UKC

Evening All

Having never been on or around the South Downs before I am after some advice/suggestions from the broader knowledge base of ukc/ukh please.

I'm off to Brighton for the weekend with the missus. The weather looks ok Saturday so were looking to do a walk of around 5-8 miles somewhere on/around the South Downs (the nearer to Brighton the better). The walk will preferably include a couple of decent hilltop view points and more importantly a decent pub (good choice of Ales/nice atmosphere/open all day etc) towards the end/at the end of the walk. I have an OS map of the area and can use it if needs be.

Thanks

In reply to funkyvin1:

Quite a bit longer than you want but this is a good one and Lewes is nice town with lots of pubs

http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_3/walk_47/index.shtml

In reply to funkyvin1:

Without looking at the exact route, maybe something linking in Devil's Dyke with the Shepherd & Dog at Fulking? Normally a good selection of local beers. A bit foody at times, but retains a pub feel. This bit of the escarpment is one of the nicest so a good walk should be easy to plan.
There's a chain pub on top of the Devil's Dyke too, and their ales have actually been OK, but certainly not memorable!

The Jack and Jill at Clayton has a selection of beers, food can be really good or a bit forgettable, possibly depends on the chef that day. Not as easy to link with as good a walk.

Further east, beyond Lewes, the Ram at Firle is excellent too, as is the Tiger Inn at East Dean, should you fancy a walk along the Seven Sisters & Beachy Head.

In reply to Mal Grey:

Good pub at Poynings too. Make a crawl of it by taking in that and fulking

In reply to funkyvin1:
The best in the area if you haven't been there before IMO is along the cliff above Beachy Head, part of the South Down Way. The view of the light house is especially impressive for the South of England. I don't know about pubs though as the one I knew at Birling Gap has closed and been turned into an National Trust information centre... they sell tea but that's not quite the same

There's a big one on the top near Beachy Head but I don't know what it's like, and another one further along in the direction of Brighton at Cuckmere Haven, which is a nice place to visit too. There are various figures cut in the chalk, a horse and a man with an enormous organ if you're in to that sort of thing, it's said to be very old. As you have the map you can work out a circuit which suits you.

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

On examination of google either the man has been castrated or I am muddling him with another chalk figure, the one near Beachy Head is just show holding two long rods, one in each hand. Still quite impressive all the same.

In reply to funkyvin1:

7 miles circular walk taking in Ditchling Beacon starting just outside Brighton

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/find-a-walk-or-route/about-ramblers-r...