Alfriston and River Cuckmere circular

A loop from the Seven Sisters Country Park visitor centre at Exceat, over the hill into Friston Forest and down to the pond at Westdean, through the forest on the South Downs Way and over the brow into Litlington, with a pub and one of the oldest tea rooms in Sussex halfway. Field paths lead on towards the White Bridge at Alfriston, and the way home is the bank of the Cuckmere, with High and Over and the Litlington White Horse above the river. Just over the district line in Wealden, a short bus ride from Seaford. The park gives 6 to 7 miles.

The ground

'Uneven footpaths with stiles and several short steep climbs', quiet roads and forest tracks, the park says: over the hill from Exceat into Friston Forest, down steps to Westdean, forest tracks and more steps on the South Downs Way, field paths in the Cuckmere valley, then the flat, winding river bank all the way back.

Livestock

The page names no animals, but asks for dogs on a lead 'around livestock, horses and wildlife', and the walk crosses fields on the way to Alfriston.

Pubs and cafés on the way

• The Plough & HarrowLitlingtonmidway
• Litlington Tea GardensLitlingtonmidway
• The Cuckmere InnExceat Bridgeend

The line on the map

The return keeps to the Cuckmere's west bank from Litlington footbridge to Exceat Bridge, where OpenStreetMap has the riverside path; between the White Bridge and Litlington the router chose the bank. The park gives 6 to 7 miles, so 10.5 km is the middle of that.