This was a mid afternoon/early evening walk. I took the bus to Lewes from Brighton, and then took the train to Glynde. From Glynde Station I walked up and over Mount Caburn, into Caburn bottom. I then walked through Oxtedde Bottom and Bible Bottom and then up Cliffe Hill, across the Golf Course, and then down The Coombe, back into Lewes.
Mount Caburn, Cliffe Hill and Malling Hill form an outlier from the main ridge of the South Downs and are situated immediately east of Lewes. There are good views of the Weald, the town of Lewes and the downland to its west and southwards down the Ouse Valley. Mount Caburn, which was originally a Roman fort, is a National Nature Reserve with important populations of rare orchids and Malling Hill is managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve. In the three bottoms of Caburn, Oxteddle and Bible one is able to experience tranquillity despite being close to Lewes and the road and rail network OA-map-5-Lewes-Downs-2014.pdf (friendsofthesouthdowns.org.uk)
Blood Vein moth in a grazed field going up to Mount Caburn
This lamb wanted to get into the field on the other side of the turnstile
He tried to get through but couldn't do it,
Mount Caburn. Former chalk pit on left
More sheep
A Linnet on the fence
Looking back on Glynde; Firle Beacon in the background
Caburn Bottom
Cowslip
Crosswort / Smooth Bedstraw
Mount Caburn
The Ouse Valley from Mount Caburn
Lewes Brooks from Mount Caburn
Caburn Bottom
Wall Brown
Caburn Bottom
Small Copper
Small Blue
Crane Fly
Stonechat
Common Carpet Moth
Caburn Bottom
Moth of the Deltote genus
Caburn Bottom
Linnets
The Dew Pond Caburn Bottom
Goldfinch
Meadow Pipit
Linnets around the Dew Pond
Fence round the Dew Pond
Bible Bottom
The fence going up Cliffe Hill and the surrounding shrubs had many pairs of Stonechats
Bible Bottom, plantation in background
Martyrs Memorial from Golf Course
The Coombe (Malling Down)
Dingy Sipper
Common Blue
The Gate to nowhere!
The north side of the Coombe
Looking up the Coombe to "The Snout"
Sign at the bottom of the Coombe
There is a way in and out of The Coombe, Malling Down Nature Reserve from the A26, just to the north of the Cuilfoil Tunnel, which is very hidden. The road to the entrance (Wheatsheaf Gardens is opposite the now derelict Lewes Working Men's Club on the Malling Hill (A26), there is no signage on the road. Turn into Wheatsheaf Gardens, and the path is between two houses in a small housing estate (no sign!) Be warned: the path up the Coombe is VERY STEEP and it easy to fall; take care if you go this way
Path
Lewes Working Men's Club
