Some mornings reward the early start. This was one of them: a 3AM rise, still air, a field of purple phacelia, and the first light building behind Mount Caburn near Lewes.
Continue reading Phacelia Sunrise at Rodmell Below Mount CaburnCategory Archives: Downs and Farmland
Jevington Church and Firle Beacon from Willingdon Hill
A morning walk from Butts Brow over Willingdon Hill opened up a new view across the South Downs, looking towards Jevington Church with Firle Beacon rising behind it. It is one of those compositions that only appears when you take a slightly different path from the usual route.
Continue reading Jevington Church and Firle Beacon from Willingdon Hill
South Downs Poppy Fields 2026 – Following East Sussex’s Wildest Colour Across Four Hills
Every year the same question starts appearing across local Facebook groups and photography pages.
Where are the poppies this year?
Unlike bluebells or lavender, poppy fields rarely stay loyal to one location. Some years they appear in huge numbers, some years almost not at all, and when they do arrive the display can vanish within weeks.
This spring early summer became an unexpected project. One discovery led to another until four separate South Downs poppy fields formed a trail across East Sussex.
From Balmer Down… to Itford Hill… to Beddingham Hill… and finally Firle Beacon.
Continue reading South Downs Poppy Fields 2026 – Following East Sussex’s Wildest Colour Across Four Hills
Firle Beacon Poppy Field Below Mount Caburn
A sudden splash of red on the South Downs can change the whole shape of a walk. This poppy field below Firle Beacon was not the field I had planned to photograph, but it became the one I could not ignore.
Continue reading Firle Beacon Poppy Field Below Mount Caburn
Poppy Field Below Beddingham Hill on the South Downs
Some seasonal photographs take a bit of effort to reach, but that is often what makes them worth the walk. This poppy field below Beddingham Hill stood out from the A26, but the stronger composition came from getting above and then down into the landscape, where the red flowers could be framed against the wider South Downs view.
Continue reading Poppy Field Below Beddingham Hill on the South Downs