Devils Dyke

A legendary beauty spot on the South Downs

Devil’s Dyke, just five miles north of Brighton, offers stunning panoramas, a record breaking valley, a curious history and England’s most colourful habitat.

At nearly a mile long, the Dyke valley is the longest, deepest and widest 'dry valley' in the UK. Legend has it that the Devil dug this chasm to drown the parishioners of the Weald. On the other hand, scientists believe it was formed naturally just over 10,000 years ago in the last ice age.

With a little exploring the Dyke's story starts to reveal itself: The ramparts or walls of the Iron Age hill fort can be seen when you walk around the hill and the remains of the curious Victorian funfair can be found just a few minutes from the car park. Venture into the valley and you will discover a living carpet of flowers and a myriad of colourful insects.

When John Constable described the panorama from Devil’s Dyke as 'the grandest view in the world', he wasn’t wrong, but there is so much more to discover here than just a beautiful view.

This is where we intend to visit today, sun shining, about 18 degrees so a perfect day for a ramble in the countryside. 

Looking down from the top of the dyke. Didn't look to bad from here, nice day to stroll in the countryside.

View from the top on the other side. Pictures don't really do the view justice. Lovely warm sunny day and surrounded by countryside. We also knew it was hot today because most people had shorts and t-shirts on and not just the mad kiwis for a change.

The little town below is called Poynings. Lovely old houses, and one pub. Stopped here for a quick drink before heading up the steep side of the hill. Nearly killed me, (the steep hill, not the drink).

Our chariot awaits us, great way to see a city from the top seat of an open double decker bus.

Back in Brighton and people everywhere making the most of the beautiful weather. This was a lovely example of an early merry go round down at the water front.

There are several hundred of these small beach huts along the Brighton shore line. Each one slightly different from the next. People store their deck chairs and what ever else they may need for a trip to the beach. Fascinating! The current price of a beach huts averages around £11,000 which is about $24,000 NZ.

Beach huts

Huts

Huts are of wooden construction and are available on Hove Promenade only. The council owns the sites themselves and licences are granted for you to place a beach hut there. The licence fee is £314.75 inclusive of VAT for 2014/15. Terms and Conditions are imposed regarding the condition, decoration and use of the huts.

The sale of huts are private transactions. For information about availability you should contact the local press, Friday Ad or local estate agents. The council are not involved in this transaction other than to administer the change of ownership. The council charges a £75.00 administration fee for this.  It should be noted that licenses will not be issued for multiple sites, ownership and applicants must be Brighton & Hove residents and the hut must be owned for three years before re-selling the hut.