These are a few views from my part of the South Downs, the Eastern end, where they drop down to the low lying areas of the Pevensey Marshes,the river Rother and on to the Kent border.
A photo which launched a thousand post cards!! The old Coast Guard cottages above the mouth of the River Cuckmere. The white chalk cliffs, The Seven Sisters stretch away to the East.
The view to seaward of the Cuckmere Valley. The cottages are left of centre on the horizon.
Beyond the last high Down in the distance to the East, the land drops down to the Pevensey Marshes and on towards Hastings, Rye and the Kent border.
Westward and the 80 odd miles to the Hampshire border.
The old farm buildings in the Cuckmere valley, are now a nicely low key visitor centre.
Walking on the great swathes of wild Thyme on the Downland turf makes an unforgettable scent trail in the warm air.
A Downland pond..with..
..it's residents..
A village church high on the Downs. It dates from ad 1050 but it's single bell is much more recent from ad 1615.
The woods and copses of the Downs are full of bird song and the scent of the Bluebell carpets.
This is "My" valley to the West of Cuckmere. The River Ouse, looking North towards the County Town of Lewes with it's castle built by William de Warenne in 1066.(and for our American friends, Lewes the home of Thomas Paine, later an 'American Revolutionary' who contributed to the wording of the original declaration of Independence)
South down the Ouse Valley lies the small port of Newhaven
And so as not to exclude our Canadians members..on a wet and windy night in 1944, just prior to 'D' Day, a Canadian armoured unit which had been training on the downs crossed the River Ouse by this bridge, originally intended to take only local farm traffic.
Daylight the next day revealed what they had done..missed the military Bailey bridge constructed by the Royal Engineers just a few yards to the North, and driven their battle tanks over the farm bridge...safe working limit about one quarter of the weight of a tank. They drove 3 troops across...12 tanks..
The run off where the old Bailey Bridge stood..
Fortunately the old bridge held and there were no casualties. The Regiment later landed in Normandy and fought with great courage and distinction.
The tidal River Ouse runs hard between it's soft chalk banks and it's interesting to watch the River Authority 'keepers' with their axes and mauls driving the stakes and lacing the saplings along the banks to reduce the erosion.
And that's it...Wicca's tour of his land. I'll take this opportunity it say cheerio. In a few short weeks I sail for Southern Portugal to spend the summer and coming winter down in the isolated anchorages in the huge wetlands area of the Algarve. I have seen the Eagles and Harriers there and the thousands of birds on their journeys between their breeding grounds in the North lands and Africa, and I must go back.
Next spring I'll sail into the Mediterranean and East to Turkey. I have learned of the Lycian Way, a long distance trail between the sea and the Turkish mountains which I shall spend a few weeks trekking after the heat of the Turkish summer dies away. I'll be away for a couple of years or so...or more..
So, beware of pointy things and sharp edges and all have a great summer.
Hasta la vista.. Wicca.
A photo which launched a thousand post cards!! The old Coast Guard cottages above the mouth of the River Cuckmere. The white chalk cliffs, The Seven Sisters stretch away to the East.
The view to seaward of the Cuckmere Valley. The cottages are left of centre on the horizon.
Beyond the last high Down in the distance to the East, the land drops down to the Pevensey Marshes and on towards Hastings, Rye and the Kent border.
Westward and the 80 odd miles to the Hampshire border.
The old farm buildings in the Cuckmere valley, are now a nicely low key visitor centre.
Walking on the great swathes of wild Thyme on the Downland turf makes an unforgettable scent trail in the warm air.
A Downland pond..with..
..it's residents..
A village church high on the Downs. It dates from ad 1050 but it's single bell is much more recent from ad 1615.
The woods and copses of the Downs are full of bird song and the scent of the Bluebell carpets.
This is "My" valley to the West of Cuckmere. The River Ouse, looking North towards the County Town of Lewes with it's castle built by William de Warenne in 1066.(and for our American friends, Lewes the home of Thomas Paine, later an 'American Revolutionary' who contributed to the wording of the original declaration of Independence)
South down the Ouse Valley lies the small port of Newhaven
And so as not to exclude our Canadians members..on a wet and windy night in 1944, just prior to 'D' Day, a Canadian armoured unit which had been training on the downs crossed the River Ouse by this bridge, originally intended to take only local farm traffic.
Daylight the next day revealed what they had done..missed the military Bailey bridge constructed by the Royal Engineers just a few yards to the North, and driven their battle tanks over the farm bridge...safe working limit about one quarter of the weight of a tank. They drove 3 troops across...12 tanks..
The run off where the old Bailey Bridge stood..
Fortunately the old bridge held and there were no casualties. The Regiment later landed in Normandy and fought with great courage and distinction.
The tidal River Ouse runs hard between it's soft chalk banks and it's interesting to watch the River Authority 'keepers' with their axes and mauls driving the stakes and lacing the saplings along the banks to reduce the erosion.
And that's it...Wicca's tour of his land. I'll take this opportunity it say cheerio. In a few short weeks I sail for Southern Portugal to spend the summer and coming winter down in the isolated anchorages in the huge wetlands area of the Algarve. I have seen the Eagles and Harriers there and the thousands of birds on their journeys between their breeding grounds in the North lands and Africa, and I must go back.
Next spring I'll sail into the Mediterranean and East to Turkey. I have learned of the Lycian Way, a long distance trail between the sea and the Turkish mountains which I shall spend a few weeks trekking after the heat of the Turkish summer dies away. I'll be away for a couple of years or so...or more..
So, beware of pointy things and sharp edges and all have a great summer.
Hasta la vista.. Wicca.
