We are the East Berkshire Ramblers. We open the way for everyone in our local community to enjoy the pleasures of walking.
Peter K.
A walk of 10.2 miles, with 1,891 ft of ascent, along the South Downs Way from Castle Town to Ditchling Beacon. We begin by climbing steeply out of the Adur Valley to reach the top of the Downs. We are soon treated to panoramic views on Truleigh Hill and, a little further on, at Devil's Dyke, a spectacular dry valley, 100 metres deep. We drop down slightly into the village of Pycombe where we cross the A27, thankfully over a bridge. The final 3 miles is a long climb of 500 ft to Ditchling Beacon - just think of the rewarding views and the coach waiting at the end!
Our coach will depart from the Shire Horse, Littlewick Green, promptly at 9am. The journey to Castle Town will be approx 1.75 hours and we will stop for a comfort break on the way. Once on our walk, we will stop after 3-4 miles for lunch and at least once more for a 'banana' break. Please bring enough food and drink for the day as there will be nowhere to stop and shop once on the Downs. Our coach will meet us at Ditchling Beacon for the return journey of around 2 hours, including a comfort break. We should be back at the Shire Horse at around 18:30/19:00.
This walk contains 2 fairly steep ascents: around 640 ft over 2 miles from Castle Town; and 500 ft over 3 miles out of Pycombe.
Please park in the Shire Horse car park, in the area furthest away from the pub, in plenty of time for a prompt 9am departure by coach. The Shire Horse is on the A4, half a mile west of the A4/A404 junction.
