by Great Britain is full of beautiful landscapes and it has never been more tempting to take out everything during a long walk that ends with a beer at the bar.
The 600 square miles of Kreidedownland and Tiefland -Wald, from which the South Downs National Park consists, are a Walken treasury, from which the fortresses and figures of the Bronze Age in the hill, right up to old forests, epic downland prospects and winding river paths.
The 87-mile increase, the Winchesters in the west and Eastbourne connected on the south coast, moves like a petrified green tsunami over the rolling fields and forests of the Wald below with its old villages and honest country pubs. The South Downs Way runs on his summit.
The following walks were selected to fully exploit the variety of this downland landscape, while the pubs are welcome for their authentic land atmosphere.
The Explorer cards recommended for each of the following hikes are published by Ordnance Surnance (Ordnancesurvey.co.uk).
1. The seven sisters & Birling Gap
A classic walk in every respect, from a pub directly from the central casting origin of the 15th century, oak rays, village green, hearty food, block fire to one of the most photographed coastal sections of the UK, the chalk cliffs of the seven sisters.
Either take the footpath to the south towards Birling Gap (clockwise) or west towards Crowlink and Flagstaff Point (against clockwise). Both have a comprehensive view of open downland towards the coast. When it is windy, the latter option is usually best because you go east with the prevailing wind on the back through the coastal section. To make the best out of the roller coaster that the seven sisters are, go past Birling Gap beyond the Belle Tout’s lighthouse and circle past the horseshoe plantations before going north to East Dean.
2. Long man from Wilmington & Litlington White Horse
Variety is the spice of life, but also a good walk. This has the property, from a walk near the charming village of Litlington in the Cuckmere -Valley to the Friston Forest with its magnificent banks and the long man of Wilmington and the Litlington White Horse, each cut into the chalk hill.
Follow the river north of Litlington until you are Alteron on the other bank. Then go the way into the depths in the direction of the long man, which is best seen under the steeping along the Wealdway towards the following. Drive along the Wealdway towards Jevington, through the Trariston Forest and along the floor of Charleston. Drive north to Litlington in the Charleston Manor, where the last route along the South Downs Way via the Cuckmere valley is aligned with the white horse.
3 .. Firle Beacon & Charleston Farmhouse
The village of Firle with its adjacent stately home and park managed to maintain its authentic atmosphere of the Old World without being preserved in the National Trust ASPIC. This path to the heart of the South Downs has a great view of the sea and gives Charleston Farmhouse, home of the Bloomsbury Group.
Go to Fire Church and along the rear part of Fire Place before going to Fire Beacon’s downs. The interior valleys of the downs (known as Bottoms) are worth exploring, and Blackstone Bottom in the south is one of the best. Turn back over the Bostal Hill to the trail of the old Drovers along the base of the downs and take the detour to Charleston and Fire Tower to end in the park in front of FireLe Place.
4. Wead wanders around East Chilington
The Downs themselves may be the star rotary owner, but the Sussex Wead below has its own encouragements. This walk is a wonderful mix of Wald- and Roll -Meadowland, including a short expansion to the downs themselves, to find some sensational views north of Black Cap. The Jolly athlete is a gastropub that can be seen in both pub and gastro elements.
Follow the small road west to the charming village church (John Wells from “Dear Bill” Private Eye is buried here) and drive past the Plumpton racing route before taking the footpath near Streak. Climb into the Downs to Black Cap, where Simon de Montfort’s army gathered before the Battle of Lewes gathered in 1264. The return journey over Warningore Wood shows more fascinating Wealt landscape.
5. Amberley Wild Brooks & Bignor Roman Villa
This walk shows the incredible variety of Sussex-Wald landscapes, including Amberley Wild Brooks, an 800 hectare flood of river, which is particularly atmospheric in autumn. The Bignor Roman Villa is another highlight and one of the best examples of a Roman courtyard villa in the country.
Go south to the footpath along the Arun River and cross it about a mile upstream on the pedestrian bridge. Follow the path to Amberley and a four miles long central route to the north over the atmospheric swampland of the wildlocks to Coldwaltham. Go north through the Coldwaltham Park Wood before circle south through two miles of mixed forests towards Bignor and his Roman villa. The last route through West Burton, Bury and this time on the west bank of the Arun River has a great view of the South Downs.
6. Petworth Park and Upperton Common
In their multicolored best in autumn, the old oaks, chestnuts, beeches and limes were part of the design of Capability Brown for Petworth Park and an important source of inspiration for the artist JMW Turner. The local brachhir herd is the oldest and largest in England, while the adjacent landscape around Tillington has a touching view of the downs.
Pay attention to the entire Hallows church opposite the pub with your “crowned” tower, then follow the way to the northwest and then on the edge of a vineyard from the 14th century. Drive north for a racetrack through the Holly and beech forests from Upperton Common before entering the Petworth Park on the Upperton Gate, where the 700 hectares in front of you accommodate some of the oldest trees in Europe, including a 940-year-old oak.
7. Forests and depths near Goodwood
With so many great walking options that easily reach one of the best pub gardens in the country, it is a big mystery to choose one over another. The garden looks down on Levin to the north, while a little more than a mile south of the Goodwood Race Course and the trundle, one of the most dramatic of the prehistoric hill fortresses on the south bodies.
This route follows a path that takes place the southern face of Levin northeast through Lady Wood and then north by the heart of the Singleton forest, followed by a hearty west along the southern Downs Art. Go south along the Braidleway, which runs down the west side of Westdean Woods (Hasel Coppice and Oak) before opening back on the way to the downland with a view of Goodwood while ending the race track.
8. Beacon Hill & Harting down
Pubs do not get much better than the three horseshoes (delicious homemade food, beer from the barrel, flag floors, abbey, blockfire, beautiful garden) and country walks are not much better than Harting Down, a place with special scientific interest.
Drive south to the base of the downs. After climbing through the forest and over the Beacon Hill – once in the iron age and later a telegraph station during the Napoleonic wars, you can enjoy the view of the Isle of Wight before connecting the South Downs Way briefly. Then turn south, circle around and take through rolling valleys and take the route over the Pen Hill back to the Wead. Harting Down is famous for its song birds and rare types of flora and fauna, including the pyramid orchid, the blue carpenter and cheese snail.
9. Meon Valley
One of the last outposts of paganism in England, until the locals were converted by St. Wilfrid, East Meon with her excellent Norman Church is a popular stopover for tired hikers on the way south. The village is generous and easily accessible and easily accessible and is named after the Meon River, which runs through it.
Spend some time to enjoy the All Saints Church before driving south to the end of the Chapel Street. Turn right and take the footpath on your left heading to the south. Hold on your rights to the east towards the south farm and the beautiful chalk filter bat, which is the source of the Meon River. Climb Hyden Hill and follow the South Downs Way on to Wether Down and Salt Hill (a route that is popular with mountain bikers) before taking the footpath to your left just before Hen Wood and going back to the village.
10. Wayfarer’s Walk & South Downs Way
At their western end near Winchester, the South Downs extend to Hampshire, where other long -distance routes such as The Monarch Way and Wayfarer’s Walk overlap with the South Downs Way. Her last reward at the end of walk is a beer in Milbury, one of the most eccentric pubs in the area with 300 feet fountain and internal sellers.
Follow Milbury from the tree cover along the South Downs Way with a view to the north via Rolling Countryside. Make the Wayfarer walk through a style in the trees to the left to Kilmeston and further towards Cheriton. Follow the path around Hinton Ampner (do not miss the house and great formal gardens) and through the park to the straw delicacies from Cheriton, north of the source of the ITCHE Source. Nearby is the location of the Battlefield from 1644. Follow the Honey Lane back to the place where you meet the South Downs to complete your trip.
Further inspiration about where you can spend the night, read the guideline from Telegraph Travel for the guide to Best hotels in the south.
This piece was first published and revised and updated in 2022.
