Meridian

A project to photograph along the Meridian line as it passes through East Sussex on the Summer solstice. The route takes us from the English channel at Peacehaven, over the South Downs at Southease, through the county town of Lewes, and across the Sussex countryside until the boundary between East and West Sussex which runs along the centre of Weir Wood reservoir.

As it was the Summer solstice I chose to start at sunrise, and end with a sunset shoot, on the South Downs at Southease as this offered the best location for both the sun rising and setting.

Ready for a 4:48 sunrise, I was on the South Downs and taking pictures of the first glow in the sky at 4:25am. It was a bit misty in the hollows of the Downs – you can make it out in the early pictures – and particularly so on the coast at Peacehaven; otherwise it was a beautiful day once the sun warmed up the land.

Having captured the sunrise the route then took me from Southease down to the coast at Peacehaven, then north along the line, ending up on Ashdown Forest at 8:54am. I travelled back to Southease to capture sunset from the same position I had stood some 16 hours earlier. See the timeline below with pictures from each location.

Also, for an exhibition, I produced a photo-book about the project (just to try it out really) but I do think it came out quite well. It’s A5 landscape format, lay-flat, and has a z-fold pull-out map of the complete route at the back. I’ll add a page about it sometime soon as I plan to do more of them.

1 | 4:20am to 5:04am | Southease (Sunrise) | 50.816° -0.006° | TQ405 037 | 360ft elevation

04:25am

Halfway up Southease Hill and we look back at the earliest signs of the sun below the horizon, and the mist sitting in the valleys

04:52am

The sun appears 50° from due North

04:55am

Now facing due East from the same viewpoint we capture the rapidly rising sun and the escarpment of Firle Beacon (with masts) to the right side of the view

2 | 5:18am to 5:29am | Peacehaven cliff top | 50.789° 0.000° | TQ410 007 | 95ft elevation

05:20am

A foggy coast… facing east from the cliff top by the southern end of Bramber Avenue

05:24am

View west, on top of the cliffs, the watery sun lighting up the top half of the Meridian Monument

3 | 5:48am to 5:53am | Lewes – Rotten Row | 50.769° 0.000° | TQ408 096 | 30ft elevation

05:50am

Looking east away from the cemetery gates on Rotten Row

05:50am

The cemetery gates to our west

4 | 6:09am to 6:30am | Hamsey | 50.902° 0.000° | TQ407 132 | 85ft elevation

5 | 6:37am to 6:43am | Markstakes Lane | 50.948° 0.000° | TQ406 184 | 72ft elevation

| 6:58am to 7:50am | Home for breakfast

6 | 8:02am to 8:08am | Newick – Mill Lane | 50.982° 0.000° | TQ405 222 | 220ft elevation

08:06am

On Mill Lane, looking at the rising sun across the bridge over the disused railway line.

7 | 8:14am to 8:19am | Sliders Lane | 51.012° 0.000° | TQ403 255 | 190ft elevation

8 | 8:23am to 8:28am | Danehill | 51.032° 0.000° | TQ403 277 | 318ft elevation

08:25am

Facing the sun from the junction of the A275 and School Lane

9 | 8:34am to 8:47am | Twyford | 51.059° 0.000° | TQ402 307 | 325ft elevation

08:38am

The ford at Twyford with the rising sun shining through the woodland

10 | 8:52am to 8:54am | Hindleap Lane | 51.075° 0.000° | TQ402 325 | 597ft elevation

08:53am

Facing north-west towards the junction with Legsheath Lane

1a | 8:40pm to 9:07pm | Southease (Sunset) | 50.821° 0.004° | TQ412 042 | 360ft elevation

20:49pm

View through the roadside vegetation as the sun dips below Picketts Hill

20:58pm

Looking due North over Fore Hill

21:02pm

South-west along Gorham’s Lane with the setting sun and rising moon captured in the final image of the day