Alfriston:The Star Inn The Star Inn is one of the oldest in the country and it has a fantastic pub to eat at. We wild camped the whole way, bringing all the food with us bought in advance. The walk starts at Southease rail station, just the other side of the River Ouse from the lovely village of Southease, and follows the South Downs Way along the scarp slope of the downs all the way to Alfriston. As the trail is well used this means really following the pitch late and leave early rule so you arent disturbing anyone else on the trail. I also highly, highly recommend taking walking poles with you. From near and far, the South Downs is an area of . The owner really helped to make our visit perfect. For this reason, spring and autumn are considered the best times to hike, although really you can do the walk all year round. :D. The yha hostels on the SDW are excellent. Plan a cycling adventure today. **MY BOOK ABOUT HIKING THE ISRAEL NATIONAL TRAIL** Grab a copy of my published book, Three Stripes South. The South Downs Way isn't a particularly high-elevation hike, but that doesn't mean there aren't great views. Your email address will not be published. No commitment. This would require you to cover around 12-15 miles a day. The park comprises of an area of chalk upland which stretches from Winchester in Hampshire, through West Sussex to Eastbourne in East Sussex. It is, however, absolutely overpriced, as Osprey recently discontinued it. The South Downs Way is one of 16 National Trails in the UK. The park has a resident population of around 110,000 people and 125,000 sheep. The undulating route provides a wonderful trip . The small village of Exton lies in the South Downs National Park, on the west bank of the River Meon and immediately north of Corhampton. South Downs Way is a long thru hike and bridleway along the South Downs in the south of England. 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. They provide . Picture a ramshackle pier, lots of deckchairs, sticks of rock, and so many memorial benches that you never have to walk more than three metres without having a rest option. the south downs way is beyond miserable. at Ye Olde Smugglers Inne for something nice but more basic (95 for 2 dinner available for an additional 20). For this reason, the only suitable places we found were small flat spots very near to the trail itself. I settled on the South Downs Way because I knew the navigation was easy and there were no major climbs. We already owned all the gear we needed.Travel 53Accommodation 0Food 27TOTAL 80. Miserable goes way beyond sad it means absolutely wretched. Day 8: Alfriston to Eastbourne (11 miles)Staying at: Albert & Victoria (77 for 2 including breakfast.an AMAZING hotel!!). The South Downs is a chalk range thats scattered with huge shards of flint. Honestly, I dont really see the point of doing this unless youre in the U.K. as part of a larger trip and have tons of luggage with you. I set out on 10-mile walk once a week in the two months leading up to the South Downs Way. Search eBay faster with PicClick. We hop on the train to Eastbourne, and examine the hiking route we'll be taking. In fact, due to the low-lying land surrounding the hillside, the horizon seems to go on for miles. Off-road cyclists regularly complete the trail. Countryside and cultural events take place throughout the year in the towns and villages. Whether you choose to hack the South Downs Way one part at a time or feel confident enough to attempt the whole trail at once, you should be prepared in the way of horsebox or trailer parking facilities, find a selection of useful information below. Required fields are marked *. 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). And let me know if you are planning to do the SDW! Walkers in Britain are an oddly talkative bunch for a country thats full of socially-awkward people so whenever you do run into someone, theyll usually be down for a chat. Most of the places were happy to fill our bottles for free. I neednt have worried, though there was plenty of options for eating! Providing a very different experience! Did you see anybody doing it while you were walking? My mistake, West to East is the better way so you finish with Eastbourne. Best known for the South Downs Way, this 160km (100 mile) route from Winchester to Eastbourne offers stunning . Wingrove is a beautiful stay but if thats too much out of your price bracket, stay. Subscribe to leave a comment. Shop the Largest Selection, Click to See! We loved our hike although it wasnt without its challenges. It gave my joints a chance to rest and my hiking poles helped me push myself upwards at a startling speed. I reached across my camp-bed to feel the temperature of the baby To celebrate the release of my debut book Three Stripes South, I'm running a Christmas special! However, I have wild camped and found that if you are considerate and follow the rules, it is tolerated. Keep this in mind when planning out your days, as it quickly adds up. Thats good to hear! This is such a wonderful trail through a beautiful part of the country. 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). But with some considerations. Day 3: Petersfield to Chichester 19 milesCamping at New House Farm (New House Lane, East Dean, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0NJ). If planning to eat out, there are many South Downs Way pubs to enjoy along the way. Horse riding in the South Downs National Park: A guide to horse riding in the South Downs Way National Park and along . There are a number of steep inclines and descends but once on the top of the ridge, the majority of the Way is flat and not too strenuous. Hmmm.. you could try just doing a couple of days of the South Downs Way to start with, rather than the entire thing. Winchester is a wonderful city thats regularly voted once of the best places to live in the country; Eastbourne has to be seen to be believed. If you have any questions, please do use the comments box below. arduino credit card skimmer. How did you decide what distances to walk each day? Take a look at our guide for recommended walks. Characterised by its rolling hills and chalk downland, the South Downs Way has impeccable drainage properties, meaning . There are 2 factors to consider when picking your dates. A cute, high-end pub with excellent food and lovely rooms out the back all en-suite. These 2 guys walked it while pushing a pram for their dogs! As I mentioned at the start of this post, the South Downs Way is regarded as one of the easiest of the 16 National Trails. (heres a quick guide and video if you are interested in horse riding the trail). The accommodation recommendations below are as close to the trail as possible. Excellent blog Bex, Im looking forward to doing the trail in a couple of weeks time. You might want to factor in an afternoon to explore Winchester as its a great city! Fairly certain it would kill me, though, hahaha :-). You can sign up to my newsletter here. It is possible to carry a weeks worth of supplies although your bag will be very heavy so planning to stock up halfway is your best option. This PDF highlights a number of equestrian parking sites, indicating the ease of approach to the car park, the space available for maneuvering a horsebox, the safety of tacking up in the area and access to bridleways from each. the south downs way is beyond miserable. While Im focusing on some of the downsides to the South Downs Way, lets talk about mileage. If you really want to experience the diversity of the South Downs national park (or you're just looking for a fun new challenge! But nothing steep or too big. This trail is so beautiful! Dave, it's fair to say, has thought of everything. I. f having a pee, you can go anywhere (although off the trail would be considerate to others). Every time I did so, I felt exceptionally safe. The hardest obstacle literally was the surface of the track. Dark skies - In 2016, the South Downs National Park was named an International Dark Sky Reserve. Thanks so much! Breaky Bottom Vineyard, Lewes. Occasionally there is a tap and trough placed for hikers. They undulate like a grassy spine from Winchester to Eastbourne, encompassing some of the most romantic, accessible walking trails in Britain, a welter of heathlands and peaks, grazing sheep and pounded footpaths.Kissing gates punctuate the chalk hills, the fields beneath the ridges a patchwork of farmland, green or . Designated a National Trail, the South Downs Way attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year each looking to get a taste of the stunning South Downs National Park. You should take away any toilet paper that you use. While the official mileage for the walk is 100 miles, we ended up tackling 121 miles in total. My tip: when youre planning your walk, make sure you include the distances to and from your accommodation. ), the South Downs Way is an adventure you definitely don't want to skip! 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. This looks so cool! theo coumbis lds; the south downs way is beyond miserable; 30 . Thanks David.I hope you have a great time. Would you walk this on your own? If you are an experienced hiker, you may want to look at doing the trail over 5-6 days to make the distances each day a bit more challenging. . For the end, you will be catching a train from Eastbourne. Ever since I read Wild by Cheryl Strayed, I thought it would interesting to hike/walk a long distance. We mark out potential spots for wild camping, and discuss how far we can . The South Downs Way stretches 100 miles from Winchester to the Victorian seaside town of Eastbourne on the South Coast of England. Before choosing to wild camp on the South Downs Way, please do read this Wild Camping UK article so you know the correct etiquette. Once you complete the trail you can get a completion certificate to keep! There is a baggage transfer option if you are keen on walking the South Downs Way without having to carry your bag. A big section of the South Downs is privately owned farmland which you shouldnt be camping on without permission. We used a small discrete 2 man tent without issue. August seems to be full of rain in the U.K. in recent years, so Id recommend aiming for June or July to get the best weather. But now added to that list are wheelchair users and off-road buggies. 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. Although there are long-distance car parking options in Winchester, Id urge you to do your bit for the environment and take the train. Sneakers Made In China - 110 . This long-distance trail runs for 100 miles across the breadth of the South Downs from Winchester to Eastbourne. For the most part, youll be walking alone without any other humans in sight. Plus, its location in the south of England meant that we would be more likely to encounter dry weather. 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!). The trail is 160km long and stretches from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex. The South Downs Way National Trail is a glorious 100-mile (160km) national trail between Winchester and Eastbourne through the South Downs National Park. A linear route which forms the seventh part of the Sussex Hospices Trail. This is Aalto. For the most part though I carried all my own supplies as I was wild camping so not able to stock up. Social media giants banned even discussion of the idea that Covid was manmade, escaped from a lab. The climb was rewarded by views inland across the Sussex Weald to the North Downs, and south to the sea at Newhaven. The 100 miles (160 Km) long South Downs Way National Trail follows the old routes and droveways along the chalk escarpment and ridges of the South Downs. If doing a poo, you need to be a decent way off the trail and at least 200m away from any water sources. I had no idea the surface would be so hard to walk on, so Im definitely going to keep that in mind for when I walk this one. The leaflets listed below are available to download as pdf files. Failing that, there is no shortage of trees and bushes to hide behind if you need to go to the toilet. I hated it. It looks beautiful so probably worth all of the foot pain! However, your horse should be comfortable carrying you for the majority of the day. Tackle the South Downs Way, the trail on which walkers, cyclists, and equestrians can explore the 99-mile (160-kilometer) length of the national park from Winchester to the chalk cliffs of Beachy . 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. The . Is Rishi Sunaks Brexit deal all its cracked up to be? If you have enough time, I recommend booking a night in both Winchester and Eastbourne. Required fields are marked *. Day one: 40 miles Eastbourne-Upper Beeding (39 miles on the trail). the south downs way is beyond miserable kahoot singular and plural nouns the south downs way is beyond miserable By: / best books on amillennialism / finishing touch battery change The great advantage of using accommodation is that you get a warm bed, hot meal and shower each day making the whole experience much more relaxed. From guesthouses, hotels and also rooms on Airbnb. battled the censors a @RandPauld helped many of us learn: More 6. The chalk downland provides good going even after rain. Breakfasts and dinners were easy everywhere we stayed on the trail offered breakfast, and they were uniformly delicious. Not only is the scenery breathtaking, but the pubs are cosy, the locals friendly, and the walking challenging but in a good way. Thank you again. 19 April 2016, 12:00am; Photo by DAVID ILIFF. Or you could try and beat the 14hour running record if you really want to give your legs a battering! Only 1 a week after your trial. In particular when you reach the cliffs and have the dramatic coastline ocean views. What an accomplishment! Takes around two hours to get there :-). I couldnt get enough of the scenery on the South Downs Way, and it proved to me that my home country is prettier than Ive always believed. However, because most of the trail follows the top of a ridge, most accommodation options are down in the valleys below, requiring an extra mile or so of hiking to and from the trail. You'll find some of the best stargazing spots in England in places like Old Winchester Hill, Harting . 2. For experienced walkers that enjoy a challenge, this itinerary allows you to complete the whole South Downs Way in 6 walking days. Looks like you had an amazing time and such an achievement! Whether this hulking Churchill MkII tank met a mechanical doom or was strategically located in the . As long as youre prepared for the tough surfaces, youre going to have a great experience. If a campsite is a 2-mile walk from the trail this means you are doing a 4-mile round trip to get there which can be frustrating. There was an-suite bathroom, an exceptionally comfortable bed, and a pub just a few metres away. This was partly in preparation for a 1000km trek I was planning, hiking the length of Israel. Probably the most comfortable backpack Ive ever worn. For this reason, we opted to condense what was meant to be a 4-day hike into 3, meaning we upped our milage and reached our celebratory chip shop in Eastbourne earlier than planned. The South Downs Way is the most famous trail in the South Downs National Park. The recommended time to walk the South Downs Way is 8 days, with an average of 12.5miles/20km a day. Once youve finished your hike, head to the ocean for a swim/paddle and then grab a bag of chips. Hiking poles will help you conserve energy, keep your weight off your hips and knees, and help so much on the uphill and downhill. A journey that can be taken by cyclists and horse-riders . The many hundreds of miles of single track and bridlepaths spurring from the South Downs Way the trail and National Park means it is not only a haven for horse riders but a mecca for Mountain Bikers. South Downs: England's Mountains Green. The South Downs Way is a long-distance footpath that winds its way from historic Winchester to Eastbourne in Sussex. The SDW is a very popular trail, especially the Seven Sisters section as you near Beachy Head and Eastbourne. Ive done lots of adventures myself from hiking the length of Isreal to kick-scooting the length of the UK (you can see a list of my adventures here). One of my highlights of this year has been successfully walking the South Downs Way. These rocks were subsequently uplifted to form the Weald-Artois Anticline. Day three: 28 miles to Winchester (25 miles on the trail). I have used the basis of this information to plan my route, ready for when we start to ease COVID-19. South Downs Way fact file. Take any sanitary products away with you to dispose of when you next pass a bin. - Daniel Pipes. Great write-up it made me feel as though I was walking the South Downs Way alongside you! Walk amongst vibrant yellow fields of corn, along picturesque . amir johnson shooting; lasalle hotel seattle. Thanks! Hi! During the summer, bees and butterflies flit over classic flowers such as orchids, scabious, gorse and heather. 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. I loved this pair from Black Diamond! The views were consistently pretty. But maybe not quite 20 mile days! Stretching the full width of the South Downs National Park, the trail starts in Winchester, Hampshire. Up there you'll find the most [] "The reason many people in our society are miserable, sick, and highly stressed is because of an unhealthy attachment to things they have no control over.". 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