Wolstonbury Hill via the South Downs Way, South Downs

The weather continued to be changeable daily over the last few weeks, so trying to pick the best day was a lottery ...  last week we had a few showers, but today seemed to be a better pick.

We headed off to fill in the section between devil's dyke and the Jack & Jill windmills, there was a section to and from the valley that we had avoided.  It seemed to make an obvious circuit to include the two sides of the valley where the SDW crosses the A22 into a circuit with the standalone top of Wolstonbury Hill.

We parked on the old road that was now an access route to Pyecombe village, and seemed to be also used for traveller parking judging by the number of beat up mobile homes.

From the van we did a quick clover leaf up the road to cross over the very busy dual carriageway, and after dropping down the other side we headed off up a straight chalk track towards the ridge.

continuing up the track at a steady gradient, and eventually it opened out into open pasture, still aiming for the skyline above.

crossing over onto another track coming up from the left, and heading for a hedge on the skyline, an easier gradient.

Looking over to  the other side of the valley showed the windmills standing on the opposite skyline.

At the ridgeline we crossed over and met the path we had taken when coming up the other side. the pasture was much lusher and longer than last time.

looking south to the sea beyond Brighton, you could just make out the wind turbines in the mist.

Looking west and Devil's dyke 

heading north beside the hedge, before we cut down right away from our previous route to Newtimber hill.

We cut down hill through a cow pasture - relatively easy to avoid the cattle at the top.

Lower down ad more cattle, the track between two hedges provided relief for a while until we met a cow and calf blocking the way, luckily we could avoid into the field.

the track came out at a pedestrian bridge across the A22 and into the second half of Pyecombe village. On the other side we followed the road uphill

The road converted into a chalk track and again into muddy trail as we passed Chantry Farm.

This trail contoured around Round Hill and above a chalk pit quarry.

At a crossroads of tracks we went through the gate and into Wolstonbury National trust land

Very quickly we moved away from the hedges and our first view of the hill top above.

There were a number of old pits from ancient times cut into the hill making undulations

a steep section opened out to an easier section above as the top rounded off.

Looking across from the top towards the windmills beyond.

the top showed signs of an old rampart and earthworks circling the highest point.

Looking west along the line of the South Downs ...  clearly all the way to Chanctonbury ring, then dimmer beyond.

Dropping down the ridgeline east to get out of the wind that was rising in strength a bit.

A refreshment stop before continuing.

The route across to the windmills from this side of Wolostonbury Hill involved dropping down into a valley cut out of the pasture to pick up a track rising into the tress at the end.

Here we followed several muddy trails through the trees gradually rising to reach Rockhorse - this turned out to be a very large livery stables.

The path went through the middle of the stables before dropping down into more pasture and ended at the Hassocks road.

After a short section up the road taking our safety in hand to battle the traffic, we turned up the access road to the windmills, and after a while we saw Jill rising between the hedges.

Now back on the route from last week, up past the windmills, and to the turning of the SDW.

Looking across to the other side of the valley we could see todays route all laid out before us.

Then we cut down the SDW away from last weeks route

the track soon improved to a wide gravel track as it skirted through the golf course - presumably for moving the heavy machinery around on.

All the while looking at where we had come from.

ending up at the clubhouse before dropping down to the road. This time we had the luxury of a path beside it rather than walking in the gutter.

Back at Pyecombe the SDW cuts through the village rather than stay on the road. We cut down to the pub and back to the car when the track dropped down to cross the A22, as we had at the start of the day.

Lunch in the van before returning home, with another piece of the jigsaw completed.