Follow this popular National Trail from Winchester along the crest of the South Downs, with panoramic views over the Sussex coast and the wooded landscape of the Weald. Iron-Age forts, timeless villages and displays of wild flowers are our companion as we head for the dramatic chalk cliffs of Beachy Head.

Detailed information

	Detailed itinerary
	Dates and prices
	Average temperatures

Detailed itinerary

100 miles with 8 to 12 miles and up to 1,950ft of ascent in a day.

ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival day

Day 2: Winchester to Exton
Distance: 19km (12 miles)
We soon leave the interesting city of Winchester, ancient capital city of England with its famous cathedral, and have some pleasant walking through rolling countryside. After passing through the village of Chilcomb (look out for an old tile-roofed granary built on "staddle stones" to keep out the rats), we begin climbing towards our first hill summit, Telegraph Hill. From here we enjoy particularly good views back over to Winchester and views begin to open up to the south. We gradually meander across rolling countryside of mixed woodlands and arable lands passing Mill Barrows, an ancient burial mound, and the lost medieval village of Lomer which is now merely bumps in a field. On Beacon Hill we gain a beautiful view over the Meon valley, before descending to the village of Exton where we take our coach back to Abingworth Hall.

Day 3: Exton to Queen Elizabeth Forest
Distance: 17km (10½ miles)
From the village of Exton we continue east to ascend Old Winchester Hill, a national nature reserve. We descend and head towards the village of East Meon over more open rolling downland with superb views in most directions. Now we really begin to experience the chalk ridge landscape of the Downs as we approach Butser Hill (886 ft) which presents a dramatic start. Dropping down again we come to the Queen Elizabeth Country Park. A number of cross dykes and tumuli on this hillside, along with Bronze and Iron Age field systems, suggest its strategic importance. Our coach takes us back to Abingworth Hall.

Day 4: Queen Elizabeth Forest to Cocking
Distance: 19km (12 miles)
Continuing eastwards, we see more forest landscape on the gentler southern slopes of the Downs. At Hundred Acres we cross over the county border from Hampshire into Sussex which was once the official end of the Way before the extension to Winchester. We walk just above Telegraph House, which commemorates the sending of semaphore messages via this hill during the Napoleonic wars. We pass by more ancient sites; on Beacon Hill there is an Iron Age fort and at Devil's Jumps a spectacular group of large tumuli. Some pleasant downland ridge walking rounds off our day south of Cocking and our coach takes us back to Abingworth Hall.

Day 5: Cocking to Amberley
Distance: 18½km (11½ miles)
We begin the day by climbing back onto the ridge and passing Heyshott Down archaeological site, a group of Bronze Age burial mounds dating from about 1500BC. We enter woodlands of Charlton Forest by way of a rather dark and sometimes muddy stretch and continue on to Graffham Down. Further east we discover evidence of Roman occupation as we come to the Roman road of Stane Street, now a raised embankment. For a few moments we travel along it where previously corn would have passed from the Downs, iron from the Weald, and trade goods from the continent. The road was constructed to connect the old port of Chichester with London. We descend from the Downs to the floodplain of the tidal River Arun, through the estate village of Houghton (this is Duke of Norfolk country) and cross the river to Amberley Chalk Pits. There may be time to take a look around before we board our coach and head back to Abingworth.

Day 6: Amberley to Steyning
Distance: 19km (12 miles), 21½km (13½ miles) with visit to Steyning
Starting with a relatively steep ascent past the chalk pits, we conquer Rackham Banks, a substantial but little understood earthwork. Beyond here we enjoy some fairly level, airy ridge-top walking with fine views. A brief, steep descent to cross the A24 and then an ascent back onto the ridge top takes us to Chanctonbury Ring. We progress over a mixed landscape of arable and pasture lands with wooded slopes below. The tops of the Downs themselves are on the whole bare and give a feeling of isolation. We enjoy views over the village of Steyning and beyond. Passing Steyning Bowl, a dramatic dry valley, on our way down to the River Adur, we walk into Steyning, a charming Saxon village and a port until the river silted up in the 13th century. It has a number of interesting and picturesque buildings and was popular with writers and artists in the early part of this century.

Day 7: Steyning to Ditchling Beacon
Distance: 17½km (11 miles)
Leaving Steyning we start a grand day's walking mainly along the crest of the open Downs with magnificent panoramic views. We pass dew ponds, tumuli, Bronze Age settlements and Iron Age forts. We reach the ridge top after climbing Truleigh Hill (708 ft), and soon walk along the head of Devil's Dyke, an impressive deep steep-sided dry valley. Through a mixed arable landscape, we drop down to cross another busy main road, the A23 London to Brighton, at the village of Pyecombe. Climbing back on to the ridge we can look back on the Clayton Windmills, known as Jack and Jill, before heading on to another famous landmark, Ditchling Beacon. At 813 feet, this is the third highest point on the South Downs. Before reaching the Beacon, we pass by a Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserve where several species of wild orchids may be found at certain times of the year.

Day 8: Free day

Day 9: Ditchling Beacon to Southease
Distance: 18½km (11½ miles)
Several miles of open downland follow until we drop down to the main A27 Lewes road. A gradual climb partly along "Juggs Road" takes us back onto the Downs. This track is an ancient route that was used to carry fish to Lewes market. At White Way, another old route into Lewes, we cross from the western to the eastern hemisphere as we pass the Greenwich Meridian. Dropping down into the Ouse valley we pass through the attractive village of Southease.

Day 10: Southease to Exceat
Distance: 17½km (11 miles)
From the Ouse valley we have a steep ascent up Itford Hill. The effort is rewarded by several miles of more wonderful open ridge-top walking, passing a number of tumuli and dew ponds, though some are now dried out. Firle Beacon (712 ft) provides one of the finest views from the Downs in all directions. We follow a chalk track that used to be a sheep drove road, and drop down into Alfriston, a pretty village with a number of interesting buildings. A footbridge takes us across the River Cuckmere and we turn south following the valley seawards, meandering slowly past pretty cottages and hamlets and through woodland.

Day 11: Exceat to Eastbourne
Distance: 13km (8 miles)
From the hamlet of Exceat, we gradually ascend the downs beside the meandering River Cockmere. We climb the chalk cliffs and have a bracing walk over the ups and downs of the famous Seven Sisters. Following the cliffline for several miles, we come to Beachy Head. The cliffs here are 530 feet high; if you can bear to look down, you will see the famous "candy stick" Beachy Head Lighthouse, which was built in 1902 and narrowly escaped damage from a recent rockfall from Beachy Head itself. Soon afterwards we drop down into Eastbourne and the end of our journey.

Day 12: Depart after breakfast

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Dates and prices

Please note that 2008 holidays are fully booked, you can book for 2009 now.

Premium single & twin room supplement: £5 per person, per night

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Average temperatures

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