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White Horse on the east side of the Cuckmere Valley,
on the upper slopes of Hindover Hill, is not an
ancient one. It is said to have been cut by young
men of the local Pagden family in 1838 after an
evening in the Smugglers' in Alfriston. It was
re-cut in 1924 but was grassed over during the
second World War as part of the plan to confuse
German bomber navigators into thinking that the
Cuckmere Valley was actually the Ouse Valley.
This was so that bombs intended for Newhaven Harbour
(a vital supply port) would fall in the Cuckmere
Valley instead. Lights were left on here during
the blackout as part of the plan, which may be
why Berwick church suffered bomb damage.. |
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4. From Seven Sisters Centre
into the forest and down to the coast
This is a walk of about 3 hours starting from the
Seven Sisters Countryside Centre. The start point
is easily reached by bus - the 712 route from Brighton
to Eastbourne and the Cuckmere Community Bus means
that there are good services even on Sundays and Bank
Holidays. The walk enters Friston Forest*, explores
the village of Westdean and then crosses the water
meadows to wind alongside the Cuckmere river for a
mile or so. There's a good view of Hindover Hill's
white horse chalk figure* from this path which crosses
the A259 at the Golden Galleon and then leads down
to the beach at Cuckmere Haven. Here it's possible
to climb up to the cliff top by the old coastguards'
cottages* and explore the sea's edge downland plants
and birds and look across the magnificent rise and
fall of the Seven Sisters cliffs stretching away towards
Birling Gap and Beachy Head. At low tide you can clamber
along the Hope Gap beach below the cottages and cliffs
looking for fossils and enjoying the amazing variety
of rock and shingle textures and shapes - it's a geologist's
heaven. There are steps up to the cliff top - not
easy for vertigo sufferers and not always accessible
at high tide either, so care us needed. The walk back
takes a slightly different route though still on the
west side of the river on an embanked path which may
well disappear if the current plan goes ahead allowing
the estuary to return to saltmarsh and mud flats*.
This is an excellent path for birdwatching as there
are herons, egrets, snipe, and many other waders and
ducks to be seen at different seasons. This path also
comes back to the Golden Galleon and then along the
road to the Countryside Centre.
Refreshments are available at the Countryside Centre
at the start and finish, and at the Golden Galleon
which has a garden overlooking the river meanders.
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