The Chattri Memorial circular

Explore rolling open access land and breathtaking views to the sea

This walk starts and ends at Patcham. There is an option to extend the walk to visit Ditchling Beacon finishing at Stanmer Park.

Path: A mix of roads and grassy tracks.
Gradient: Steep in places.

Getting Here

By bus: There are regular services to Patcham, visit traveline.info/se. Stanmer Park is also served by the popular Breeze Buses during the summer months.
By rail: The nearby Stanmer route is close to Falmer station. Visit nationalrail.co.uk

Points of Interest

Chattri Memorial

During World War I (1914–18), Indian soldiers were hospitalised in the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. The Hindus and Sikhs who died were cremated on the Downs and in 1921 the Chattri memorial was built on the cremation site. The word Chattri means ‘umbrella’ in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, symbolising the protection offered to the memory of the dead.

Lynchets

7,000 years ago this whole area around the Chattri was covered in trees before Neolithic people cleared the woodland to start working the land. You can still see signs of how the landscape in this area has been shaped by farming. Above Ewe Bottom you will see the ancient field systems called lynchets. These ‘terrace’ platforms were created by Iron Age ploughs some 2,500 years ago.

Dew Ponds

All across the South Downs you will find large circular ponds called dew ponds. They were built to provide water for the large flocks of sheep that grazed the downland from the 17th century onwards. These ponds are filled by rainwater, rather than dew. Many ponds fell into disrepair in the 1900s due to a decline in sheep grazing and the introduction of mains water, however, due to their wildlife and landscape value many ponds are now being restored.

Directions

1. From the bus stop outside the Ladies Mile pub, walk up Vale Avenue which takes you to Horsedean Recreation Ground.
2. Turn right and follow the track up to the right keeping between the trees and  fence at the back of the houses. Take the first left across the footbridge, over the bypass, and turn left.
3. Follow the concrete road up to the other side of the valley where you come to a  junction.
4. Turn right and pass through a small gate to the left of the track into the field. Keep  to the left as you cross the field and head up the ridge until you come to a gate  directly under the electricity pylons.
5. Go through the gate and head up to the Chattri.
6. Enter the Chattri through the gate. From the Chattri head back in the direction you came but skirting the woodland on your left.
7. At the end of the trees, follow the small ridge on your left down to the gate keeping the rifle range on your left. Pass through the gate onto the tarmac road.
8. Cross the tarmac road and go through the opposite gate. Pass under the power  lines and head towards the next gate at the top of the hill.
9. Go through the gate and head diagonally left across the field to the next gate.
10. Go through the gate and head up the hill towards the A27 to the next gate.
11. Keeping the caravan site below you to the right, head towards the foot bridge that you crossed over on the first part of your walk.
12. Retrace your steps back to the bus stop opposite the Ladies Mile Pub.

Alternative longer route

To also visit Ditchling Beacon, continue along the bridleway at route point 6 on the Chattri walk (Sussex Border Path) with the Chattri on your right. Follow the dotted route on the map up
to Ditchling Beacon and then make your way round to join up with the Stanmer Park Circular Walk at route point 6. Alternatively, follow the bridleway at route point number 9 across the Open Access Land that will take you to Stanmer Park (see dotted route on downloadable map). Pick up the Stanmer Walk at route point 7 (Upper Lodges) to make your way to the entrance of the park for the A27, bus stop and Falmer train station.