Peaks and Pints

04/09/2026

Where did those 30 years go? My former work colleague from our IT days in Horsham, Peter, back in West Sussex and taking time to walk the South Downs Way with his wife Sara. I joined them for the fourth leg, Cocking to Amberley. After leaving Horsham he worked in Dublin, found Sara, moved to Washington State and raised a family. A lovely day enjoying the fine views and reminiscing. At Bignor Hill I produced a West Coast IPA to make them feel at home, albeit from an English brewer, Brew York, and to toast them on their journey. After completing the 12 mile leg we enjoyed a pint of Langhams Hip Hop at The Bridge.

Thanks to both Peter and Sara for a great day. Enjoy the rest of your journey. Hopefully it won't be 30 years before meeting up again.

25/08/2026

Today I joined a walk organised by the Friends of the South Downs. I recently paid my very reasonable subscription and they organise a busy schedule of walks every quarter ranging from short (up to 8 miles) and longer (up to 16 miles) and today was a longer one starting in Arundel. The sun was shining and I was one of five setting out today.

From Arundel we followed the River Arun as far as Warningcamp on what is the Monarch's Way. A nice gentle start. We kept on the Monarch's Way as it left the river and headed up the valley past Warningcamp Hill and Upper Wepham Wood. We then went along the path following the old John Dunlop racing gallops onto Wepham Downs. Great views here across to Kitkurst and Rackham Hills. Rackham Hill was our target. At the fabulous viewpoint just beyond Rackham Hill we crossed the South Downs Way and a steep descent down the north face with views right across the valley from Bury to Parham Park with views to Pulborough Wild Brooks and the Surrey Hills beyond.

After crossing the busy B2139 we went through the hamlet of Rackham before turning left into Amberley. The original plan was to visit the Sportsman pub but we went into the village where we had a choice of the Black Horse or the tearoom. No prize for guessing my choice here and I was stunned and delighted to see a cask beer from the mighty Cloudwater, one of the best micro brewers in the UK. I was very happy to drink their Happy.

We all gathered again at Amberley Church and from there we crossed the fields to the river which we followed putting us back on the Monarch's Way. This took us back through Arundel Park which gave us our steepest climb of the day before descending to Swanbourne Lake.

We had covered just over 14 miles in quite high temperatures and I was fairly exhausted at the end. An excellent walk though with pleasant company and I can highly recommend joining and supporting the Friends of the South Downs in all that they do. Most of their walks suit the retired person as they are nearly all on week days with Tuesdays and Thursdays the most popular. They cover all of the area enclosed by the South Downs National Park boundary but West Sussex has most of the walks as that is where most members live. Importantly, their walks usually include a pub stop for lunch.

20/08/2026

https://glennjohnson111261.substack.com/p/south-downs-circulars?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8lo0g6

19/08/2026

A walk with no peak and no pint. And rain. Very unusual. I headed into Hampshire because of the better weather forecast compared to East Sussex. Well they got that wrong. I parked at Harts Hill Car Park, a perfect spot on the South Downs Way just outside Buriton. It's on the north-eastern edge of Queen Elizabeth Country Park and heading west I immediately entered the wooded park. It was a bit of a climb to the 200m contour and the high point of the walk and I then descended towards the visitor centre which I avoided by departing from the SDW by looping back along the Shipwrights Way. This is a 50 mile route in eastern Hampshire from Bentley to Portsmouth Dockyard.

The route took me past the site of an old Roman building. Nothing left of that to see. The route then swung south with the steep slopes of Newbarn Hangar to my left. I headed out of the park and the cover of the trees when the rain decided to get heavy. The low cloud obscured what should have been nice views towards the Idsworth valley, Chalton Down and Windmill Hill.

Reaching Chalton, which to me has always been my idyllic English village with pub, green, church and cottages, I visited the interesting church. I particularly liked the low boarded lepers window. The church is dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels and dates from the early Norman period.

From Chalton I headed east along the Sussex Border Path which crossed the London to Portsmouth trainline. The line that incensed the Jervoise family of Idsworth manor who tried unsuccessfully to oppose the route. He did OK out of the deal though with a sum of £30,000 and Idsworth Manor was abandoned and rebuilt away from the line leaving the church and Old Idsworth somewhat isolated. The church of St Hubert's, which sits a few miles south of Chalton is a unique little church that sits alone in the Idsworth valley, now with only a sprinkling of houses to serve.

I continued along the Sussex Border Path, that seemed to disappear into a mass of brambles and undergrowth at one point, which resulted in a much easier alternative, until reaching the South Downs Way. At this junction you can just see nice views to Harting Down but I headed west back towards the car with the sun now shining and the waterproofs consigned back inside the rucksack.

This is not my favourite section of the SDW. Views are in short supply and there are a few ups and downs and sections of road which lead up to Ditcham Park School. I did help out a driver though who was totally lost looking for North Lodge that sits at the entrance to the school. The OS map clearly had the name of the house but the house itself didn't have any name showing. She drove past me 3 times and wouldn't quite believe me when I pointed it out to her.

Back at the car I thought it was about time I paid a visit to the Five Bells in Buriton. They had placed a chair in the car park with a 'Closed for Refurbishment' sign on it. So no pint at the end of the 10.7 mile circuit. Very sad.

11/08/2026

https://glennjohnson111261.substack.com/p/a-south-downs-loop-from-lewes?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8lo0g6

11/08/2026

The walk today began with a short train ride. Glynde village hall was the handy free car park, the same one I used last week for the short walk up Mount Caburn. This time I intended doing a loop from Lewes before heading back from Lewes via the Mount Caburn National Nature Reserve if I had the energy. There was always the option of catching the train back. The reason for the chosen start point was to end up at Steamworks, a micropub on the station platform. It's not the first station to house a micropub but it will be the first one I have visited.

It was only five minutes on the train and my route to the banks of the River Ouse to pick up the Sussex Ouse Valley Way took me past the Dripping Pan, home of Lewes FC. An interesting name for the natural chalk-hollowed depression it sits in.

I followed the Sussex Ouse Valley Way as far as the Southease Swing Bridge where I exited the South Downs Way two weeks ago. This time I got to go in the lovely, simple St Peter's Church with the round tower. With a history dating back to Saxon times it has some faded 13th century mural fragments well worth seeing.

From the church I continued westwards on the South Downs Way as far as South Farm where it began to climb. The maize maze at the farm was not open today but I had a good aerial view of it. Eventually I came to the Greenwich meridian which is signposted on the climb up Kingston Ridge which comprises Front Hill, Ilford Hill and Swanborough Hill. The eastern hemisphere to the right and the western hemisphere to the left. I did about 4 miles on the South Downs Way before descending off the ridge down a very steep path into Kingston and my second church of the day, St Pancras.

Kingston is a lovely village on the outskirts of Lewes with a good pub I can recommend from previous visits. Called The J***s, after the ancient road that leads from the South Downs Way all the way through Kingston. The pub doesn't actually sit on the road but I headed to J***s Road from the church and followed it past the impressive Kingston Mill. I then headed over the A27 and followed the train line back into Lewes. Here I picked up J***s Road again before heading down Southover High Street past Anne of Cleves House Museum and the remains of the priory.

Back at the station I should have left it there and caught the train. 11.5 miles was enough for such a hot day but all sense of reason had deserted me and I decided to continue walking. Lewes is a wonderful town and I always love the pedestrianised walk over the Ouse and the view of Harvey's Brewery. It is pretty much a straight line back to Glynde but there are two challenging climbs. The first takes you up past the golf club with steep drops (plenty of signs and fences warning you) down to the Ouse. The second takes you close to the top of Mount Caburn via Oxteddle Bottom. These climbs weren't fun as there was no sign of the breeze I enjoyed on Kingston Ridge.

Eventually, I made it back to Steamworks where the distance showed 14.5 miles. More than enough to have earned a pint. Steamworks had been done out befitting a train station but, for me, the beer choice was boring. They are local beers (Harvey's and Long Man) but micropubs should serve up something a bit different and with the superb Trevor Arms round the corner I know where I will be heading when next in Glynde.

09/08/2026

Out with my walking group today in the Sussex Weald.

06/08/2026

I took the family to East Sussex today for a short walk up Mount Caburn - a 150m peak and Iron Age hillfort with absolutely stunning views along the Ouse valley to the sea and eastwards to Firle Beacon and Eastbourne - easily accessible from the stunningly beautiful village of Glynde with a remarkable church next door to Glynde Place. We finished up at the Anne of Cleves House Museum in Lewes.

It was about time I had a beer at a peak once again so I grabbed a bottle of Dhu Stone, a 4.3% stout from Hobsons Brewery from my stash.

Cheers.

03/08/2026

Leicestershire part 2. Finding a beer in a rare setting.

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02/08/2026

Leicestershire Part One.

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