Firle Beacon

Firle Beacon is the easy-access jewel of the eastern South Downs: a road climbs to a car park at over 200m on Firle Bostal, and from there it's a gentle ridge walk to the 217m summit with the Weald spread out one side and the Channel glittering on the other. For a drone it's all about sweeping ridge-line reveals — the smooth whaleback of the escarpment, Firle Place and its parkland below, Mount Caburn across the Glynde gap, and on clear evenings light raking the whole valley. The critical caution is shared air: this is one of the busiest paragliding and hang-gliding sites in Sussex, flown in anything from a light northerly breeze, and unpowered traffic has right of way and no radio. If wings are rigged on the slope, stand down or move well along the ridge and stay low over the reverse slope. Wind on the escarpment edge is deceptive — expect strong lift and rotor within 100m of the crest. Land here is Firle Estate downland with open access on foot; be discreet, fly from the access land and keep away from grazing sheep, especially at lambing.