The detailed route follows this narrative.

I didn't have time to record our last trip to the South Downs in June. This narrative is compensation and more follows in the Jevington-Seven Sisters tale.

Saturday took us to a farm B&B near Jevington. It has stunning views over the Downs, especially from the breakfast room. After relaxing on the Downs for a while, we drove to the Cuckmere Haven for a short walk seawards. In the drainage channels beside the path, small grey mullet were feeding heavily on the surface, probably on algae.

We got back to the Golden Galleon around six, in time for a table for dinner. They are still rebuilding their brewery, but some excellent guest beers and wines were on offer. I had the Stincotto, a ham hock cooked with wine and herbs while Louise had swordfish. A red Chilean wine, Undurraga, went very nicely with the food.

Sunday was beautiful. The farmhouse breakfast was beautifully cooked and gargantuan, ideal for a full day's walking. The long table was pretty full, mainly with guests from a wedding, held the day before in Michelham Priory. Another couple were there for the scenery and rest. Coincidentally, they recognised one of the other guests. It seems they were all from Exeter and must have passed him in the street there.

The walk is great on a hot day, because it has a lot of shade and it does get hot on those chalk downs. The first rarity we stumbled on was a field of Llamas. In Sussex???

                        Jevington Llamas                                            The Wealdway, near Jevington

Blackberries were in abundance everywhere, especially on the ridge before Litlington. Very good eating too. Also good crops of sloes and damsons.

Flowers were surprisingly plentiful for the time of year. On a grassy hill near the farm, a colony of Fragrant Orchid (gymnadenia conopsea) mixed with Field Scabious (knautia arvensis) Common Toadflax (linaria vulgaris) and thistles. Of butterflies, the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (clossiana selene) were quite numerous along the paths and the Common Blue (polyommatus icarus) in grassland.

Overlooking Cranedown. Cranedown Bottom. Evening on a hill meadow, Cranedown.

Beside woodland paths, Herb Robert (geranium robertianum), Cuckoo Pint (arum maculatum), Borage (borago officinalis), Bugloss (anchusa arvensis) and Red Campion (silene dioica) stand out from the grasses.

We passed through West Dean, a tiny hamlet hidden behind the downs and accessible by a narrow lane or on foot. It is a beautiful place, with it's ancient church, parsonage and other medieval buildings of flintstone. The green by the village pond is a favourite resting place for walkers and cyclists.

This walk has some of the best tea places in Sussex. Going for all three in one day is gluttony on a scale that even I don't aspire to. Two should be enough to keep anyone's breeks from slipping down. If you are hopeless at making decisions, start the walk from different locations each time you try it. That way, you can fit in a different tea-break each time.

Our first port of call was at the tea gardens in Exceat visitor centre. Delightful courtyard and very good food and tea. We shared a table with an English couple who were trying to explain what Spotted Dick was to a couple of sniggering American women. The more they tried, the worse it sounded, with innuendo getting the better of them. The Americans concluded it was some kind of public school ritual best not understood.

About 4.5km (2.75 miles) further on, we happily indulged in a second stop, this time in our favourite tea garden at Litlington. I believe it is reputed to be the oldest tea garden in England. It is in a lovely location with lots of alcoves and lean-tos, plus sunny and shady spots in the garden. They do the best scones we have tasted anywhere too. Well risen, not long out of the oven and slightly crisp on the outside with a lovely flavour.

  Litlington tea gardens.

With the protracted tea stops we were going to finish this walk fairly late. As we climbed up through the forest, we passed through an open clearing with a chalky surface, but no vegetation. Great numbers of dragonflies criss-crossed the clearing, barely 30cm (1ft) above the ground, feeding on midges and other insects.

Out of the forest we continued upwards with scrubland on our left and pasture on the right. A few months ago a flock of wild looking horned black sheep browsed in the scrub. I don’t know what they were, but they weren't Scottish Blackfaces. As we ascended, a great mass of rabbits rushed to cross from the pasture to the safety of the scrubland. I haven't seen rabbits in that quantity since I lived in Scotland 30 years ago. Herds of wildebeest stampeding across a narrow stream-bed conjure up a similar image. No wonder locals say they are physically destroying the Downs. It is an awesome sight to behold.

We finished the walk at 6.30pm, time for a longed-for shower and down to the "Eight Bells" pub in Jevington. It has a reputation as a food pub. They do serve big portions and given that a lot of their trade is with walkers, it is no doubt welcome. We didn't think the quality deserved a mention though. I had rabbit pie (one has to do one's bit to conserve the Downs) and Louise had a heavy pasta dish. The house wine was an unremarkable French vin de table and over priced. If you expect a meal to remember, your wish may be fulfilled. You will be reminded with every flatulent step as you waddle back to your car, with the wind behind you.

Back at the farm, we had a walk onto the hill to see if we could spot the fireflies. We did see lots of stars and the lights of Eastbourne in the distance below. It is not easy to overestimate your significance in such surroundings.

The Route

10.30am. 12 miles.

From Jevington church, take the South Downs Way footpath running beside it, heading just north of east.

Go uphill and when you reach a post with blue arrows markers, take the path immediately to your left.

Once out of the wood, proceed ahead, across the field on an obvious path.

At the top of the path, cross a broad grassy ride and turn left just beyond it onto a path.

This takes you along a crest with views of the downs on your left.

Turn right along a broad, stony track, signposted Friston Forest and to West Dean.

Ignore another broad crossing track and continue ahead passing another signpost to West Dean 2 miles.

Pass a grassy path on your left, but when you reach a second path also going diagonally left, take it.

At the top of the slope, a small Scots pine stands on the left. Turn left here and pass an oval shaped dew pond. At the end of the path, turn right.

Ignore a broad ride going left, instead proceed a few metres ahead and at a marker with a purple arrow, enter the wood on your left. This is a narrow cycle path which winds through the wood with little undergrowth. Purple markers denote a cycle path.

At the end of the wood, bear left and then at another junction, turn right following another cycle path.

This leads to a very broad chalky ride. Turn right uphill and after 70 metres a post with Bridleway and a purple arrow point you to the left.

This path soon veers left downhill. About 20 metres on turn right by a marker post on a heading south of east.

When you reach a junction of paths going right and straight ahead, continue ahead, slightly downhill.

Rosebay Willow-herb, Friston Forest.  

After the path bends to the right, take the left hand path at the next junction.

A few metres on, the vista opens up and a couple of sturdy wooden seats on the left give you an opportunity to admire the view and take a break.

Continue downhill to a broad metalled track. This has a vista sign pointing back to where you were.

Turn right along this track and proceed ahead without deviation until you reach West Dean.

Follow the tiny road through the village with a long flint wall on the right, until you meet the pond.

At the pond turn left and then right, passing a flight of wooden steps on your left.

Very soon you take another path which goes uphill on your left. Follow the posts with white bands around them. At the very top, follow a stone wall to the left, cross a stone stile and another immediately to your right. Way below you, the river Cuckmere meanders down to the sea.

Proceed downhill and go through a wooden kissing gate to the road, past the Exceat Vale visitor’s centre and the cycle shop. Good tea shop here.

Cross the road, turn right and follow it until you reach the Exceat Bridge just before the Golden Galleon pub. Cross the road before the bridge and go through another kissing gate, this time wandering along the right bank of the Cuckmere inland.

Around the second bend in the river, some 2km (1 1/4 miles) from the Golden Galleon, you will see a white horse carved into the hillside opposite.

    River Cuckmere and White Horse (Top left)

Just before the stile, turn right into an enclosed footpath heading away from the river. This path takes you through reclaimed water meadows to a road via a stile. Cross directly over the road and scramble up the bank into the wood. A few metres into the wood, you meet a narrow path. Turn left and follow the path. Keep to the path after another track joins it from the right. To your left is a netting fence with barbed wire on top.

When you come to a broad crossing track, turn left and within 5 metres, turn left to enter an enclosed downhill path with steps. It is signposted to Litlington. At the bottom turn left. Very soon you cross a stile on your right and walk uphill with the hedge on your left. This section incorporates both the South Downs and the Vanguard Ways. Over your right shoulder are views of the wide crescent of Charleston Bottom.

Keep to the same line over the crest until you meet a couple of stiles. Ignore the stile and path on your left and continue ahead over a stile with posts on either side. Head on in the same direction, with the hedge to your right. In the distance, you can see the spire of Alfriston church. Passing through a wooden kissing gate, Litlington appears below, with it's own church spire visible.

The Kissing gate above Litlington.

Walk downhill to the left of a cottage with an uneven roof and gabled windows. Through another wooden kissing gate, you have a choice. If you want a beer, food or cream tea, turn left into the lane until you meet the road. Turn right along the road and either fall into the "Plough and Harrow" pub on the left, or 30 metres on the right is the Litlington tea garden, the best in Sussex,

To continue the walk, head back to the kissing gate, but this time pass it, staying on the lane. When you come to a broken gate with a sign to Clapham Farm follow the concrete double track. This takes you past some farmhouses. Blue arrow signs show the way.

Passing a long barn on the right, take the farm track on your left. This passes through several fields descending into a dip and up the other side, this time with the fence on your right. This bends round to the left and enters a wood via a gateway.

At the bottom of the path, several paths meet. Take the left path heading slightly north east. After about 250 metres another junction of about 6 paths appears. Reject the first path on your left, with it's chalky entrance, instead take the second on the left, signposted to Lullington Heath Nature Reserve.

150 metres on, take a forestry track to the right and stick with it steadily uphill, until it merges with another path above it, 1 1/2 km ( almost 1 mile) on. A few metres in front is a wooden gate. Pass through it and keep the sheep fence to your right.

Pass through another wooden gate and continue ahead. When you reach the track ahead, by the entrance to the Nature Reserve, turn right. The path slopes downhill. Ignoring a crossing path, proceed until you reach a fork. Take the right path (the South Downs Way) and follow it back to Jevington.