Sussex

I wake up at 6 am and dimly recall the alarm going off at 5 am — not a great start. This is my first two-day hike, with an overnight kip in the well-prepared Viano, but the car has other

I’m feeling guilty for not posting a photo of stumpy Bognor Regis Pier last week. The vibrant blue sky is deceptive. It’s 7.30 am and rather chilly. A hot coffee would be great but there is nothing open. The shingle

As retirement draws nearer, the hiking steps up, with a second, shorter walk this week. Jude comes along to retrace childhood holidays with her grandparents at Rustington. I worry about carrying buckets, spades, fishing nets, and jam jars. The tide

Brighton and Hove promenade is alive with early morning activity: joggers, cyclists, swimmers, rowers, and paddle boarders, including one with a dog perched on the front. The sea is as smooth as a mirror — not a breath of wind.

Dawn swimmers brave the cold sea next to the car park. “Are you coming in?” This is the English Channel. At 7 am. In March. Am I starting to look like a crazy person? Snug and warm in my four

Eastbourne is a little more familiar now, and I arrive early enough to park next to the start of the South Downs Way, although our paths quickly diverge as I climb up the first of many hills along the iconic

I tell Jude I’m walking to Eastbourne. “Are you staying there?” A little uncharitable — I only turn 60 this year. The weather is foul. A biting wind in my face and a constant drizzle that seeps through my layers.

A frosty sunrise at Rock-a-Nore car park in Hastings Old Town shared with a few hardy souls. One woman drags her ageing father out to view it for the first time, despite having lived here for years. He laughs. Everyone

The Rye to Hastings section requires planning to avoid using public transport, splitting the hike into two loops that intersect at Fairlight Cove — this week from Rye and next week from Hastings. I plan to follow the shoreline to