Day 6

Yet another rubbish night’s sleep was had last night. Once again the camping field was on a slope, so I kept sliding off my mattress. 

It was also quite cold last night, so there was a very heavy dew on the tent and ground. I was awoken by other noisy campers at 6:30, so ended up getting up early. 

I set off at 8am and immediately had a long steady climb up Castle Hill. It was a sunny start but the cloud drew in at 9am. There were some great nice views from the hill, looking down on Lewes. 

There were a few other walkers/runners/cyclists on the downs, but nothing too busy. The escarpment had some lovely views across the Ouse Valley. 
After dropping down into the valley and crossing the river/railway I came across the Lewes Youth Hostel, which thankfully had a cafe. 

I had a 50 minute break, giving me time to eat a breakfast bap and drink two cups of coffee! 

After that pick-me-up, there was a stiff climb up Itford Hill, but that gave you views over Newhaven. 


After that ascent, there was a lot of walking on undulating downs, but no serious climbs. 

The breeze began to pick up and I decided to make haste to Alfriston before the rain arrived. 

Alfriston is easily the prettiest village on the South Downs Way. 

Due to the forecasted strong winds, I had tried to see if I could find any accommodation in the village, but all the pubs/guesthouses were fully booked. 

That meant that I quickly made my way to the campsite, to get my tent set up before the rain arrived. The plan worked, because no sooner had I put the fly sheet over the frame, than the rain started. 

It was heavy drizzle rather than lashing rain, but still enough to get everything soaking wet. 


I am now ensconced in The George Inn, devouring a beef roast dinner! 


Tomorrow is the last leg of this trail. I will see how bad the forecasted winds are in the morning. There are two ‘official’ routes to Eastbourne from Alfriston. The preferred route is via the Seven Sisters along the coast. However that may be a bit too hairy in the wind, so there is an inland option, albeit with less spectacular views. 

That’s all assuming I haven’t been blown away during the night! 

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