On Sunday 25 January, five walkers from the Lewes Footpaths Group met for a ramble described in the Group's extremely useful publication Favourite Walks In and Around Lewes (price £4, see website for more details: www.lewesfootpathsgroup.org.uk). Walk number 4 visits the Balsdean Valley.

We parked on the outskirts of Woodingdean in a car park off the B2123 and walked up towards the radio mast. Cutting across the track, we passed through a gate and followed a grassy track sloping gently downwards towards the valley. One of the pleasures of walking in Sussex is how quickly the urban sprawl disappears and is replaced by peaceful downland views. The path was wide and the descent beautifully graded, supporting the belief that it was a road constructed by Italian prisoners of war (presumably from WWI).

At the end of the slope, the path curved around to run along the valley, through an enormous badger sett, full of holes, some old, some showing signs of fresh activity. A line of mature trees sheltered us from the wind, their picturesque multiple trunks suggesting that at one time they had formed a coppiced hedgerow. There is no sign of the village of Balsdean now, obliterated by its use as a military training ground for Canadian troops in the Second World War. All that remains is a plaque marking the site of the village church. We headed back through the Castle Hill Nature Reserve, stopping briefly for a coffee break before a sleet shower sent us on our way. A steady climb up through the reserve brought us to the South Downs Way and then to a track returning us to the Woodingdean car park. The walk was led by Anne.