A Photowalk along the Cuckmere River
On the 9th October 2025, as part of the Royal Photographic Society Talk-WalkTalk Inland Water programme, six RPS members met to walk along the Cuckmere River from Cuckmere Haven to Alfriston. These are a few of the photos we took.
Front Cover
Sunlit depths was the image we chose to go into the Inland Water e-zine. Photo by Paul Tucker.
Rear Cover:
The Cuckmere Valley, another of our favourite images from the walk. Photo by Liz Barber
The Cuckmere River rises near Heathfield in West Sussex and flows 20 miles to the sea at Cuckmere Haven. It is unique amongst Sussex rivers as the only one which has not been industrialised at the mouth.
On the floodplain, near the sea, the river has extensive meanders. In 1846, the course of the river was straightened by digging an artificial cut to speed up the flow and prevent flooding upstream. The old river course remains as a series of meanders isolated from the main flow of the river. In addition, raised river banks, or levees, were constructed.
Heading upstream the river flows between the picturesque slopes of the South Downs. Around 6 miles from the mouth, and at the end of our walk, lies the historic village of Alfriston by which time the river has narrowed considerably and has thick reed beds along the bank.
Alfriston lies near the end of the tidal section of the river. It was notorious for smuggling and at high tide on dark misty nights small boats might have been found creeping up from the coast loaded with contraband.
