Yesterday morning, at 6:41am, I set off from the top of Hollingbury Hill on the outskirts of Brighton and walked to Lewes, via Blackcap. This week, I recorded my entire route using Google’s MyTracks app:
View A Walk Between Hollingbury Hill and Lewes via Blackcap in a larger map
Obviously this isn’t a perfect record of the route. I certainly didn’t turn around in little circles on top of Hollingbury Hill. It gives you an accurate line to follow though. Don’t forget you can zoom in on the map above and pan around. Apart from the pavement on the bridge over the Brighton Bypass, there was no need to walk on the Ditchling Road. That was a mistake, as you can see from the satellite view. This is route is generally considered to be the second best way to walk between Brighton and Lewes. The best way starts in Woodingdean and goes to Kingston. However, I don’t live in Woodingdean, so that’s not the best way for me. Besides, I like to aim for second best, always. The best of everything is always far too popular. I wanted solitude on my early morning walk.
Statistics, maps, films and even poetry can’t convey the spiritual bliss of a walk alone through the early morning in plenty of space. Here’s the statistics:
Total Distance: 10.7 miles (17.25 km)
Total Time: 2:52:31
Moving Time: 2:40:40
Average Speed: 3.7 miles per hour (6.00 km/h)
Average Moving Speed: 4.0 miles per hour (6.44 km/h)
Min Elevation: 378 ft (115 m)
Max Elevation: 843 ft (257 m)
Elevation Gain: 575 ft (175 m)
Max Grade: 22 %
Min Grade: -9 %
Recorded: Sun Sep 18 06:41:29 GMT+01:00 2011
Activity type: Walking
I’m not sharing poetry this morning, sorry. On arriving in Lewes, I immediately went to Southover Bonfire Society’s fire torch making Sunday Service. In a little more than two hours, we made 862 fire torches – a new record!
Conscious that a map can be somewhat abstract, slowing the walker down, and keen to encourage others to take up walking as a method of travel (The original and best!), I also made a short film which details the various turns the route follows: