South Downs Wor kshop By Phillip Edwards
As Shakespeare wrote of “May’s new-fangled mirth” the weather did seem to be toying with us on a workshop led by Philip Bedford to the Firle Beacon and the wider South Downs on the 19th May. We were treated to three seasons from dawn to midday, which never failed to obscure the beauty in this East Sussex corner of England’s newest National Park. Meeting up pre-dawn at 4:30 in the car park, after quietly introducing ourselves so as not to disturb those camping nearby, we then marched up to a ridge alongside the 217 metres high Firle Beacon.There we positioned ourselves overlooking a series of gently rolling contoured hills. But the hope of a dramatic sunrise that would burst through and illuminate the slopes were confounded, though on several occasions we thought that there may be a light show of note. At one point, an area of the sky showed real promise over cloud-capped Mount Caburn that prominent landmark east of Lewes and 3 miles from where we were, but it never really spread over towards us, despite Phillip’s animated gesture to virtually drag it in our direction. Despite that, as we waited for the scene to develop, Philip pointed out the opportunities to focus in on the hill contours and keep vigilant for developing clouds and mist.
Firle Beacon Fog
Firle Beacon Cow Parsley June 2022 Volume 7 Issue 4
Firle Beacon 20
