A beautiful country pub set at the foot of the South Downs and Devil's Dyke. This is optional where guest would like an extra stop usually a nice country lunch. Please note lunch is not part of the Tour cost https://www.royaloakpoynings.pub/

the 300-foot-deep valley was carved by tremendous amounts of water running off the Downs during the last Ice Age when large amounts of snow thawed and the frozen chalk prevented any further absorption; erosion was aided by the freeze-thaw cycle and the valley was deepened by the 'sludging' of the saturated chalk. The Devil's Dyke V-shaped dry valley is the result of solifluction and river erosion. More than 14,000 years ago[unreliable source?], the area experienced an intensely cold climate (but not glacial conditions). Snowfields capped the South Downs. Permafrost conditions meant that the chalk was permanently frozen. In summer, the snowfields melted and saturated the top layer of soil, because the water could not permeate the frozen chalk underneath. Waterlogged material situated above the permafrost slid down the gradient, removing material by friction, exposing deeper layers of frozen chalk. Visit Devils Dyke Pub for a refreshment.