The Devil's Landscape

Devil's Dyke is one of those South Downs landmarks that never gets old, no matter how many times you photograph it. I'd driven to Saddlescombe Farm in the late afternoon, drawn by the forecast of clear skies and that perfect evening light. When I arrived, the view across the Dyke was exactly what I'd hoped for—those sweeping rolling hills stretching endlessly toward the horizon, each ridge catching the warm golden light differently.

The evening sun was dropping lower, painting the landscape in soft amber tones. What struck me most was the sheer scale of it all—the way the valleys fold into one another, creating layer upon layer of depth. Devil's Dyke, carved out during the last ice age, is actually the longest, deepest and widest 'dry valley' in the UK, and from this vantage point at Saddlescombe, you can really appreciate its dramatic form.

I love how the wide expanse forces you to slow down and take it all in. There's no single focal point—just this beautiful, undulating landscape rolling away into the distance under a dramatic sky. The light kept changing as I stood there, each minute bringing subtle shifts in colour and shadow across those ancient hills.

When you look at this photograph, I want you to feel that sense of expansiveness and freedom—standing at the edge of one of the South Downs' most spectacular viewpoints, watching the evening light transform Devil's Dyke into a landscape of endless rolling beauty.