insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 08 - October 2015 | Page 69

DAYSOUT

A Woodland Walk

Strolling on the South Downs

A Coastal Constitutional

There is something altogether ‘other’ about
taking an autumn stroll through the woods.
Peaceful, secluded, a world apart from
everyone and everything else, sometimes a
walk through the woods is the only way to
enjoy an autumn day.

Sussex is famous for the South Downs, the
UK’s newest national park. It covers 628
square miles (1,627 square kilometres) and all
of it is stunning. Fancy a nice autumn walk?
The South Downs has it covered.

There is nothing quite like a bracing coastal
walk on a frost-tinged autumn day, and in
Sussex we are lucky to have a coastline that is
close enough visit any day of the year.

Brede High Woods Circular Walk // 5.5
miles (8.9km) // OS Explorer Map 124
Brede High Woods have the distinction of
being some of the most ancient woodland
in the entire country. As you wander through
the trees you’ll be able to spot deer, newts,
buzzards, and even glow worms – it’s a true
nature lover’s paradise.
This great circular route starts in the car park
at Brede High Woods and meanders through
the trees on slinking, curving pathways that
give whoever is following them the chance to
immerse themselves into the twisting, turning
world they’ve stepped into. You will pass
the Powdermill Reservoir, an ancient sweet
chestnut coppice, and plenty of pretty little
bridges as you go.
Rockinghill Wood Circular Walk // 1 mile
(1.6km) // OS Explorer Map 146
This short walk is no less pretty for its low
mileage, and it is especially good for those who
enjoy historical buildings, since it starts and
ends at Standen, the National Trust owned arts
and crafts house that once belonged to James
and Margaret Beale.
Rockinghill Wood covers 20 acres, and has a
number of ponds dotted around it, making each
corner a surprise once it is turned, as well as
being a great place to look for elusive wildlife.

Wherever you choose to go for your brisk
autumn walk, please remember to take care
of the incredibly special countryside you
walk through by closing gates, taking your
litter home with you, leaving wildflowers
where they are growing, and not disturbing
the wildlife you come across. We need
to keep Sussex beautiful for the next
generation. And the next. And the next.

Kingley Vale Trail // 3.5 miles (5.6km)
// OS Landranger Map 197
Kingley Vale is a nature reserve on the South
Downs, and the trail involved a breathtaking
walk up to the top of the vale. When you get
there, you will be rewarded with views out to
Chichester and the sea beyond.
The most magnificent part of walking the
Kingley Vale Trail in autumn is the yew trees. In
fact, the area is famous for them. The yews in
this plantation are at least 2,000 years old, and
are considered to be some of the oldest living
things in England. Standing near them, or even
walking by them, on a crisp, cold day when
the woods are quiet and the trees are the only
thing whispering in the autumnal breeze is a
magical experience.
The Octagon Way // 18 miles (29km)
// OS Landranger Map 197
The Octagon Way is made up – as the name
suggests – of eight villages, providing the
perfect route for a walk that includes some
lovely views and some interesting places too.
The villages are Stansted, Racton, Stoughton,
East Marden, North Marden, Up Marden,
Compton, and Forestside (although West
Marden and Walderton are also close by). This
walk was created and published in 2012, in
honour of the Queen’s Jubilee, but although
this is a modern idea, the footpaths and trails
have been here for centuries, and many of our
ancestors would have trodden the same route
to and from these villages.
The walk begins at the stately home, Stansted
House (well worth a visit), although suggested
parking is in the Stansted Park Garden Centre.
Each village has something different to show
those who choose to travel through them by
foot in this way, including Racton Monument,
the 11th-century church in Stoughton (St
Mary’s), the thatched village well in East
Marden, and St Paul’s Chapel in Stansted.

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Seaford to Eastbourne // 13 miles (21km)
// OS Explorer Map 123
The journey from Seaford to Eastbourne by
foot is, although quite a trek, a spectacular
walk that takes in some of the best coastal
scenery in the county. It can also be broken
down into smaller sections if 13 miles seems a
bit much for a nice autumn stroll.
Starting off at Seaford station, this cliff-top walk
will give you views of the Seven Sisters and
Beachy Head, passing through Birling Gap and
Cuckmore Haven on the way. The beginning
and end of the ݅