Run route 4.8 Balsdean and ‘The Snake’

Distance 6.9mi Total climb 1276ft OS indicative running time 1h 22min

This is one of my favourite routes. Having climbed Kingston Hill, the route follows a dry river valley to Balsdean. It continues through the lost hamlet of Balsdean and then turns off up Standean Bottom and long winding climb with picturesque views of Balsdean and Falmer Bottom. The route skirts around the back of Hollingdean, but cuts over, via access land, to the Castle Hill nature reserve. It climbs up to the Juggs Road and a run in back to Kingston.

https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/4630823/Run-route-48-Balsdean-and-The-Snake

  1. St Pancras Green. Go down lane with signs ‘Church Lane’ and ‘Private Road’. Continue, going up a hill. Part of the way up the road turns into a pedestrian path.
  2. Juggs Road. Turn left taking the track towards the downs and in particular Kingston Hill.
  3. Bottom of Kingston Hill. Take the left fork.
  4. Top of Kingston Hill. Turn left at top along South Downs Way. Go through gate and turn right at gate with the cattle grid.
  5. Balsdean Bottom. At gate at bottom of the hill next to the farm sheds go straight ahead along the valley.
  6. Gate. At gate at bottom of the hill next to the farm sheds go straight ahead along the valley.
  7. Another gate. Go through gate and continue forward.
  8. Lost hamlet of Balsdean. Go through gate then past rusting remains of a water pump and through gate with post war agricultural buildings to your right. Look out in grass on your right for inscribed stone where once there was a Norman church.
  9. The Snake. You come to a place where there are three different ways. Take the right hand track that has a line of trees on one side. This goes into Standean Bottom. This part of the route was identified as ‘The Snake’ by the organisers of the Jog Shop 20 mile race. Their route was based on one that was popular with Steve Ovett. Just follow the track as it climbs and bends with picturesque views.
  10. Standean Bottom. Go through gate and bear right and then right again following the fence. Just keep going as the track bends and climbs
  11. Bullock Hill.  As you go up you can start to see an aerial mast on your right.  At the top of the climb you can see another tall aerial mast on the left. There are two gates quite close together. Turn off to the right just before the second one and follow the path down the incline parallel to the fence.
  12. Newmarket Bottom. There are now two tracks: one follows the fence on the left and has an immediate climb; the other descends a track that used to have gorse and hawthorn trees, but the land now looks like the aftermath of an artillery attack. Either path is a viable route, but today we are opting for the right-hand way. The left-hand path is quite exciting in places where it is narrow and exposed (probably not ideal if social distancing is in force and people are coming the other way).
  13. Towards Castle Hill. Go down the hill keeping the barbed wire fence on your right. At the bottom of the hill, there is a choice of two gates.  Go through the gate to the left and follow path which soon becomes more like a track which keeps parallel with the fence.
  14. Castle Hill Nature Reserve. Eventually you come to a place where there is a gate on the right. Stay on this side of the gate and follow the track that goes left up the valley.
  15. Juggs Road. Turn right at top of the hill out of the Castle Hill nature reserve onto the Juggs Road towards Lewes.
  16. Wind turbine. Continue forward through gate with the wind turbine on your left.
  17. The Two Dew Ponds. Go through the gate. Split away left from South Downs Way taking the path that runs parallel to the fence  towards Kingston
  18. Bottom of Kingston Hill. Continue forward through gate
  19. Top of Church Lane. Turn right down slope towards St Pancras Green where we started.