Old Lewes Racecourse and The Wild Campion Meadow


The former racecourse just outside of Lewes is a picturesque vantage point for Kingston Ride and Ashcombe Windmill. Pretty hedgerows and cowslips line the gallops all the way down to the Y-shaped junction by Ashcombe Bottom. The gallops is now used to train horses. I enjoyed going up there several times earlier in May, when we enjoyed the uncommon presence of settled weather, clear visibility and low angle sunlight.

Wild Campions grow every spring in two small enclosures on the South Downs, near Brighton, which have been given over to wildlife by the farmer. A roe deer unexpectedly jumped out when I arrived and I decided let him move away, before continuing with any photography. It would have been lovely, had the deer been tolerant enough to remain, but it wasn't to be. I will be enjoying plenty of encounters with Roe deer over the next few weeks, as I begin my early summer project in West Sussex. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy my latest work and please leave a comment, if you wish.

Late Evening on Old Lewes Racecourse

Sundown at Old Lewes Racecourse

Red and White Campions, South Downs

Oak Tree and Campion Meadow

Wild Campion Meadow

One doesn't often see meadows like this Sussex, but it gives us an idea of what fields could look like, if they weren't sprayed with chemicals and degraded by improper use. Raindrops are visible on the first image, taken after a band of slow-moving showers passed over the area. On my second visit, the low sun created a beautiful violet-burgundy hue over the meadow. Notice in the final two images, how changes in lighting over a few minutes created a softer, cooler hue over the scene. The Canon EF 500mm f/4 lens is a wonderful tool for creating dreamy shots of wild flowers and plants.

Red and White Campion Meadow

Wild Campion Meadow

Wild Campion Meadow

Red and White Campion Meadow

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