A WALK

FROM FRISTON FOREST

TO CUCKMERE HAVEN,

EAST SUSSEX,

ENGLAND

This walk is almost designed for meditating. 

 We live in modern times and almost always we are geared towards productivity. 

However, too much productivity over time can be counter-intuitive. 

When you feel jaded in life, 

head to the woods or the hills and commune once again with mother nature. 

You’ll get one of two things in return: 

1) you’ll get a clearer head 

2) you’ll realise how lost you are in your head 

and therefore needed more of these walks to sort your head out lol. 

If it’s that really bad, you need don’t force yourself with more walks, 

maybe you actually need to see the psychiatrist now lol. 

Believe me, mental health is a journey of self-discovery: 

you’ll have to lose yourself first then find yourself back…peace:)

When you’re out in the woods, 

you’ve got no modern conveniences to distract you. 

So the sight of even the wild flowers in full bloom 

catches your fancy you start reciting poems to them. 

This is why people who are close to nature 

have a very intimate relationship with the seasons .

They appreciate life for what it is now 

and appreciate that it is the best expression of its potential for that given time. 

Everything in life has its own season. 

You don’t judge something or someone by one season alone. 

You’ve got to view alot of these things in the longterm. 

The only people who suffer from short-termism 

are people who tweet, who insta, who FBs alot. 

A book said, an amateur tweets, a MASTER works hard. 

So please don’t expect us in Twitter & Insta, 

we’re past that stage lol. 

If you’re a booklover (bibliophile), 

you might wish to check out our recommended reads. Link here: https://www.britishfareasttraderspartners.co.uk/for-the-love-of-books-reading/

Expansive views of the Sussex countryside.

No wonder city dwellers love BBC’s Escape to the Country and Countryfiles. 

Now you know!

    These hills are within the South Downs National Park. 

For some serious hikers, they have the entire length of the South Downs Way in just 20 days! 

That’s going over the top I guess. 

But if you read accounts of Long Distance hikers, 

you will learn that these walks are a sort of escapism or even a life reset for them. 

Most of them are using these to recover from a trauma or setback in life 

such as loss of a loved one (grief), job loss, divorce, 

or serious mental health issues. 

Most of the time, people who do great feats in life 

are not doing it out of sheer determination 

because determination can wear itself out. 

It is the WHY that pushes people to do great things. 

Am I hearing Simon Sinek here lol?!

By the way South Downs Walk is a baby at 100 miles in length. 

The crown holder of all crown holders for long distance trails 

is the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) 

in the United States which can reach up to 

3100 miles depending on the route taken. 

If you want to learn more about the longest walking routes in the world,

 here is the link:  

http://www.adventurestrong.com/hiking/top-10-longest-hiking-trails-in-the-world

Interestingly, old buildings like the ones here 

abound in English villages; 

it’s like stepping back in time. 

Sometimes you have to pinch yourself whether this is all in a dream:)

ABOVE: 

THE PARISH CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS, WEST DEAN. 

FOUNDED 12TH CENTURY

According to the printed guide we’re following, 

this stone building is the vicarage. 

What’s a vicarage? 

According to Lexico (powered by Oxford), 

its the residence of a vicar. 

It sounds and feels like a Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte setting to me:)

Now after coming out of Friston Forest, 

you’ve got to climb these steps, 

no other way around it lol. 

Come on now don’t be lazy:) 

Trust us, it will all be worth the view!

Well done! We told you it will be all worth it didn’t we? 

Now we are on top of the hill and it gives us sweeping views 

of the beautiful Cuckmere Valley below. 

This spot is a favourite stop-over for hikers/walkers 

where they take a break and enjoy the views. 

On paper, this is 1/3 of our walk and we are supposed to follow the road down bearing right. 

But having succumbed to the seduction of the Cuckmere Valley, 

we have decided to cut the walk short 

and head instead towards the sea. 

As we are also now very hungry at this point, 

we have our sights on the lovely pub by the bridge.

THE CUCKMERE INN
Exceat Bridge, Cuckmere Haven, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 4AB

Link: https://www.vintageinn.co.uk/restaurants/south-east/thecuckmereinnseaford

As we know service time takes about an hour at this busy country pub 

(maybe they’ll improve soon), 

we have decided to walk towards the beach first then go to the pub later to unwind. 

Makes sense to me because once you’ve sat your ass off on those cosy seats, 

you wouldn’t want to get up anymore lol. 

 As you can see at this point, 

the willpower to follow the guide has completely eroded.

Well, that is life. 

When opportunity presents itself, you have to grab it with both hands. 

You don’t keep digging for copper if you’re presented with a gold mine do you? 

Business coach, where are you lol?

Here is a beautiful view of Cuckmere Haven. 

You can almost hear the slow melody of Cuckmere River

as it slowly meanders towards Cuckmere Haven,  

then towards its final destination- The English Channel. 

The carpark just at the foot of the hill 

is the watersports centre called the Buzz Active Cuckmere:

Seven Sisters County Park,
Exceat, Near Seaford,
East Sussex, BN25 4AD

Tel: 01323 491289 (site contact only)

all enquiries use 01323 417023
Email: info@buzzactive.org.uk

Link: https://www.buzzactive.org.uk/locations/buzz-cuckmere/

This centre is a favourite among fans of stand-up paddle-boarding 

and kayaking and all sorts of watersports the river has to offer. 

The carpark further up on the right hand side is the carpark 

for the countrypub we were just talking about- can’t wait!

Just wandering, how did the river end up meandering so lazily like that? 

Perhaps the water is not too strong to push itself straight outta sea. 

Any Ice Age theories?

 It also needed to savour Cuckmere Valley too lol. 

If you wish to come here via public transport, 

you can take buses that use the coastal route 

and they will drop you right at the Cuckmere Haven doorstep 

(not that it’s got any doors:), sweet!

Cuckmere Haven is almost always teeming with tourists and walkers alike. 

You can also see several buggy and wheelchair users 

enjoying the sights as they made the park easily accessible to disabled visitors. 

Visitors here are spoilt for choice. 

You’ll see alot of them walking on underhill footpaths, 

on the side of the hill, or on top of the hill. 

There is something for everyone, 

and this is what makes this place an ideal outing for the whole family. 

Apart from people, 

you will also notice that this place is shared with the sheep, 

as some areas are owned by local farmers 

and the park is just accessing their land via Rights of Way. 

Thank You guys, England won’t be the same without your generosity. 

This is Cuckmere Haven with a beautiful view of the English Channel on a nice Summer’s day. 

When the weather is clear, 

you can see the ships passing across the blue expanse 

as the English Channel is a busy shipping route. 

This delta provides a gentle pool for youngsters and young at heart alike. 

The tide gently rolls in and out of these pools and 

provides a unique playground for kids, 

always with adult supervision of course. 

Those white cottages in the horizon are what 

romantic Sussex Countryside paintings are made of. I

f you search online galleries or visit a physical one, 

you will find several paintings with this theme. 

The famous (and sometimes infamous) chalk cliffs in sight 

are what picture perfect holidays are made off. 

However, these cliffs are also witness to suicides and accidents. 

Tourists who are not careful, 

or rather too daring to have their photos snapped by the cliffs’ edge 

can find themselves hanging on to dear life. 

The park management have put on several warnings 

not to walk too close to the cliffs’ edge

 because the chalk composition of it means 

they are very loose underfoot and can even erode several feet further inland. 

The whole family including the dog of course 

enjoying their fun day out in the sun! 

Happy Days!

These pebbles mean you can just lie down 

and sunbathe without needing any beach towels. 

No need to shower off any sand as there ain’t none:) 

These stones are also reminiscent of the stone buildings 

we saw along the way. 

They are the popular local building materials in this part of town. 

Where there are hills, there are trekking poles lol.  

Hiking is in the blood:)