But with some considerations. Are there any places that would recommend for lunch stops or cafes for takeaway on the route please? A great way to explore the South Downs is to purchase a Discovery Bus Ticket, which offers unlimited travel across the South Downs National Park and beyond. Really friendly owners, a large breakfast, and a good location, close to the waterfront. Just one point, in the East to West/West to East section you state that East to West is the best way, but you describe the West to East route in the paragraph. The park is bountiful with many places to stay including hotels, bunkhouses, Bed and Breakfasts, campsites and even yurts and shepherds huts. 2. This was partly in preparation for a 1000km trek I was planning, hiking the length of Israel. Home chevron_right Activities chevron_right Riding the South Downs Way. In fact, due to the low-lying land surrounding the hillside, the horizon seems to go on for miles. All the hotels and b&bs come with a personal recommendation they are clean, comfortable and have great customer service. Otherwise, this list should cover everything you need. durham ontario police; does maddie know the killer in hush; Located in East Meon, 23 km from Jane Austen's House Museum, South Downs Eco Lodge & Camping provides accommodation with a garden, free private parking and a restaurant. I'm Lauren and I've been travelling the world on a permanent basis since 2011. Start/finish: Plough and Harrow, Litlington . Some great tips here for walking the South Downs Way. Would you walk this on your own? Theres a decent amount of accommodation around, with villages scattered all along the trail but not on the trail so its fairly easy to set your own milage for each day. For the end, you will be catching a train from Eastbourne. South Downs: England's Mountains Green. 5. Awesome website! Western Downs: Harting Downs to Treyford Hill. 26. Its pretty damn hard to lose the trail. As long as youre prepared for the tough surfaces, youre going to have a great experience. The South Downs Way is the most famous trail in the South Downs National Park. Of course, you can merge days to suit your walking pace: *please note distances are just an average*. Walking the South Downs Way. However, your horse should be comfortable carrying you for the majority of the day. If you do not own your own horse but would still like to experience the joys of hacking the South Downs Way, there are a number of riding schools offering hacks on the South Downs National Park and surrounding areas. There are no facilities. When you picture stereotypical scenes of the English countryside, they probably originate from the South Downs Way. Hmmm.. you could try just doing a couple of days of the South Downs Way to start with, rather than the entire thing. Using the Plan Your Visit tool on the National Trail website you are able to locate accommodation offering stabling along the South Downs Way under the Equestrian Information tab. Countryside and cultural events take place throughout the year in the towns and villages. Your email address will not be published. As for the pub in Amberley was that the George & Dragon, or the Bridge? Or perhaps do a mix of both. It also means you only need to carry a day pack with you. Follow, Or for something really challenging, how about the. There is an option to book taxis to take you to and from your accommodation. What a great article Im not British and had never heard of the South Downs Way before your recent posts, and I am really enjoying learning about it in so much detail! I felt like I was walking through a postcard for much of our journey. We ended up feeling envious of the riders on every downhill then smug during every climb! Day 5: Amberley to Poynings 18 milesCamping at Saddlescombe Farm (Saddlescombe Road, Poynings, BN45 7DE) close to the trail. Best wishes. If you want to find more inspiration on doing the distance with wheels or a pram, check out: Once youve finished the South Downs Way, youll probably be ready to start planning your next multi-day hike (theyre quite addictive!). There arent a huge amount of shops en route. For the most part though I carried all my own supplies as I was wild camping so not able to stock up. On one day, I walked the vast majority of the path alone. For the most part, youll be walking alone without any other humans in sight. They were so comfortable! There is a baggage transfer option if you are keen on walking the South Downs Way without having to carry your bag. Day 3: Petersfield to Chichester 19 milesCamping at New House Farm (New House Lane, East Dean, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0NJ). You can have a rough plan of how far you want to travel each day but can also just see how the day takes you, stopping when you find a suitable place to pitch your tents or bivvy bags. Especially on a hot day. Walkers get trampled by cows every few years or so on the South Downs Way, but the chances of that actually happening are very slim. South Downs walks - Head out along the South Downs Way, a route spanning 100 miles, which takes you all the way from Winchester to Eastbourne. Sign up to my newsletter to hear when that happens. The trail goes from the city of Winchester to Eastbourne, a famous seaside town with iconic white cliffs. Best known for the South Downs Way, this 160km (100 mile) route from Winchester to Eastbourne offers stunning . I settled on the South Downs Way because I knew the navigation was easy and there were no major climbs. Ultra hikers and runners often cover the distance in a 2-day 100mile challenge (hats off to them!). Related Articles on the United Kingdom The Cost of Travel in London: A 2023 Budget Breakdown How Not to Walk Hadrians Wall 15 Best Things to Do in Edinburgh. Or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel. I also enjoyed spending a night in Eastbourne after finishing my walk. The trail is 160km long and stretches from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex. These 2 guys walked it while pushing a pram for their dogs! It looks like a beautiful walk, aside from all the pain! If we were staying in a pub, wed simply walk downstairs to eat. National Trails are long-distance footpaths, with distances ranging from 79 miles on the Yorkshire Wolds Way to a whopping 2,795 miles [!] Hi! 4 - People - this is the most populated National Park with over 117,000 people and 2.2m living within 10km. Personally, I use aMoonCupand find it works well for hiking as you dont need to change it so often. Every time I did so, I felt exceptionally safe. Had some ice creams and lunch along the way and a bag of chips at the end. East Meon to South Harting: 12.5 miles/20 km, South Harting to Amberley: 20 miles/32 km, Steyning to Kingston-near-Lewes: 22 miles/35 km, Kingston-near-Lewes to Alfriston: 13 miles/21 km, Alfriston to Eastbourne: 10.5 miles/17 km. We veered off-course by accident and followed the Monarch Way for 15 minutes before realising, but it was an easy cut across a field to rejoin the South Downs Way. You can also ride the route on a horse! Thats good to hear! I hated it. Or a few days of the Thames Path, as thats super-flat and easy to walk. The ride from Arundel at the southern edge of the South Downs, through the villages of Petworth and Northchapel to the north showcases why this is such a special part of the world. Thank you , Your email address will not be published. 2. Prices of hotels have gone up in recent years so you are looking at an average of 50 a night per person for a comfortable bed (full list of recommended accommodation below) although most will include. And its so incredibly comfortable! If you want to just do half of the trail, you can catch a train to Amberley and head either East or West from there. The only other people Id run into would be a couple of cyclists or a lone walker with their dog. How did you decide what distances to walk each day? We really liked this B&B. That could, of course, be because cyclists travel faster so were more likely to overtake us. Im on a mission to make getting outdoors and adventures as easy as possible by providing all the information you need to plan an adventure. Shop the Largest Selection, Click to See! Take a Look at our recommended walks. The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath in Southern England and is one of Britain's National Trails. You can take the coach or train from London to Winchester! . But as anyone who has tried wild camping and a self-contained hike knows, there is some satisfaction to being out in the elements overnight.even if it does mean getting a bit wet! This way you save the best views until last, build up resilience for the more relenting coastal hills and can also finish your trek with seafront chips in Eastbourne. There are 2 factors to consider when picking your dates. How much did we spend?Barely anything!!! Once you complete the trail you can get a completion certificate to keep! Ah, that makes me so happy to hear! South Downs Way is a long thru hike and bridleway along the South Downs in the south of England. on the England Coast Path. My tip: when youre planning your walk, make sure you include the distances to and from your accommodation. Heres one for all my solo women out there: the South Downs Way felt extremely safe to walk alone. Your mileage will considerably increase though if you are travelling into villages/towns for accommodation as there arent many conveniently located on the trail so this will result in a lot of yo-yoing. Although you can get OS maps showing you the route, I wouldnt suggest using them necessarily as its so well sign-posted and you are unlikely to get massively lost. There are stunning, panoramic views to the sea and across the Weald as you travel the 100 mile length of the South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne, culminating in the impressive chalk cliffs at Seven Sisters. Best views on the South Downs Way. This would require you to cover around 12-15 miles a day. The first part of a delightful walking break takes the hiker from England's ancient capital city to East-Hampshire's border, just beyond the market town of Petersfield. For something fancier, I can suggest heading to Skylar which is a beautiful restaurant. The South Downs Way is a public bridleway, open to walkers, cyclists, and horse riders. Although wild camping isnt the easiest on the trail and most people opt for b&bs or campsites, its absolutely doable (more on that below). Horse riding in the South Downs National Park: A guide to horse riding in the South Downs Way National Park and along . The following are the points where the path can be picked up using public transport: Meon valley, South Harting, Cocking, Amberley (train station) Bramber, Devil's Dyke and Ditchling beacon at weekends, Southease (train station) Alfriston and Cuckmere . The South Downs Way stretches 100 miles from Winchester to the Victorian seaside town of Eastbourne on the South Coast of England. You can walk the Hangers Way, a 21 mile path from Alton to Queen Elizabeth Country Park through Selborne, Steep and Petersfield. Take a look at our guide for recommended walks. Ill amend the mistake. You can also just navigate using a phone. My shoes had never felt perfect and once I started to walk long distances every day, my ankles ended up so bruised that I could barely move my feet. It'. I neednt have worried, though there was plenty of options for eating! Probably the most comfortable backpack Ive ever worn. The chalk downland provides good going even after rain. Day 7: Lewes to Seaford 18 milesCamping at Foxhole campsite (Seven Sisters Country Park, Exceat, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 4AG) close to the trail. Looks like you had an amazing time and such an achievement! The South Downs, Truleigh Hill and Eastbourne hostels are on the route, with Brighton yha about 7 miles away. My backpack weighed just 5 kg and contained very little, so as long as you pack light, you wont feel the need to have it transported. Dig a hole at least 6inches deep and then cover it up when finished. The east half is a bit more spectacular. Can you wild camp on the South Downs Way? Again a life-changing piece of kit. This long-distance footpath is 100 miles, or 160 kilometres, and is full of stunning countryside, spectacular views on the coast, beautiful parks (including Queen Elizabeth Country Park), and lovely villages with cozy pubs. It is wooded, with a defined ridge along which the South Downs Way runs. If doing a poo, you need to be a decent way off the trail and at least 200m away from any water sources. The South Downs Way is enjoyed by thousands of horses and riders each year, with many accounting it's popularity to a combination of beautiful views, lovely bridleways and the wonderful going (even on those wet, winter days). An airline once tore a hole in my Osprey backpack and they had it repaired and back in my hands in under a week all for free!). the south downs way is beyond miserable. Most people opt for walking the South Downs Way at a gentler pace. Mai 2022 . I was concerned about how accessible food would be on the walk so dutifully packed my bag full of protein bars before leaving. The trail stretches 100 miles from the historic city of Winchester to the coastal chalk hills on the South Coast. The walk follows the ridge across the chalk downs, passing many of the . Copyright Lauren Juliff 2010-2023 All rights reserved. Hope that makes sense. Imagine slapping your feet down on a hard, uneven surface for ten hours straight and you have some idea of how painful the walk can be for your arches. It runs for around 100 miles from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in Sussex. The South Downs Way Route. The SDW is a very popular trail, especially the Seven Sisters section as you near Beachy Head and Eastbourne. A cute, high-end pub with excellent food and lovely rooms out the back all en-suite. Legally you are not allowed to camp on the South Downs. 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