A short walk around a shallow, dry valley with both woodland and open scenery and splendid views. There is a climb of 150m or so. Length is 3.5 miles and it will take you about an hour and a half.
Start near the prison at the junction of Spital Road and Neville Road, (A277) BN7 1PA. There is some metered parking nearby and the 121, 125, 128, 166, 824 buses all stop here (Gallop Rd stop). The 28 from Brighton stops nearby at the prison.
1. Grid ref: TQ 40540 10100 N50.87325 W0.00390
Spital Road carries on above the A275 as a Lane. Go up here with the prison wall on your left and carry on up its continuation as a footpath.
2. Grid ref: TQ 40270 10110 N50.87341 W0.00773
Take the left hand fork and then fork immediately left again, keeping the houses hard on your left. The path starts to go downhill.
3 Grid ref: TQ 39600 09960 N50.87222 W0.01731
As you reach the bottom by a dilapidated farm building the path bears left then you turn right onto a lane to carry on in the same direction.
4 Grid ref: TQ 39280 10140 N50.87392 W0.02178
Walk uphill, following the sign and keep the fence on your right and an open field on your left. The footpath soon enters some woodland. Carry on up through the wood.
5 Grid ref: TQ 38460 10650 N50.87870 W0.03324 Watch out for a crossing of paths in the wood. It’s not very obvious and your gps may not work but there’s a clear path off to the left, which you should take. Exit the wood and then turn right to walk along with the wood now on your right.
6 Grid ref: TQ 38350 11250 N50.88412 W0.03457
As you leave the wood, carry on with the hedge and gallop on your left. Follow the path all the way round the head of the shallow valley and along the other side in a large inverted U, eventually passing the racehorse stables. There are great views of the Downs and of the sea at Newhaven. There’s also a newly built windmill. Keep on this path as it curves downwards.
7 Grid ref: TQ 39950 09930 N50.87187 W0.01235
At the T junction turn left to retrace your steps to the start.

Lewes prison is for male inmates and is a victorian-built institution. Past inmates include
Finnish and Napoleonic prisoners of war and perpetrators of the Irish Easter rebellion including
Eamon De Valera.
Here's a blog re Lewes Prison from a visitor.

Hedgelaying  As you go up the hill you may notice that the hedges have been properly laid. This was done by the South Downs National Park.Volunteer Rangers of which I am one.Hedger