Ashcombe Windmill is one of those landmarks that seems to belong exactly where it stands. High above Kingston near Lewes, with the South Downs rolling around it, the restored mill already makes a strong subject — but finding a field of poppies in front of it turned the scene into something far more special.
Continue reading Ashcombe Windmill and Poppies near Kingston, LewesCategory Archives: South Downs
South Downs Landscape Photography
Walking and Hiking on the South Downs
Phacelia Sunrise at Rodmell Below Mount Caburn
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 Caburn
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
Sunrise Mist from Firle Beacon on the South Downs
Sometimes an early start pays off even when the original plan fails. I had gone out before dawn looking for possible poppy fields, but from Firle Beacon the real photograph was happening in the opposite direction, as the sun rose through mist lying low across the East Sussex landscape.
Continue reading Sunrise Mist from Firle Beacon on the South Downs
Poppy Field Below Itford Hill on the South Downs
A sudden sweep of red poppies can change the whole feel of a South Downs view. Below Itford Hill, near the Firle Beacon ridge, this field stood out from the surrounding greens and distant hills as a brief but striking moment of early summer colour.
Continue reading Poppy Field Below Itford Hill on the South Downs
Poppies on Balmer Down, South Downs
I headed up to Balmer Down in late May to scout the poppies and see if the location might work for a wider South Downs landscape photograph. It felt early for poppies, but after the recent warm, dry weather, they were already starting to appear across parts of East Sussex.
Continue reading Poppies on Balmer Down, South Downs
Landscape Photography Review 2025
2025 Photography Year in Review
2025 was a year of working closer to home and learning to respond to conditions rather than chase them. From misty dawns on the South Downs to woodland waterfalls in the High Weald and long exposures on Romney Marsh, this review brings together one standout image from each month — moments that best reflect how and where I photographed across the year.
Continue reading Landscape Photography Review 2025
December 2025: Sussex Photography Monthly Review
Introduction
December 2025 was dominated by wet, cold and overcast weather across East Sussex, which quietly shaped the direction of my photography. With wider landscapes often flat and uninviting, the focus naturally shifted into woodland, following streams and revisiting places that only reveal themselves after prolonged rainfall. The result was a month spent exploring seasonal waterfalls across the High Weald, interspersed with a handful of coastal and observational shoots.
This post brings together those December walks and discoveries, from hidden ghylls and temporary cascades to a final New Year’s Eve sunset at Beachy Head.
Continue reading December 2025: Sussex Photography Monthly Review
November 2025 Photography Review – Sussex Walks, Coastlines and Autumn Light
Introduction
November brought a mix of short weather windows, local walks, and a few longer trips around the High Weald and South Downs. Most of the month was dominated by grey skies and fast-moving fronts, so every break in the weather turned into an opportunity to get out with the camera. From minimalist coastal scenes at Broomhill Sands, to long-exposure evenings on the Romney Marsh, to a series of drive-by shoots across the High Weald, the month produced a varied set of images and a lot of useful scouting for future locations. The final days brought clearer conditions on the cliffs at Birling Gap, rounding off the month with a couple of clean views across the Seven Sisters.
Continue reading November 2025 Photography Review – Sussex Walks, Coastlines and Autumn Light