Us townies have a particular view of the countryside. The green space beyond our city boundaries we see as for leisure and recreation. For centuries the countryside was a place of heavy labour and food production, and still is, but to a much smaller proportion of the population. To stride out along time-worn pathways and through ancient tiny villages is to converse with the narrative of the landscape.
Not far from Hampden Park station we took a steep path signposted to Jevington. The climb was worth the exertion with fabulous views from the top near the old trig point overlooking Eastbourne and the coast. You could see the Brighton & Hove bus number 12 trundling along the Beachy Head road in the far distance. An easy downhill followed along the well worn track of the South Downs Way into the sleepy valley below and the village of Jevington. When I come across places like this I often wonder if I really am living in the crowded south-east so as the setting is so peaceful and deserted. A picnic stop by the centuries old church in shade of a beautiful tree in full pink blossom set us up for the next few miles of walking.
Just one more climb up out of the 
valley passing woodlands pungent with sweet wild garlic. Then we crossed over Lullington Heath with its golden yellow gorse bushes in full bloom, one of the last remaining heathland areas on the Downs. Downhill again towards the village of Litlington sitting in yet another tranquil valley and on spotting the church spire from the top of the hill we knew we were reaching the end of our walk.
Apart from the feel-good factor of being in the great outdoors, the other reason for all this rambling was Litlington Tea Gardens. These quaint tea gardens were established around 150 years ago and still retain much of their Victorian charm. The large gardens are surrounded by mature trees and have loads of little nooks and crannies so it’s worth having a bit of a look around before choosing your spot. As well as the tables and benches on the lawn there are plentiful summerhouses surrounding the gardens providing bountiful private seating areas.
Litlington are proud of their cream teas and home made cakes. We sampled some of their chocolate cake and apple and blackberry pie with ice cream washed down with pots of tea served at the table on huge trays. Its the perfect spot on a sunny day. Litlington also have a nursery, crystal shop and gift store all worth a browse before catching the Cuckmere Valley rambler bus back to Berwick station for the return train to Brighton.
I’ve just finished reading That Summer at Hill Farm by Miranda French which tells brilliantly through fiction the dichotomy of living in the Sussex countryside and it’s not all rosy down on the farm. The countryside will always remain for me a place for walking and cycling and not for living in as I’m a city dweller at heart. Though I love to know that the rural idyll is just on my doorstep.
My guilty pleasure of reading is the Peter James crime thrillers series set in Brighton. His latest ‘ Not Dead Yet’ has a scene set up at Devil’s Dyke where a career criminal just out of prison is dumped by the Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and left to walk the five miles or so back to Brighton town centre. There was no such skullduggery going on during my walk over the Downs near the Dyke, just the occasional other walker passing by and horses grazing. After walking a few miles over the landscape just north of Brighton you build up a bit of a thirst and a yearning for a cafe. However being out in the countryside far from town isn’t a problem as the Hiker’s Rest is open for business from March through to November.
The Hiker’s Rest opened up a few years ago. Hidden back from the road it’s located in a former yard of Saddlescombe farm. I plan my walks so that this great little tea stop is en route which is fairly easy as it sits right on the South Downs Way. Kerry runs the cafe from a small catering van brightly painted and decorated with cupcake bunting along with blackboards listing all the specials of the day. The cakes are all made by Kerry herself and she puts a lot of care and imagination into them. The variety each time I’ve visited has always been different but always just as tempting. I plumped for the lime and blueberry sponge which was fresh, light and flavoursome. There is plenty to choose for a light lunch too such as panini, salads, soup and toasted sandwiches all made with fresh local ingredients. Tea is served in lovely bone china ware and you can sit for a while watching people come and go.
There were even more customers than usual the day I was there as there was an off-road charity bike event on which passed right by the cafe. Consequently hoards of hungry, thirsty and mud-splattered cyclists queued up happily for some refreshments. You can sit in the outdoor area or in the more sheltered byre area. All the tables have fresh flowers and in the byre there is an appealing montage of black and white photos of this National Trust farm and its workers taken in Victorian times along with a summary of its history
When I get stuck into a book I get really engrossed in the characters and setting. I’m about half way through this latest crime story and the action is hotting up. Peter James is really good on police procedure spending a lot of time with the local police force so that his books are laced with tiny details from his in-depth research about how the police operate when they are working on a murder case. Around eighteen murders occur in the Brighton area each year, much lower than the national average, yet Brighton police station is the second busiest in the country. I cannot imagine any murders taking place in such an idyllic setting as this cafe but then I’m not Peter James or a crime writer. So far the Hiker’s Rest has not been used as a scene in one of his novels – well not yet anyway.
The weather in Britain has been so dreich recently, a Scottish word meaning damp and grey and miserable, that when one sunny day comes along you’ve just got to get out in it. We took the number 2 bus to Steyning, a bustling ancient village listed in the Domesday book, with its main street lined with mainly timber framed buildings. It’s tucked just behind the South Downs so is a great place for walks. We headed west along Mouse Lane out of the village and then on to the footpath that cuts behind Wiston Estate.
You never know quite what you’ll come across when out walking. We’d been along this route a few times over the years and were fairly familiar with it so we weren’t expecting to see anything unusual. However, we came across an old carriage sitting in the long grass which on closer inspection we discovered to be an old tram car. The notice on the window explained that it was the last surviving Brighton tram car and the owners are hoping to renovate it and bring it back to its original condition. We had a good nose around and found the vehicle intriguing and rather incongruous just sitting there in the countryside. I wonder where the owners found it and got it here and what inspired them to undertake such a venture.
The wooded chalk path that takes you up to the ridge of the South Downs Way is steep and a good power walk will take you to the top in about ten minutes. Now out from beyond the trees the land opened up and we were on the ridge-way with fantastic views as we turned round to walk back eastwards. There were white and blue fields of linseed flowers and the Channel sparkled in the distance. All the recent rain has brought out the green of the Downs and the views around us were archetypal Sussex calendar shots. Walking on ridges is probably my favourite type of walking as the path is easy to follow and you get a sense of accomplishment at being up on the highest point.
A few miles later we took the descent down to the village for tea and something to eat. Steyning Tea Rooms is one of the many cafes and tea rooms that dot the main road through this pretty village. One of my favourites is the Tea Rooms to the easterly end of the high street. Its on a slightly raised pavement with gorgeous flower boxes and hanging baskets with summer flowers of pink, red, white and purple. Inside its got a retro feel with its rose patterned wall paper, original fireplace and colourful bunting. Food and drink is served on a variety of floral patterned bone china. The small counter heaves with giant locally made cakes and its hard to make your choice.
As it was so busy inside we opted for sitting out at one of the few pavement tables and were quick to order the special of home-made rhubarb scones with rhubarb jam and cream along with the prerequisite pot of tea of course. The sun was still shining and what a braw day, a Scottish expression for a lovely day out, it was turning out to be.
Before I reach my cafe stop of the day I have around a six mile walk to do first. I enjoy climbing up towards the ridge of the South Downs Way from Foredown. I can feel my muscles stretching and the sun on my face as it’s a rare sunny May day. The ridge is busy with teenagers doing their Duke of Edinburgh award treks laden down with huge rucksacks on their backs but still heading strongly eastwards with the energy of youth.
There is a strong wind coming from the north so I manage to tuck behind some shrubbery to have my picnic lunch and read another chapter of the book I’m reading this week. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari has had me hooked all week. It’s a spiritual fable with many wise words on how to find a more fulfilling life. Some of the ideas include getting out in the outdoors to enjoy the natural world and to be vegetarian, so I can readily tick those two boxes though there’s plenty more ideas which I’ve yet to adopt.
The downhill towards Mile Oak is the easiest part of the walk with the glint of the Channel ahead of me all the way and of course the promise of a tea stop coming up soon. Mile Oak Farm cafe is housed in what is essentially a large shed. I order my pot of tea and take a seat at one of the tables and begin quenching my thirst. There are just four inside tables all covered with coffee themed table cloths. It’s first and foremost a farm shop though where the earthy smell of bird feed and dog biscuits mixes with the aroma of coffee and freshly baked scones to make the trademark bouquet that makes this cafe one apart. The Gran Stead’s ginger ale sits comfortably alongside the local farm chutneys which sit next to the wooden bird houses and the seed potatoes.
The cafe used to just consist of a small counter 
with a hot water urn and some takeaway cups changing gradually over the years to this heady mix of undisputed cafe and farm shop combo. Its busy with local families taking their kids to see the wild fowl, goats and donkeys which are just outside. I’ve decided to sit inside to get away from the glare of the sun and to finish reading the last chapter of my book.It’s been an uplifting book and a great day on the downs. After another five minutes walk I’ll be at the bus stop to catch the number one back home but it will take much longer to digest the insight to a life lived well from my charity shop paperback.
you might like to know:
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin S. Sharma, amazon link:
[[ASIN: 0007179731 The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari (Paperback)]]
Cafe Dharma 