A Sussex Snapshot | Ditchling Beacon

Ok, so this a caravanning blog and I’m not away in the ‘van but this may be of interest to those staying at the Brighton Caravan & Motorhome Club site as it’s only around 10 miles away and can even be reached by bus when the timetable allows.

Ditchling Beacon  - part of the Sussex Downs is the third highest point in Sussex at 248 metres above sea level and offers terrific views, particularly to the north. The area is under the stewardship of the National Trust who manage the small car park too. Check out their web page HERE.

It’s part of the South Downs way so you’ll see plenty of suitably attired walkers be-sticked and marching purposefully. The road up from Ditchling village to the north is narrow and in places extremely steep - ranging from 9% to 16%. It features in a lot of London to Brighton charity bike rides and is a real test of even the fittest legs.

A bus runs from Brighton’s Old Steine - currently only weekends and public holidays but the summer timetable is due out in April. There’s a very helpful leaflet HERE.

Leeds Castle

Those who follow me on Twitter & Facebook will know that I’ve - as usual - been away in Patsy for Christmas. The trip wasn’t about sightseeing but catching up with family and friends so I didn’t get out and about with the camera much but staying at the Bearsted Caravan & Motorhome Club site meant that I was only minutes away from Leeds Castle. So I went to have a look, joined by friend Alison who was also staying on site. It is less than five minutes drive away and you get a 20% discount on production of your membership card and receipt from your stay. I double checked online and this easily trumped any advance booking discount or similar. Having said that it isn’t cheap - twenty-six quid before any discount - although your ticket is valid for the year.

As you will see it is very photogenic, even on a dull December day although much of the front was covered in scaffolding whilst undergoing restoration. Anyway, enough of the waffle, some photos:

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There’s a road train that take you from the (free) car park to the castle for a quid which we did, but chose to walk back which took us around 15 minutes. Plenty of spots for a picnic in warmer weather. We didn’t do the maze but it looked very popular.