Sussex
Scrapbook ~ Wildlife walks throughout the year
Saturday 26th April 2014
Poynings - Devil's Dyke - Edburton - Fulking - Poynings.
8 miles
The forecast was for
terrible weather all day but with new waterproof
hiking trousers to test out (with nano technology no less), we decided to go
for it and have a taste of the awful weather we're expecting in the Lake
District next week. We also thought that this would be a perfect time to go to
the Devil's Dyke area, as there wouldn't be the usual horde of day trippers
teeming all over the place with screaming kids, rowing couples, drunken
teenagers and unruly hounds. Well we were correct on the one count - the place
was almost deserted, but goddamit not a drop of rain all day and to rub it in
the sun shone in a blue sky continuously from the moment we left home to the
moment we got in. What a complete let down!
We weren't let down by Spring though, even if the April showers we'd relied on
shunned us instead. Swallows, Blackcaps, Dunnock, Nightingale, Chiffchaff,
Woodpeckers and Buzzard all turned up to brighten our day and Cherry blossom,
Bluebells, Cowslips and Lilacs in full bloom scented the perfect route we'd set
ourselves.
FULKING HILL! What a lovely spot... and that was where we decided that we would
stop at Fulking on the way through and sample their beer flavoured beverages at
the 'Shepherd
and dog' boozing establishment. What a great decision as we were able to
treat ourselves to a half of the appropriately named 'Devil's Dyke Porter' made
by the
Downland Brewery.
An unexpected find was a
leech in a puddle. I was going to pick it up and let it
have a bite of lunch but thought it might take a long time to finish it's
dinner, so we let it be. It seemed very happy swimming in it's little lido!
Cherry blossom at the entrance to Poynings church. So much nicer than that
artificial confetti stuff.
Poynings church
Devil's Dyke
.JPG)
On the motorway (SDW) looking back past Fulking to Poynings.
Edburton Hill and cowslips on the steep slopes.
It was closed!
John Ruskin - a huge figure in the Victorian age. Unfortunately the tap
doesn't work.
The nearby spring works but the water is best not drunk.
Don't look now Gill but I think we're being watched.
Can you smell these lilacs? Bloomin'
lovely!
Take the time to read
the
countryside code for yourself and please stick to it at all times.