Location Guides : East Sussex

Rolling Hills at Firle Beacon

Best Time to Shot : Sunrise / Golden Hour

Best Time of the Year : March - Nov

Where to Park : Firle Beacon Car park (S Downs Way, Lewes BN8 6LR)

What3words shooting location ref : ///showdown.tower.couriers (or anything in that area)

Recommended kit: Tripod, medium to long zoom lens (70-200mm will be perfect here). Graduated filters can help if you want to include sky. Given the position of the sun, a polarising filter is unlikely to have any benefit

This location potentially works all year round, but from late Nov to around early Feb the sun will rise behind the main hill that Firle Beacon sits on. This location is all about how the first golden light hits the undulating hill mounds from this vantage point, and it will work the best April-October, although you will have to contend with lens flair so a lens hood is highly recommended for this particular composition.

The great thing about this location is that it is so accessible, with this view being only a short 5 minute walk from the main car park at Firle Beacon (which is free). From the car park head east towards Firle Beacon itself. Instead of sticking to the path, head a litter nearer the ledge of the downs and after a few minutes you’ll see a group of trees which this view sits just beyond. Once you’ve passed the trees, the ledge will start to drop away down towards Firle village and you’ll also a notice a chalky single track road that heads up towards the top of Firle Beacon (which I assume is used by the farmers). Once you are in or around the what3words location reference then it’s then up to you artistic license to find the best composition for your shoot. There is a zig zag row of trees that frame the scene here, and they can look incredible in Autumn with the first golden light hits them in the morning.