~~~Why Bother Visiting?~~~
Think of Brighton and you think of hens and stags, mods and rockers, pubs and clubs, the Pier and the Pavilion. Yet Brighton is nestled between the sea and the South Downs - the Downs may not compare to Lakeland or Snowdonia, but they are extraordinarily pretty, ... Read review
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Advantages: Accessible, beautiful, free Disadvantages: Can get busy in high season
~~~Why Bother Visiting?~~~
Think of Brighton and you think of hens and stags, mods and rockers, pubs and clubs, the Pier and the Pavilion. Yet Brighton is nestled between the sea and the South Downs - the Downs may not compare to Lakeland or Snowdonia, but they are extraordinarily pretty, undulating, English countryside and they offer a welcome and accessible contrast to the noise and pretension of 'London by the Sea'. Devil's dyke is pretty ... ...get to (especially in summer when the open top bus is running, more anon), but it's no compromise either - the views and walks here are as good as anywhere on the South Downs.
The view from the car park (and the pub) is extraordinary, with the Weald stretched out endlessly in almost 180°, and yet this is not the Dyke itself. A little walk from the familiarity of the ice cream van and the crowds will take you to the striking landscape ... more
~~~Why Bother Visiting?~~~ Think of Brighton and you think of hens and stags, mods and rockers, pubs and clubs, the Pier and the Pavilion. Yet Brighton is nestled between the sea and the South Downs - the Downs may not compare to Lakeland or Snowdonia, but they are extraordinarily pretty, undulating, English countryside and they offer a welcome and accessible contrast to the noise and pretension of 'London by the Sea'. Devil's dyke is pretty much where Brighton meets the Downs so it's easy to get to (especially in summer when the open top bus is running, more anon), but it's no compromise either - the views and walks here are as good as anywhere on the South Downs.
The view from the car park (and the pub) is extraordinary, with the Weald stretched out endlessly in almost 180°, and yet this is not the Dyke itself. A little walk from the familiarity of the ice cream van and the crowds will take you to the striking landscape of the Dyke and for a little effort you really feel that you are part of a quite awe inspiring landscape. I've suggested a route for a walk further on in the review.
~~~What is Devil's Dyke?~~~ Devil's Dyke is a steep-sided, dry valley. Its not clear what its geographical origins are, but it may have been formed by glacial meltwaters during the Ice Age. The alternative story is that the devil dug it as part of a trench leading to the sea so that he could flood the Weald and destroy its churches. He was obviously making quite a racket about it, because it seems he woke a woman and, mistaking her candle for the dawn, he abandoned digging and left the trench unfinished.
~~~How to get there:~~~ Car: Leave the A27 at the exit signposted for Devil's Dyke and A2038 (or from Brighton, follow Dyke Road until you have crossed straight over the A27), carry straight for a few hundred yards until the road splits (it is signposted to Devil's Dyke). Follow this road until it splits again - carry straight on rather than turning sharp right - you will see signs for the Devil's Dyke pub - carry straight on and park outside the front of the Pub.
Bus: The open top number 77 bus only runs from April to September, and only on weekends and bank holidays outside of July and August. You can get times from www.buses.co.uk/bustimes/tt77.pdf.
~~~Things to do:~~~ Well, the views are the reason you come here, but here are some suggestions for things to do whilst you are enjoying the views. The pub is OK if you just want a drink and you're going to sit outside - it is not the reason you'd visit Devi's Dyke. The hillside is a great place to have a picnic and there is usually an ice cream van there in good weather for your afters - just beware that on windy days it gets very blowy. Flying kites is the perfect pastime here and for the more adventurous hang gliding and paragliding - check out www.flysussex.co.uk if you fancy a go. My personal favourite is to go for a walk I've put a suggestion below, which I've done with my 3 and 7 year old kids, so it's one for the whole family. You'll find other suggestions at the National Trust kiosk next to the car park.
~~~Conclusion~~~ Beautiful, accessilbe, devoid of commercial trappings and unnecessary expense, not particularly easy to get to out of season unless you have a car (but if you do, parking is pretty straightforward and free). Can get pretty busy in high season. Worth a visit.
~~~The walk for those who are interested~~~ 1. Leave the car park back down the road you arrived on, keeping the Devil's Dyke pub on your left. Follow the road as it curves round to the left, passing a bridleway on the left. Follow the path parallel to the road. Look left at this point - there's a great view of Devil's Dyke.
2. Head for the South Down's Way and turn left by a National Trust sign for Summer Down to a stile and gate. Follow the trail, keeping the dyke on your left - you could be sharing your space with cows here! The path runs below the Summer Down car park. Follow the path alongside a line of trees. The path then starts to curve to the left and drops down to the road.
3. At the road, turn left, following the verge alongside the road (do not cross the road). The path only follows the road for a short period, but do be careful here with young children. Turn left at the footpath sign and drop down the bank to a stile.
4. Follow the line of the tarmac lane as it curves right to reach a waymark. Leave the lane and walk ahead alongside power lines, keeping the line of the trees and bushes on the right. Look for a narrow path disappearing into the vegetation and make for a stile. Take the steps down into the woods and turn left at the junction. Detour: At this point you could take a detour to the Royal Oak in Poynings for a well deserved drink/snack before starting the climb back up to the starting point. Bear in mind that if young legs are tired, this is a good stop off, but will add to the overall length of the walk. Turn right and take the first footpath bearing off to the left, climb over 2 stiles, cross a small footbridge and another stile, then bear right crossing the field towards Poynings. You meet the road at a garage - turn left onto the road and the Royal Oak is visible on the right hand side of the road. When you're ready to rejoin the walk, retrace your steps to the junction in the wood where this detour started. Go straight ahead at the junction (the equivalent of turning left on the original route).
5. Follow the path, go over a stile and you'll find yourself at the bottom of the Dyke with the path stretching up ahead of you. Follow the path that climbs up the side of the Dyke, which is down to your right (wave to walkers at the bottom of the Dyke taking the steeper climb at it's end, and those on the other side of it).
6. At the top of the hill, the path rejoins the one that you took from the road to Summer Down at point 2 above. Turn right as the paths meet, keeping the Dyke on your right. Cross back over the stile and turn right, following the path parallel to the road as it heads back to the car park. Admire the last view of the Dyke as you pass it on your right this time, and then soak up that view of the Weald once more!
