The South Downs Way
On top of Newtimber Hill
To the south the encroachment of Brighton onto the Downs becomes more evident. To the east you can glimpse the distant outline of the South Downs as they sweep on past Lewes to the South Downs Way's end at Eastbourne.
As you sweep your gaze round Jack and Jill windmills show themselves for the first time on the South Downs Way. And, as you complete the circle of your panorama, to the north, beyond Newtimber Hill lies the wonderful scalped roundness of Wolstenbury Hill, one of the most distinctive downs of all.
This is one of the places on the South Downs Way where you get a true sense of being up high.
As you continue on past the grazing sheep you catch a sight of the village of Pyecombe, looking pretty enough down in its valley but ravaged by the fast moving traffic of the A23.
You might notice how Pyecombe is split into two halves, separated by a kilometre or so. This split was caused by the ravages of the plague between 1603 to 1621.
The plague was so bad that the population of the old village declined to next to nothing. The remaining villagers decided a new start was needed and so moved up the valley to what is now known as Pyecombe Street.
By the end of the seventeenth century old Pyecombe village had been repopulated, leaving the vilage split in two.
Further on through a gap to the north of Pyecombe you can see the distinctive white tower of the recently restored Oldland Mill, just to the north of Keymer.
Places to visit close to the South Downs Way
Amberley | Arundel | Ashington | Bepton | Bignor | Bramber | Bramber Castle | Burpham | Bury | Chanctonbury Ring | Charlton | Chilgrove | Clayton | Cocking | Compton | Cootham | Devil's Dyke | The Devil's Humps | Didling | Duncton | East Dean | East Harting | Edburton | Findon | Graffham | Harting Down | Heyshott | Houghton | Hurstpierpoint | North Marden | Parham House | Poynings | Pyecombe | Rackham | Singleton | Slindon | South Harting | South Stoke | Stedham | Steyning | Storrington | Torberry Hill | Treyford | Trotton | Truleigh Hill | Uppark | Up Marden | Upwaltham | Upper Beeding | Washington | West Dean
- Butser Hill to Harting Down
- Harting to Cocking
- Cocking to Upwaltham
- Upwaltham to Amberley
- Amberley to Washington
- Washington to Upper Beeding
- Upper Beeding to Devil's Dyke
- Devil's Dyke to Ditchling Beacon
- Devil's Dyke viewpoint
- The Devil's Dyke
- Saddlescombe Farm
- West Hill
- Newimber Hill
- Newtimber to Pyecombe
- Pyecombe Village
- Pyecombe Church
- Pyecombe Golf Course
- Clayton Windmills
- East Sussex Border
- South Downs Way Tips
- Cycling in Sussex
- Bike repairs
- Bicycle hire
- Mountain Biking
- Sussex Walking
- The Ramblers
- Other trails
- Horse riding
Wednesday February 08