Devil's Dyke

We just haven't been able to go out much and we were longing for the Downs.  So one afternoon, pretty late (5:30) we took the 77 bus up to Devil's Dyke. Which is an Iron Age Hill Fort built next to a geological oddity called Devil's Dyke.

It was also a Victorian sightseeing spot,  and John Constable called the view 'The Grandest View in the World.'  The COG, of course, wanted to take pictures. I just went for the ride.  And it is such a beautiful place.

The thing about it is, you can take the bus there and back, so as we didn't have time for a walk, we at least got the views and a very pleasant couple of hours.

 And the drive up the little country lanes in a double decker bus is, in itself, spectacular.  The COG destroyed all his pictures because they weren't up to his high standards.  I have low standards, so I did not destroy mine, thought I freely admit that they do not do justice to the beautiful view:

In the picture below, the distant hill - just to the right of the midpoint of the picture - is the Chanctonbury Ring. It's another small Iron Age Hill Fort, also the site of a Roman Temple and some Bronze Age stuff, too.   And, barely visible, to the left of the middle is another distant hill. That's the Cissbury Ring the largest Iron Age Hill Fort in Sussex, with a history that goes back at least 5,000 years.  Those early Britons loved hills that over looked the sea. Oh wait. So do I. 

One thing I love about the South Downs - there's Birdsfoot Trefoil all over.  I took a picture but it's not worth uploading it.  Anytime I find Birdsfoot Trefoil, I think about my Dad.  It's always nice to find it.