Great Walks in Sussex & The South Downs
The Walks
Explore one of England's most historic counties with our varied selection of routes. With high white cliffs, the rugged Downs, glorious countryside and tranquil rivers you're sure to find satisfying walks
  Background Briefing




The Birling Gap








The Bignor Hill Escarpment







Pevensey Castle





Chichester Harbour





Paul McCartney's
Windmill Studio






Ditchling High Street





A Welcoming Inn
Near Amberley





The Long Man Of Wilmington








The Tranquil River Arun








Posing For The Camera








Lewes Castle









Beached At Hastings








A Cottage Near Bignor









Beachy Head









Bodiam Castle

 








Taking The Sea Air

 









The South Downs Way













Pastures Near Rye




























Arundel Castle





Battle Abbey





Firle Place



Goodwood House





Kent & East Sussex Railway





Rye Old Town




The Seven Sisters





Weald & Downland 
Open Air Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





















 Arundel Youth Hostel





Slindon Camping Site

 



The Old Tollgate Hotel
Steyning
Best Western

 

Bill Bryson says Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters make a superb coastal walk – and who could disagree with one of the world’s most respected travel writers? Within this Great Walks collection you will find a long and rewarding walk which encompasses both Beachy Head and its neighbour, the Seven Sisters. Don’t be daunted by the distance because we also have a shorter, easier route from Birling Gap to Beachy Head affording spectacular views of this sublime coastline.

Bill also says, in his typically understated style, that the South Downs are absolutely delightful for the walker. Welcome praise from an adopted Englishman, brought up on the plains of Iowa. The Downs do indeed comprise some of the most delightfully dramatic scenery to be found anywhere in southern England. And the villages and little towns which intersperse the region are quintessentially English.

But England has twice been invaded through Sussex. The Romans first landed at Pevensey Bay two thousand years ago. More than a thousand years later William the Conqueror stepped ashore in much the same place, fought a battle just north of Hastings - and the rest is history. See the stunning cliffs and the charming old town on our walk from Hastings Country Park.

The Romans had a huge presence in this part of the country.  Largely because it was their bridge-head to Gaul, many wealthy and powerful citizens set up home here.  See one of England’s largest and best preserved Roman villas on our Bignor Roman Villa walk.

Later, in Saxon times, Chichester Harbour was one of the most important places in the country.  King Canute had a palace here, at Bosham – pronounced Bos’am locally.  On this shore-line Canute famously commanded the tide to stop, thus demonstrating his human fallibility.  Walk the creeks and bays on our Chichester Harbour walk which sets out from West Wittering.

In West Wittering you’ll pass close by the house of the old rocker himself. Keith Richards set up home here in the heyday of The Rolling Stones. It was at this house that an infamous 1960s drugs bust took place, and Marianne Faithfull was escorted from the premises in ‘a state of undress’. Still owned by the Richards family, high walls and gates prevent much of a glimpse of ‘Redlands’.

Coincidentally, towards the opposite end of Sussex, at Peasmarsh near Rye, the McCartney family have one of their favourite homes. Paul and Linda brought up their children here in the 1960s and 1970s. Indeed, their son and daughters attended the local comprehensive school. Could they ever have said to their school-mates “Did you see our mum and dad singing ‘Mary had a little lamb’ on Top Of The Pops last night? You’ll pass a windmill recording studio said to have been used by Sir Paul on our Winchelsea walk.

Just inland from the coast you come to the high massif which runs west to east through much of Sussex – the South Downs. Ditchiling Beacon is one of the highest elevations reached on the Downs, at 240 metres above the sea. Make the ascent yourself on our Ditchling Beacon walk. Ditchling itself is a charming village, or small town, well worthy of a call after your walk.

The Devil’s Dyke offers particularly fabulous views from the top of the South Downs, to the English Channel far to the south and the Sussex Weald to the north.  The enormous embankment is said to have been built by the Devil himself.  Digging a ditch to let in the sea to venge villages building too many churches, the Devil was thwarted by an old women holding a candle up to his face.  The villain fled, leaving the vast earthwork as you can see it on our Devil’s Dyke route.

The origin of Chanctonbury Ring is more historically verifiable.  There is evidence of activity here going back to 6000 BC. It is the highest pre-historic hill fort on the downs.  See Chanctonbury Ring and the fabulous countryside around on our walk of the same name. 

Below the Downs some of the loveliest of Sussex villages and market towns are to be found.  Alfriston evokes the charm of a bygone age. Its church is grandly known as the Cathedral of the Downs, and is counter-pointed by several ancient and welcoming inns. Visit the market town, and the nearby village of Firle, on our Alfriston and Firle Beacon walk.

Close by you can see Sussex’s most famous chalk hill-carving; The Long Man of Wilmington. The exact origins of the 235 ft high carving are not really known, but it seems likely that the clear white chalk outline we see today is a nineteenth century development of older workings. It is said the Victorians edited out certain of the Long Man’s ‘parts’. Certainly the Wilmington man is less completely endowed than his Dorset counterpart at Cerne Abbas. During the Second World War the figure was painted out, lest it be a navigational aid to the enemy. See it on our Folkington and  Wilmington walk.

Beneath the Downs, Arundel has a fairy-tale castle in the town centre. The place is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Norfolk going back to Henry VIII’s time. The Norfolks have the distinction of being England’s pre-eminent Catholic family, having skilfully and miraculously survived the tumultuous centuries in which many Catholics either fled or converted to the Protestant cause. Take our Arundel walk by the castle and the River Arun.

The most northerly walks in this collection include Black Down Hill, set amidst the leafy woodland high above the Weald near Haslemere. Also in the north, our Balcombe and Ardingley Reservoir walk visits one of the early railway constructions – the vast Ouse Valley Viaduct.  Completed in 1841 the structure is 1475 feet long and has no fewer than 37 arches.  The viaduct is now a listed building.

In the east, our Mayfield walk covers parts of the Weald bordering their Kentish extension. Nearby you can visit ‘Batemans’, the home of Rudyard Kipling, near Burwash. Now a National Trust property, the house was Kipling’s home until his death in 1936. It is said he spent his final years in sorrow, mourning the loss of his only son, killed in the trenches of ‘The Great War’.

Our walk from Lewes, the ancient capital of all Sussex, includes a particularly high and sometimes windswept section of the South Downs Way. Long before the Normans built the castle you see today, the Ancient Britons, Romans and Saxons all had major settlements here upon the Downs.

Whichever parts of Sussex you choose to walk, we know you’ll be as delighted as Bill Bryson and many thousands of walkers every year.  


     CONTRIBUTORS    

Sussex & The South Downs walks, pictures and
background info have been compiled by:
Phil Crouch-Baker, John MacNeill, Julie Vamplew,
Eric Joyce & Rebecca Martin


       SUSSEX & THE SOUTH DOWNS - THE WALKS      

Download your walk report by clicking on its icon

  Walks Without An Icon Will Be Ready This Summer   

THE RIVER ADUR AND SHERMANBURY 
A gentle stroll along the banks of this quiet river
8.6 miles or 6.7 miles (13.8 km or 10.7 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


AMBERLEY & THE WILD BROOKS
Wide Downs views combined with Arun riverside
9.6 miles (15.4 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


ARUNDEL CASTLE AND PARK 
A mainly gentle walk from Arundel through the park and riverside
7.8 miles (12.5 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


BALCOMBE & ARDINGLEY RESERVOIR 
 Marvel at the Ouse Valley viaduct on this gentle walk
8.8 miles (14.0 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


BATTLE – 1066 AND ALL THAT                                     
Take in the site of England’s most important battle          
6.0 miles (9.6 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


BEACHY HEAD & THE SEVEN SISTERS 
A long walk comprising cliff-tops, downs and inland river banks
13.3 miles or 10.9 miles (21.3 km or 17.5 km)
Toughness Rating : 4


BIRLING GAP TO BEACHY HEAD   
A shorter, easier exploration of this iconic coastline                          
4.0 miles (6.4 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


BEWL WATER FROM WADHURST                
 Circumnavigate the picturesque reservoir and into Kent for a fine National Trust property
6.4 miles (10.2 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


BIGNOR HILL & THE SLINDON ESTATE 
A long and rewarding stride over the high Downs and through forest
12.4 miles or 9.1 miles (14.6 km or 10.8 km)
Toughness Rating: 4


BIGNOR ROMAN VILLA & COUNTRYSIDE  
An easier walk through rolling countryside plus an optional viewing of Roman mosaics
8.5 miles (13.6 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


BLACK DOWN HILL & WEALDEN VILLAGES    
A quite demanding ascent of the highest point in Sussex
9.7 miles (15.5 km)
Toughness Rating : 4


CHANCTONBURY RING & THE SOUTH DOWNS WAY 
See a pre-historic hill fort on this walk with some steep sections
9.7 miles or 7.1 miles (15.5 km or 11.4 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


CHICHESTER HARBOUR & WEST WITTERING BEACH 
A gentle ramble through atmospheric Chichester Harbour's villages 8.3 miles or 3.5 miles (13.2 km or 5.6 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


CISSBURY RING FROM FINDON                                
Visit one of the many ancient earthworks high on the Downs
7.2 miles or 6.3 miles (11.5 km or 10.1 km)
Toughness Rating: 2


THE DEVIL'S DYKE & FULKING ESCARPMENT 
Stupendous coastal views on this walk on the higher South Downs
5.9 miles (9.4 km)
Toughness Rating : 3


DITCHLING BEACON & THE JACK + JILL WINDMILLS 
A sometimes strenuous walk along part of the South Downs Way
7.5 miles or 10.8 miles (12.0 km or 17.2 km)
Toughness Rating : 3


EWHURST GREEN & BODIAM CASTLE
A stroll through history, with a superb castle and an ancient abbey 6.8 miles (10.9 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


FIRLE BEACON FROM ALFRISTON   
Explore two delightful Sussex villages on this moderate walk
9.1 miles or 5.8 miles (14.5 km or 9.3 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


GOODWOOD RACECOURSE AND THE DOWNS      
Walk the domain of the Dukes of Richmond and see their magnificent estate
8.2 miles or 5.3 miles (13.3 km or 8.6 km)
Toughness Rating : 3


HASTINGS OLD TOWN & CLIFF-TOPS   
A moderate coastal and country walk from the charming seaside town
5.6 miles (9.0 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


LEWES  AND THE SOUTH DOWNS WAY                      
Ascend from the County Town of Sussex to the Downs for superb panoramic views
9.8 miles (15.8 km)   
Toughness Rating : 3


MAYFIELD & THE HIGH WEALD
An easier walk with wonderful views and a pretty Sussex village
7.4 miles (11.8 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


PEASMARSH TO RYE
A moderately strenuous walk with views of Rye, Dungeness and the coast
7.5 miles (12.0 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


PEVENSEY CASTLE AND THE LEVELS       
An historically fascinating route in The Conqueror’s footsteps
8.3 miles or 13.4 miles (13.3 km or 21.5 km)
Toughnes Rating: 1


THE RIVER ROTHER & TROTTON 
Visit historic villages, churches and mills along the river on this easier walk 8.5 miles (13.5 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


STEYNING & BRAMBER CASTLE          
Explore the ruins of Norman Bramber Castle and the water meadows of the River Adur             
6.9 miles or 4.1 miles (11.1 km or 6.5 km)
Toughness Rating: 2


THE HIGH WEALD TRAIL FROM SLAUGHAM       
 A moderate ramble in the Sussex Weald
8.8 miles or 7.8 miles (14.1 km 12.5 km)
Toughness Rating: 2


THE WEY & ARUN CANAL
A delightful easier walk through rolling farmland
8.5 miles (13.6 km)
Toughness Rating : 1


WILMINGTON'S LONG MAN 
Enjoy fabulous Downs views - and the Long Man of Wilmington
7.5 miles or 6.0 miles (12.0 km or 9.5 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


WINCHELSEA & BREDE LEVEL
Explore the smallest town in England, and maybe see Paul McCartney's windmill studio ?
6.6 miles or 4.6 miles (10.5 km or 7.3 km)
Toughness Rating : 2


 
TOUGHNESS RATINGS

All our Sussex & The South Downs routes can be undertaken by reasonably fit walkers able to utilise our map segments, together with the route guidance notes. Always consider recent and forecast weather.

Each walk has been allocated a Toughness Rating:

  1.     Easier walks with modest ascent and generally on well defined paths. There may be stiles or narrow gateways to negotiate.

  2.     Routes which are more demanding. They may include more ascent and possibly paths which are looser or more difficult underfoot.

  3.     More strenuous walks with some steep sections, higher paths or places which may be wet and boggy.

  4.     The most demanding walks in this edition. There may be prolonged steep ascents. Conditions may be challenging underfoot.

Toughness Ratings are allocated in the context of the terrain in the edition area.
For example a walk rated as demanding in Cambridgeshire may be equivalent to an easier or moderate route in the Brecon Beacons.

 




Directory of Local Information Sources

     WHAT TO SEE      

Our selection of the most interesting things to see
or visit on or near the walks

Amberley Working Museum
Amberley Village
Tel: 01798 831370
Working museum of industry and rural life www.amberleymuseum.co.uk

Arundel Castle & Park
Castle and Stately Home
Arundel
Tel: 01903 883136
18th century restored castle – home of the Duke of Norfolk

Arundel Wetlands Centre
Riverside Centre
Mill Road, Arundel
Tel: 01903 883355
The wetlands at Arundel are home to many rare species of wetland wildlife

Battle Abbey
Abbey Ruins
Park Lane, Battle
William the Conqueror’s commemorative abbey

Beachy Head Countryside Centre
Visitor Centre
Beachy Head
Tel: 01323 737273
Information on Beachy head and the South Downs

Bignor Roman Villa
Museum of the Roman period in Britain
Bignor
Tel: 01798 869259
Superb Roman exhibits, magnificent mosaics. Picnic area, parking, Tea Shop

Bodiam Castle
14th Century Castle
Bodiam
Tel: 01580 830330
A picture-book castle owned by the National Trust

Chichester Cathedral
West Street, Chichester
Tel: 01243 782595
www.chichestercathedral.org.uk

Drusillas Park
Small Animal Zoo
Near Alfriston
Tel: 01323 874100
Small animals and kids playland
www.drusillas.co.uk

Firle Place
Stately Home
Firle
Tel: 01273 858307
Beautiful house in stunning grounds

Fishbourne Roman Palace
Museum
Salthill Road, Fishbourne
Tel: 01243 785859
Excavated Roman Palace and associated exhibits
www.sussexpast.co.uk

Goodwood House
Stately Home
Goodwood
Tel: 01243 755048
www. Goodwood.co.uk

Hastings Pier
Traditional Seaside Pier
White Rock, Hastings
Seaside fun for all the family

Kent and East Sussex Railway
Light Railway
Bodiam, Tenterden and Northiam Stations
Tel: 087 060 060 74
The finest small gauge railway in the South East

Lewes Castle & Barbican Museum
Norman Castle
High Street, Lewes
Tel: 01273 486290
Castle overlooking Lewes town
www.sussexpast.co.uk

Pevensey Castle
English Heritage Property
High Street, Pevensey
Tel: 01323 762604
Castle at the Norman Invasion site – and tea room !  
www.english-heritage.org.uk

Rye Castle Museum
Local & Maritime Museum
3 East Street, Rye
Tel: 01797 226728
The Museum uses exhibits in the tower to tell the history of Rye

Seven Sisters Visitor Centre
Visitor Centre
Exceat, Seven Sisters Country park, Near Seaford
Tel: 01323 870280
Local information, shop, café and restaurant

Weald and Downland Open Air Museum
Museum of Rural Life
Singleton , Near Chichester
Tel: 01243 811348
www.wealddown.co.uk

The Long Man of Wilington
Chalk Hill Carving
Wilmington
View this perhaps pre-historic carving – it’s entirely free !

 

        GETTING HELP        


Tourist Information Centres

Free local guide brochures available by post.
Information and an accommodation booking service
is available at the centres listed below, or online at:

www.visitsussex.org

Brighton Tourist Information
Recorded Information
Tel: 0906 711 22553

Bognor Regis Tourist Information Centre
Belmont Street, Bognor Regis
Tel: 01243 823140

Chichester Tourist Information Centre
29A South Street, Chichester
Tel: 01243 775888
www.visitchichester,org

Eastbourne Tourist Information Centre
Tel: 0871 663 0031
www.visiteastbourne.com

Horsham Tourist Information Centre
9 The Causeway, Horsham
Tel: 01403 211661

Lewes Tourist Information Centre
187 High Street, Lewes
Tel: 01273 483448

Rye Tourist Information Centre
Strand Quay, Rye
Tel: 01797 226696
www.visitrye.co.uk

National Organisations

The Ramblers Association
Representing walkers throughout Britain
Tel: 020 7339 8500
www.Ramblers.org.uk

English Heritage
Preserving and maintaining our heritage in England
www.English-Heritage.org.uk

The National Trust
Properties described on their web site
Tel: 0870 458 4000
www.NationalTrust.org.uk

 


      WHERE TO STAY     

The Sussex Tourist Information Centres listed in Getting Help offer accommodation advice and booking services. See their web site:
www.visitsussex.org

Other Organisations

Youth Hostels Association
 All properties in the area and throughout
the U.K. are described on their web site.
Directory available free to members
Tel: 0870 770 8868
www.yha.org.uk

Camping & Caravanning Club
Details of 1400 camp sites on the web site
Tel: 0845 130 7632
www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk     

Town & Country Hotels

FREE directories and web sites for regional and national hotel groups or franchises:

Best Western Hotels
 Franchised hotels throughout Britain
Tel: 0845 33 00 415
www.BestWestern.co.uk

Corus Hotels
Country & town centre hotels throughout Britain
Tel: 0845 300 2000
www.CorusHotels.com

The Independents
Consortium of 2 & 3 star hotels throughout Britain
Tel: 0800 88 55 44
www.TheIndependents.co.uk

Marston Hotels
Independent four star hotels throughout England
Tel: 0845 1300 700
www.MarstonHotels.com

Old English Inns
Classic Inns across England
Tel: 0800 917 3085
www.OldEnglishInns.co.uk

Premier Travel Inn
470 budget hotels across the U.K.
Tel: 0870 242 8000
www.PremierTravelInn.com

Travelodge
Budget accommodation across the U.K.
Tel: 08700 850 950

Welcome Break
Budget accommodation at motorway services
 Tel: 0800 731 4466

 

          Essential        

 Contributors

Safe & Courteous

Walking Our Routes

Toughness Ratings

         Local Info        

Getting Help

What To See

Where To Stay

        Best Links        
Weather To Walk
Ramblers Association

 English Heritage

The National Trust

Camping and
Caravanning Club

Youth Hostels

Town & Country
Hotel Groups

 

 

 

 



 
 

 

Great Walks text and pictures are the copyright of Synchra Communication Ltd 2009

Mapping is the copyright of Synchra Communication Ltd 2009
Developed under License from The Ordnance Survey