Bluebells & Blisters - A post by Beverley

With just two weeks to go until we leave for Uganda and the ascent of Mount Egon I decided that it was time for some serious training. Fresh out of my plaster cast, it was time for me to hit the trail - or as we call them in East Sussex, paths!

Starting from Vines Cross I set out for Sapperton Woods -the bluebells have benefitted from a late Spring, in fact this is best I have ever seen them -the scent is heavenly too.

From the woods the path leads into some stunning Wealden countryside.This part of the Sussex Weald was once an industrial landscape. The earth was rich in iron deposits which were worked to make cannons and other weaponry. Today the evidence is in the brown/coppery coloured residue in the streams, cooling ponds (now filled with fish) and some of the local names e.g Furnace Lane and Gun Hill.

Partly following the Weald Way I headed up the hill to Old Heathfield. This tiny hamlet boasts one of the best pubs in the county. The Star is a 14th century Inn nestling in the shadows of All Saints Church. After a brief stop in the pub garden (honestly!) I went to explore the churchyard. Here, amongst some very unusual tombs you can find examples of work by one Mr Harmer. He invented terracotta reliefs for tombstones.

Following the road back towards Vines Cross I stopped to pick up my dog Jazzy and we headed back along the old drover's track towards Maynard's Green and Vines Cross.It was here that I heard my first cuckoo of the season! From the village centre,I crossed the fields which are full of buttercups, and cuckoo flowers to join Vines Cross Road.

Soon I was heading back up the hill through Hidden Springs Vineyard. Its not so long ago that this vineyard was producing wine for HRH the Prince of Wales. Today, there is little evidence of the vines which have been largely replaced with orchards and a camp site.It does,however, have three yurts! These are huge Mongolian tents pitched in the fields above the orchard - they look amazing!
After passing four buzzing bee hives I headed back through the fields to join the track home.
I notched up 15.4K and burnt off 800 calories.I also have the start of two quite impressive blisters- pass the surgical spirit someone!

I'll certainly sleep tonight - and tomorrow those walking boots are going back on.

At last a blog update!!

Apologies to the avid followers for the lack of updates.....it's been hectic!!!

Beverley and I went for a nice leisurely walk along the East Sussex coast yesterday. But first, lunch! I had a lovely chicken & bacon bagette, Bev had a tuna salad at The Heron in Pevensey. Great food and a nice garden to sit in.

Once our lunch was adequately digested, it was time to drive to 'Crowlink', near East Dean. The plan was to walk to Birling Gap, along the cliff edge then alongside woodland close to East Dean, onto the edge of Friston and back to where we started.

Birling Gap and Crowlink, near Eastbourne in East Sussex, are part of the world famous Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, one of the longest stretches of undeveloped coastline on the south coast.
One minute you can be walking on ancient downland, the next you could be rockpooling below towering cliffs of chalk. Spectacular, unspoilt views of the sea can be seen from all angles. There are plenty of sheep making a racket (turn up the volume when watching the video below)

Birling Gap provides a point of entry for delightful walks and you can find a National Trust café here on the cliff top. The beach below is ideal for seaside picnics with its rock pools and areas of pebbles and sand. It is a great example of a marine nature reserve.
The wild forces of the sea create unusual chalk platforms and huge heaps of gleaming white chalk as the cliffs erode at up to one metre a year.With over 500 acres of open chalk grassland the area is rich with butterflies and downland flowers.

Once the walk was completed, it was time to make our way to meet the Long Man of Wilmington. The Long Man of Wilmington is a hill figure located in Wilmington, East Sussex, on the steep slopes of Windover Hill, 9.6 kilometres (6 mi) northwest of Eastbourne. It was formerly often known as the Wilmington Giant, or locally as the Green Man. The Long Man is 69.2 metres (227 ft) tall, holds two "staves", and is designed to look in proportion when viewed from below. Formerly thought to originate in the Iron Age or even the neolithic period, more recent archaeological work has shown that the figure may have been cut in the Early Modern era – the 16th or 17th century AD.

After a quick visit of the beautiful local church, we went off to The Giants Rest pub for a quick pint to finish off the day!