Guided Trail on the South Downs Way

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

Day 1: Arrival day

Day 2: Winchester to Exton - We soon leave the interesting city of Winchester, and have some pleasant walking through rolling countryside. After passing through the village of Chilcomb we begin climbing towards our first hill summit, Telegraph Hill. We gradually meander across rolling countryside of mixed woodlands and arable lands passing Mill Barrows, and the lost medieval village of Lomer. Near Beacon Hill we gain a beautiful view over the Meon valley, before descending to the village of Exton. Distance: 12 miles with 1,200 feet of ascent

Day 3: Exton to Queen Elizabeth Forest - From the village of Exton we continue east to ascend Old Winchester Hill. We descend over a little more open rolling downland and pass near to the village of East Meon. Now we really begin to experience the chalk ridge landscape of the Downs as we approach Butser Hill. 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. Distance: 11 miles with 1,100 feet of ascent

Day 4: Queen Elizabeth Forest to Cocking - 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. We walk just above Telegraph House. 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. Distance: 12 miles with 1,600 feet of ascent

Day 5: Cocking to Amberley - We begin the day by climbing back up 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. We descend from the Downs to the floodplain of the tidal River Arun and cross the river to Amberley Chalk Pits, now an industrial history museum. Distance: 11½ miles with 1,200 feet of ascent 
 
Day 6: Amberley to Steyning - Starting with a relatively steep ascent up past the chalk pits, we conquer Rackham Banks, a substantial earthwork. Beyond here we enjoy some fairly level, airy ridge-top walking with fine views. The ridge top takes us to Chanctonbury Ring. We progress over a mixed landscape of arable and pasture lands with wooded slopes below. Passing Steyning Bowl, a dramatic dry valley, on our way down to the River Adur, we may decide to detour into Steyning, a charming Saxon village and a port until the river silted up in the 13th century. Distance: 12 miles (13½ with a visit to Steyning) with 1,300 feet of ascent

Day 7: Steyning to Ditchling Beacon - Today we walk 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, and soon walk along the head of Devil's Dyke. 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 Mills, known as Jack and Jill, before heading on to another famous landmark, Ditchling Beacon. Distance: 11 miles with 1,950 feet of ascent

Day 8: This is a day without any walks programmed, giving you the opportunity to explore the local area independently, or to use the Country House facilities.

Day 9:  Ditchling Beacon to Southease - 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 on to the Downs. At White Way, another old route into Lewes, we cross from the western to the eastern hemisphere as we pass the Greenwich Meridian 0º. Dropping down into the Ouse valley we pass through the attractive village of Southease. Distance: 11½ miles with 850 feet of ascent

Day 10: Southease to Exceat - From the Ouse valley we have a steep ascent of 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 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 footbridge takes us across the River Cuckmere (pronounced “cook-mere”) and we turn south, following the valley seawards, meandering slowly past pretty cottages and hamlets and through woodland. Distance: 11 miles with 1,100 feet of ascent

Day 11: Exceat to Eastbourne - From the hamlet of Exceat, we gradually ascend the downs beside the meandering River Cuckmere. This takes us to the start of a bracing walk over the ups and downs of the famous Seven Sisters chalk cliffs. Following the cliff line for several miles, we pass the old lighthouse at Belle Tout. At last we come to Beachy Head. Soon afterwards we drop down into Eastbourne and the end of our journey. Distance: 8 miles with 1,600 feet of ascent

Day 12: Departure day