Well… firstly apologies for not posting for ages, and secondly, this isn’t cycling! I have a big trek planned and need to up my walking game, so I have identified a nice local(ish) mini adventure. Its the Greenwich Meridian Trail – GMT – which broadly follows the zero line of longitude from Peacehaven (which is local) through Greenwich (which isn’t bad) to Grimsby (which is miles away). The official waymarked path meanders around the zero longituted line, but broadly follows the line on the map below.

The total route is around 440km but I’m not going to attempt it in one go. I have a plan!

I have broken it up into sections, initially days out, getting to the start and finish by train. As I get further north (and fitter), I will do some multi-day sections which will require some level of overnight gear to be carried. Which will further enhance the training element!

On to the first leg, which I planned as a train to Newhaven, then a walk along the coast path to Peacehaven where the trail starts. In total about 20km to Lewes for an easy train home, and a good starting point for the second leg.

My starting point was Newhaven Town railway station, despite living relatively near I only ever seem to visit Newhaven to catch the ferry to Dieppe. My route led from the Station with the “England Coast Path” well signposted. There is evidence of a fishing fleet, but it was very quiet, with no signs of any actual fishing boats. The ferry was loading up which must be the lifeblood of the town. The path stretched up the hill to Newhaven Fort, again somewhere I’ve never been and must come back to. After a brief climb, the Coast path just followed the cliff top, it was a beautiful day and the sun cream came out as a precautionary measure.

Brighton was visible in the distance, and I wondered whether it would have been better to walk from there. As the cliff top became more developed, with what were once very modest seaside bungalows but are gradually being developed into glitzy palaces, I’m sure I started in the right place. It would have been development like that all the way, whereas I had a lot of remote cliff top from Newhaven. Gradually my first point of interest appeared. An obelisk marking the point of zero longitude at Peacehaven. It is an interesting feature , built in 1935, commemorating the death of King George V and the Meridian.

This is where the Greenwich Meridian Trail starts, I wonder what is at the other end near Grimsby?. The trail is well marked, and surprisingly followed the coast the west for a few kilometres, I must admit to thinking it would head due north! The trail professes to being a nice route rather than just sticking to paths nearest the meridian. It lived up to its expectations, with a beautiful section of cliff top, before turning inland at Peacehaven where the climb up onto the South Downs avoided all the built up areas. The route dropped down into what must be one of the sleepiest hamlets in Sussex. Telscombe is full of amazing flint buildings, farms and a church. The sign is bigger than the village!.

Telscombe is located in a dip in the South Downs, so there was more climbing and decending on the traditional chalk paths and through various farms. The route then followed the South Downs Way for a short section, which I remembered from cycling it a few years ago. Mainly because the view of Lewes Castle is great. The location of the castle makes so much sense, on high ground defending a gap where the hills drop down. Lewes is the obvious place to get inland and worth defending. The walk into Lewes was idyllic, through fields of cows with calves and sheep with lambs, all with a back drop of flowering horse chestnut trees and flint walls.

It wasn’t long until I was walking into Lewes, I was going to end the day here, but I had been thinking about my plans for the second leg. The plan for the next stage was on from Lewes to East Grinstead, a distance of about 40km, but looking at the map the GMT route after Lewes headed back up onto the Downs before dropping down to the River Ouse at Hamsey, a few kms north of Lewes. I had time, so I continued on the GMT route to make starting the next leg easier. My walk through Lewes was not uneventful! There was a fire in the main street with the road closed. I had to take a short detour down a hill and up a narrow alley, but a bus had to turn around in Lewes, infamous “Bottleneck” in the high street. We both managed. My diversion was also a piece of luck as a came across a brass plate showing the Meridian Line passing through Lewes. It was reassuring to find I was still on the route!

It was another climb up past the prison and onto the racecourse. The spectacular view on the way down was across The Weald towards the North Downs and would be the direction for walking the second leg. I definitely saved myself a few kms and a lot of climbing, which should make the next section more manageble. Once I got to Hamsey, I headed back with an easy 3km walk along the river into Lewes (and the John Harvey Tavern). No expedition would be complete without a beer (or two) in the home of Harveys beer.

After a short stagger from the pub to the station I was able to reflect on what was an excellent walk, and a nice plan for a mini expedition! The first day was just under 30km and the route profile shows the climb I’ve saved myself when I start the next leg (everything after 20km). Now all I need to do is keep walking!!