Wilmington, Litlington and Alfriston

By Ben Perkins

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Across the green fields and the River Cuckmere is the charming face of Alfriston village

This walk gives you the opportunity to explore a large area of chalk downland which has, for the first time, become available for public access under recent legislation.

New stiles allow us, between points 3 and 4, to traverse the long southern shoulder of Windover Hill and the dry valley of Deep Dean, comparable with the Devil's Dyke in its size and depth.

The ground here is steep and rough underfoot in places but it is a most beautiful and dramatic area and well worth the effort.

Starting from Wilmington, the first part of the walk involves two steep climbs over open downland. In contrast, the return route follows level riverside and field paths in the Cuckmere valley with several opportunities for rest and refreshment.

1. From the entrance to the car park, turn left back towards Wilmington village. After about 100 yards, when opposite the entrance to Wilmington Church, turn right along a rough track, signposted as a bridleway.

Follow this track, eroded in places, as it rises gradually on to the foothills of the Downs. After about half a mile, double back to the right up a bank to a bridle gate. After a few more yards, at a notice indicating the start of a licensed path, turn left to follow a path which climbs steeply up the downland escarpment through an area of scrub.

Go through a gap in a fence and, after another 60 yards or so, go left over a stile and bear right to continue the steady climb, now with a fence on your right.

2. At the top of the slope, go through a bridle gate and follow the path ahead across the flat summit of Wilmington Hill, passing a trig point.

The views from this high point are impressive, particularly westwards along the line of the Downs towards Firle Beacon and the outlier of Mount Caburn beyond.

Go through another bridle gate and ahead, dropping gently downhill with a new fence on your right.

Cross a shallow dip where you should ignore a gate and stile on your right and go ahead through another gateway and up on to the summit area of Windover Hill, following an unfenced track, part of the South Downs Way, as it bears gently left, passing about 50 yards to the left of a prominent tumulus at the highest point on the hill.

3. Just before the track bears right, fork left, dropping gently down across open downland to enter a wide grassy strip between areas of scrub. You are now following the gently descending spur of Windover Hill in a southwesterly direction.

Carry on through a more open area until you get to a point where there is no clear path ahead through the scrub.

Go left on a short path which heads for the edge of the deep, steep-sided combe of Deep Dean. On the rim of the steep slope, you will find a new stile in a crossing fence.

Go over this stile and drop obliquely down the side of the combe to join and bear right along the faint, unfenced track which follows the valley floor, soon curving gently round to the right. Skirt to the left of a fenced enclosure surrounding a brick water company building.

A few yards beyond this building, turn left to climb steeply up the side of the combe. There is no defined path but you should have little difficulty in picking a route through the patchy scrub to find a stile about 60 yards to the left of the top corner of the area.

4. Once over the stile, turn right along a wide fenced track which commences the descent into the Cuckmere valley. Where this track divides, keep straight on, ignoring a right fork.

Follow the track down for half a mile to join a lane at Litlington. Turn left passing the church, with its neat white weather-boarded bell turret, on your right.

Soon after passing Litlington Tea Gardens on the left and just short of the Plough and Harrow pub, go right along an enclosed tarmac path.

5. At a path junction, turn right to join and follow the Cuckmere River bank upstream, keeping the river on your left.

After a little over a mile, a bridge over the river allows an optional there-and-back detour into the village of Alfriston. However, to continue the walk, carry on with the river on your left for a quarter-of-a-mile to join a road.

Go through a gate on the opposite side of the road a few yards to the right and follow a path through two fields with a swing gate between them to join another lane. Turn left.

6. After about 200 yards, go right over a stile, half-left across the corner of a field to a second stile and on in the same direction across a large field, where a path should be established through any growing crop, to join another lane.

The Sussex Ox pub at Milton Street is now a short distance along the lane to the right. But to continue the walk, go over the stile opposite, across a field, along a short narrow path to a gate and on across a second field to join another lane.

Go over the stile almost opposite and follow a straight path to a second stile and on across a large arable field, aiming a little to the left of Wilmington Church.

Approaching Wilmington, join a tarmac drive, go left for five yards, then right through a gate into Wilmington churchyard.

Walk through the churchyard where you will pass an ancient yew tree, reputed to be 1,000 years old with a girth of 23 feet.

Inside the church is a stained-glass window depicting butterflies and moths, some now extinct. The original window was sadly destroyed by fire a few years ago but has been replaced by a modern reproduction.

Join the village street and turn right back to the start.