28/04/2025 Glorious sunshine greeted us for the first national ramble of the season. 10 scooter riders and 8 walkers set off along the clifftops overlooking Eastbourne. After negotiating a tricky narrow gap, we rambled along Long Down between fields with sheep and lambs and stunning views of the downs to our right and Belle Tout Lighthouse and the sea to our left. On reaching Cornish Farm we headed towards Belle Tout Lighthouse meeting another challenge on the way where scooter riders needed help to get their scooters safely over the threshold of a temporary gate in an electric fence that had been positioned on an uphill eroded path! Our lunch stop was to the west of Belle Tout Lighthouse with views towards Birling Gap and the iconic Seven Sisters chalk cliffs. Descending from the lighthouse after lunch needed full concentration which was difficult given the views ahead of white cliffs and the red and white of Beachy Head Lighthouse! After taking a detour from the cliff tops to avoid the 1 in 3 hills down and up Shooter’s Bottom. we ascended back to the cliff tops and made our way back to our starting point at the Beachy Head Inn. Marian & Barry
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29/04/2025 Little did we know what was waiting for us in the woods at Stanmer Park as 12 scooter riders and 6 walkers set off uphill to Great Wood. Due to forestry work which had recently taken place the path on entering the wood was a little rough, so we had to pick our way carefully for the first ¼ mile or so. From here progress was fairly slow due to the stunning carpets of bluebells which just kept on coming and were begging to be photographed! Arriving at Old Boat Corner we decided to take a break among the beautiful beech trees with their fresh leaves being highlighted by the dappled sun. Leaving the woods we rambled along the ridge, stopping for lunch by a dew pond (an artificial pond positioned at the top of a hill intended for watering livestock) where the group could relax in sun or shade. From here we started to descend through High Park Wood, where the bluebells were even more spectacular, before stopping at a viewpoint to look back across the park. The final leg of the route was back on open parkland looking over Stanmer House from Richmond Hill. Another glorious day in the sun. Marian & Barry
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01/05/2025 Our route today was on the South Downs Way, and it was already hot as 10 scooter riders and 6 walkers set off up Itford Hill from Itford Farm. The first mile was quite a climb - initially on a bumpy chalk track, which needed some careful navigation, before turning onto a typical South Downs grass track. On reaching the top we stopped to take in the magnificent views - the coast and Newhaven to the south, the meandering River Ouse in the valley and Cliffe Hill on the outskirts of Lewes to the north. From here we rambled along the ridge observing the downland flora and the occasional windblown bush as well as taking in the hazy distant views. At the three mile point we stopped for lunch looking out over the Glynde Reach valley towards Glyndebourne. As the top of Firle Beacon was still a mile away uphill, we took a group decision to turn round here due to the heat and lack of shade. Despite being a linear route our return revealed different views including a much wider River Ouse in the valley as the tide had come in! Many thanks to Sue and Martin at Itford Farm for allowing us to park on their land, making a group ramble from this location possible. Marian & Barry
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02/05/2025 The fourth ramble of the week in the hot sunny weather with 8 scooter riders and 5 walkers setting off for a circular in the magnificent surroundings of Petworth Park. Designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the mid 1700s, the park is home to a herd of around 750 fallow deer. Our route rambled downhill to Lower Pond and beyond before returning to the far side of the pond for our first stop in the shade of an ancient oak tree. From here it was a gradual climb to a viewpoint, overlooking Upper Pond to the south and west to the rolling downs, before entering a wooded area with ancient oak trees. As we approached Petworth House we were greeted with an unusual phenomenon of swirling leaves caught in a small whirlwind, creating an image of a flutter of butterflies. After rambling alongside the impressive west façade of Petworth House we continued to our shaded lunch stop overlooking Upper Pond with its family of ducklings and argumentative geese. So far, the deer had been elusive but as we moved on into a quieter area of the park after lunch, we started to see deer sheltering under the trees. However, once they spotted us many swiftly moved on! This ramble was a lovely finish to a great week. A big thank you to Chris for organising four fabulous rambles and to Andy and Tony, our volunteer towers, for all their hard work. Marian & Barry
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