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Woolf Walks in the South Downs from Monk's House, Rodmell, 2025

We shall walk in the footsteps of Virginia Woolf from Rodmell through the South Downs, sharing her writing and enjoying the nature soundtrack of June. A must for Woolf fans and nature lovers. Reasonable level of fitness required!

  • Booking essential

Meeting in the National Trust car park at the bottom of The Street in Rodmell, we shall wander down the farm track beside the brooks and water meadows, along the Ouse, over the bridge and railway crossing and up Itford Hill. This is a mainly circular walk with beautiful variation in landscape culminating in stunning views (on clear days) of historic Lewes, the sea, and the undulations of the South Downs. We shall return retracing our steps down Itford Hill, through bucolic Southease village and finishing at Monk's House. At points along the route we shall share excerpts of Virginia Woolf's writing that relate to the landscape, walking, and how the two were bound together in her writing process.

Please note that this event is a walking event only, and there is no access to Monk's House. The property is not open on this day so visits to Monk's House need to be pre-booked on one of our open days. Please see website for further details.

Please arrive at 9am for greeting and use of the facilities. We shall begin the walk at 9.15am prompt. During the walk there will be a 5-minute comfort stop just before the halfway point at Southease YHA. The next toilet stop will be at the end of the walk.

Please note this walk goes through arable land where there may be livestock present.

Times

Prices

Event ticket prices

Ticket typeTicket category
Adult £15.00

The basics

Booking details

Call 0344 249 1895

Suitability

Sorry this walk is not suitable for children.

Meeting point

We shall meet at the entrance to the Monk's House car park which is situated at the bottom of The Street, Rodmell, East Sussex. What3words - snake.snuck.hunter

What to bring and wear

Please wear comfortable, weather appropriate clothing. Waterproof clothing essential if it's raining and a sun hat and sunglasses if sunny. Please bring snacks and water.

Accessibility

This is a demanding walk covering tracks, riverbank, uneven ground, narrow footpaths, road and rail crossings, chalk paths and sustained steep path and grass inclines. The walk is approximately 6 miles/10 km and will take up to three hours. We will aim for a steady pace throughout taking short breaks for water and readings, with up to 15 mins break at the top of Itford hill, just over halfway.