Walk Report

Lewes Circular - Blackcap not Madcap, Saturday 12th March 2011
20 walkers, 20 miles - leader Clare Kirkbride
The joint walk with Blackheath RA proved successful in forming links between our two groups; inspirational to the Ramblers and an insight for the LD Walkers, who warmed to the idea of stopping for 5 minutes every hour on this occasion. We were joined by a Rambler from Rodmell who left us within a few minutes, knowing a greener way out of Lewes town, which he has now taught me - turn right out of Lewes station ... We were quickly on the banks of the Ouse, mercifully free from mud and surprisingly sunny and mild despite a pessimistic forecast. We took a break outside the youth hostel in Telscombe and turned northwards onto the Downs, quickly into the Kingston valley for lunch. The sun was less in evidence in the afternoon, but the weather held fair as we walked through the western edge of Lewes onto the Downs by the Gallops, sighting Blackcap before descending into the Ouse valley north of Lewes and returning from Offham through the suburbs in hot pursuit of an ice cream van whose driver never sighted us and kept disappearing round the next bend in the road ahead! The scenic route through the town brought us through the Castle precincts and back to the station without a drop of rain.

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