes a flinty track. Where this track divides, fork right.

After a little over 100 yards, at the bottom of a dip, fork right along a valley floor. After another quarter of a mile, where the fence on your right comes to an end, turn right to climb on a wellworn path across the northern shoulder of Mount Pleasant, passing about 50 yards to the left of the trig point on the summit. Soon after crossing the highest point you will come to a T-junction with wide track.

5.At this point, go ahead over a stile into an area of open access land and turn left along the top edge of this pleasant grassy slope.

You can wander freely over this land but our walk maintains height, keeping close to the top left-hand fence as far as the corner where you can rejoin the track you crossed before entering the open area and can turn right along it.

Follow this clear path along the hillside and out via an access drive from a cottage and school to join Warren Road.

If in need of refreshment, the Downs Hotel is now a few yards to the right.

6.To continue the walk cross Warren Road and follow an estate road, Downsway, opposite. At a T-junction with McWilliam Road, turn right for a few yards out to the busy B2123 road and left along the nearside verge.

After a little over 100 yards, turn sharply left along a well-trodden chalk and flint path, signed as a Public Byway, which you can now follow for the best part of a mile, ignoring crossing paths and tracks.

About 150 yards short of the point where this track rejoins Warren Road, at a point where it opens out and the fences on each side turn away, turn left on a path which cuts across an area of waste ground to join Warren Road. Turn left along the nearside pavement.

7.At a bus stop, turn right to cross the road and go forward over Brighton racecourse where there is a convenient gap in the rails.

Now turn right to follow a path which keeps close to the racecourse, crossing Wilson Avenue a few yards to the left of traffic lights.

Where the path opens out, you have a choice of various trodden routes across open ground. Keep roughly parallel to the racetrack for the whole of its length as it curves to the left past the grandstand, across a road and up to a prominent radio mast.

Pass immediately to the right of the mast to follow a wide, sandy track gently downhill. Just short of the end of an estate road, turn right along a downhill path with a wire-mesh fence to your left.

Drop down steps to a crossing path where you should turn left to follow it out to a road. Turn right along the road which takes you round to the left and down to join a main road.

The bus stop for buses into Brighton is now a few yards to the left. For a bus back to Rottingdean, continue down to the seafront.