Jack&Jill/ Ditchling Beacon circuit, South Downs

The weather had been changeable for several days, and although it was not forecast to be any different we set off for the car park under Jack & Jill - two windmills on the south downs above Brighton.

 The views looking north to hassocks and Hurstpierpoint/ Burgess Hill.

The route set off towards the south downs way up a paved track, and then for a short while followed it back towards the dip and the A23 - with Newtimber hill on the other side (hiding Devil's dyke)

The SDW led down to New Barn Farm before we left it and continued through a traversing around Pyecombe golf course 

The recent rain now started to have an effect as the path deteriorated in places with huge puddles, but soon we were climbing up the other side to the next rise. now the difficulty was getting wet by brushing past all the heavily laden grass stems on each side of the path.

The top of the rise was between two fields one of barley and the other of wheat, before the path jagged left and then down the hedge line - in another perilous water trap from the close bushes.

continuing along the hedge line until we met the Sussex border path at a cross roads of paths.

We took a diversion here to follow the border path south along the top of the ridge line, first to a copse of trees and then along side a bean field.

First glimpses of the reason for the diversion came beyond the appropriate poppies in the bean field. The Chattri Indian war memorial, sitting peacefully in the rolling hillside in tribute to the First world war dead from the sub-continent. 

Turning to go back to the cross roads, in the distance the two windmills. the occasional showers now started, but not enough to be wetter than the fall out from the long grass earlier.

Back at the crossroads we continued on the original path dropping down a farm track to the collection of buildings at Lower Standean.

Things went a little awry here as I searched for the bridle path that was overgrown and disused in preference to a farm track that skirted the buildings to the left. 

However after barging through some brush and climbing a fence we met up with the track again.

The track headed off into a long pasture valley full of sheep (and a gourmet's delight of poo for Bertie). North Bottom as it was called followed around the bottom of the valley before cutting up tot eh skyline south of the beacon. A bit of a slog through the field with a steepish rise at the end.

Having climbed the steeper section it did not seem as bad when looking down into the pasture. 

Time for a refreshment pause before continuing up the track.

A succour for punishment, but also to take in the trig point on the beacon, I took a diversion from the main track to go through the barley field heading for the Ditchling Beacon top.

The path soon disappeared into the barley and we ended up getting very wet legs from the water held in the stalks as we brushed past.

Heading up to the mound and the SDW running across the tops.

the view north from the trig point.

Looking East towards Blackcap, and West back to the windmills (hidden behind the trees).

The SDW follows along the ridgeline with only slight undulations. The excitement for Bertie were the numerous Dew ponds along the way, where he had to drop into each one.

Meeting the Sussex Border path again as it cut over the ridge (with a new signpost) meant it was all down hill from here, back top the windmills.

The path also changed with more gravel and a defined surface.

The windmills showing up over the hedges as we drew near.

Just to finish off with a diversion around the other (north) side of the windmills and a view to a further windmill outside Burgess hill in the distance.

Back in the van and lunch with a view over the weald below and Jill behind before heading home.