Trailblazer guides are so good for walking in the U.K.! 21. This beautiful trail passes through some gorgeous undulating scenery, between Winchester and Eastbourne. It looks beautiful. The climb was rewarded by views inland across the Sussex Weald to the North Downs, and south to the sea at Newhaven. Miserable goes way beyond sad it means absolutely wretched. Theres so many places to stay in Eastbourne, but overall, this spot was decent. Not all rides need to be on the path, why not take a leisurely tour between scenic villages on your road or regular bile. There are 2 factors to consider when picking your dates. 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. :D Ive walked short sections of the SDW before, and its such an underrated part of the world as is the South Coast in general. The chalk downland provides good going even after rain. 4 - People - this is the most populated National Park with over 117,000 people and 2.2m living within 10km. The undulating route provides a wonderful trip . South Harting:The White Hart We loved the White Hart! Sounds so incredible. If planning to eat out, there are many South Downs Way pubs to enjoy along the way. In terms of difficulty, our guidebook suggested the South Downs Way is one of Britain's easiest National Trails. 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. The South Downs Way is only about an hour from London and is easily accessible by public transport. Distance: 100 miles over three days. We met just three other people that were walking the entire distance, although there were dozens of other people out on day hikes. 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. Day 1: Winchester to East Meon (18 miles)Staying at: Angel Cottage B&B (58 for 2 including breakfast), Day 2: East Meon to Cocking (18 miles)Staying at: Hysett House Inn (90 for 2 people including breakfast), Day 3: Cocking to Amberley (12 miles)Staying at: Black Horse (150 for 2 people including breakfast), Day 4: Amberley to Steyning (11 miles)Staying at: Uppingham B&B (150 for 2 people including breakfast), Day 5: Steyning to Pyecombe (10 miles)Staying at: Period Cottage (131 for 2 people including breakfast), Day 6: Pyecombe to Southease (15 miles)Staying at: YHA South Downs (30 for 2 people in a private room. Throughout my time on the trail, I would separate from Dave in order to spend some time with my thoughts. Ah, that makes me so happy to hear! Sneakers Made In China - 110 . Cancel any time. Youll want to avoid school holidays, because the trail gets far more crowded when the kids are on vacation, and that means accommodation is much more in demand. Thats always an added bonus in this country! The only thing youll have to look out for are the cows. We recommend spraying your horse with fly spray, especially in the Summer months, to ensure both horse and rider are comfortable and safe throughout. South Downs Way - 8 Days & 7 Nights. the south downs way is beyond miserable. theo coumbis lds; the south downs way is beyond miserable; 30 . TQ032123) which is a wild camping space right on the trail. While an additional mile doesnt sound like a big deal when youre sat on your sofa at home, when youre actually out walking, it can be super-demoralising after an exhausting day. Thats part of long-distance hiking though so just embrace the extra wanders into the nearby villages. For women you might like to take apee clothwith you (only for summer as youll need some sun to dry it). Text settings. Especially on a hot day. Rod Liddle is associate editor of The Spectator. As one of the UK's most challenging National Trails the South Downs Way is enjoyed by a huge cross-section of walkers of various abilities. 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. The Osprey Lumina is part of their ultra-lightweight range (it weighs just 770 grams!) As someone who believed walking poles were exclusively for douchebags and grandparents, Im holding up my hands and confessing to being a convert. If there's an untouched beach, an up-and-coming city, or a recently-discovered travel hack, you can bet that we've already written about it. Some great tips here for walking the South Downs Way. Its a beautiful trail! Route: The South Downs Way is well signposted and easy to follow. 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. Follow me on Facebook, TwitterandInstagram. Walking conditions are reasonably easy due to the fast draining chalk, though some sections are steep. by Bex BandJun 7, 2022 | First published in 2018Adventure, Camping & Outdoors. I started doing some research last night and saw Hadrians Wall and the Thames Path both come up. Total length: 160km. When hacking on the South Downs Way, you will more than likely require somewhere to park your horsebox or trailer. "People who are not happy with themselves, cannot possibly be happy with you.". Best views on the South Downs Way. They were so comfortable! The trail goes from the city of Winchester to Eastbourne, a famous seaside town with iconic white cliffs. 98 miles (158 km) The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway. I was concerned about how accessible food would be on the walk so dutifully packed my bag full of protein bars before leaving. The South Downs Way pases through the South Downs a beautiful area, which may soon become a National Park. The first is weather and the second is how busy the trail is going to be. Not only is the scenery breathtaking, but the pubs are cosy, the locals friendly, and the walking challenging but in a good way. When is the best time to walk the South Downs Way? It's the only one of 16 National Trails contained entirely within a national park. If we were staying in a pub, wed simply walk downstairs to eat. Most of the time, we would have to walk a mile off the trail to reach our accommodation, but some towns can be as many as three miles away. The South Downs Way is enjoyed by thousands of horses and riders each year, with many accounting its popularity to a combination of beautiful views, lovely bridleways and the wonderful going (even on those wet, winter days). Fairly certain it would kill me, though, hahaha :-). License: CC BY-SA 3.0. If one were coming from the US, how would they get to the trail? Ecstasy (noun): an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement.From the Greek ecstasis (standing outside oneself). Ive done long sections of this walk and Im now going to be completing the final 40 miles (Steyning area to Eastbourne) over two days in 2 weeks time. I also highly, highly recommend taking walking poles with you. There was an-suite bathroom, an exceptionally comfortable bed, and a pub just a few metres away. 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. The South Downs Way has become the first fully accessible national trail! Heres where we stayed on the South Downs Way: Cheriton:The Brick House B&B What a lovely spot! Once youve finished your hike, head to the ocean for a swim/paddle and then grab a bag of chips. Whatever you use, make sure you take a battery pack (I always use an Anker pack) as having a fully charged phone is essential for safety as well as useful should you need to check things like opening times or to call a pub to make a reservation. There is a baggage transfer option if you are keen on walking the South Downs Way without having to carry your bag. amir johnson shooting; lasalle hotel seattle. This will also save you the job of having to hunt down supermarkets to stock up along the way although a couple of the villages you pass have small shops and convenience stores. The barn is cosy and comfortable, and the breakfast is the absolute best. During the summer, bees and butterflies flit over classic flowers such as orchids, scabious, gorse and heather. Growing up in Hampshire I wasnt far from the South Downs Way. Long Man of Wilmington & Litlington White Horse. The South Downs will leave you spattered to the waist in grey-white mud. Youve convinced me! The South Downs Way is one of 16 National Trails in the UK. This is such a wonderful trail through a beautiful part of the country. Eastbourne:Albert & Victoria B&B I mostly stayed here because the the rooms looked so old fashionedthat I thought it was funny. Yes, it was so much fun :-) If I hadnt torn my feet up, it would have probably been one of the most enjoyable things Ive done! 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. The South Downs is a long range of chalk hills, and the trail runs largely along the top of them. We stayed at the Ecolodge while walking the South Downs Way. 2. You can take the coach or train from London to Winchester! The SDW is a very popular trail, especially the Seven Sisters section as you near Beachy Head and Eastbourne. If you are planning on doing the SDW all in one go, then you will need to arrange accommodation that offers appropriate food and water for your horse. 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. I did wonder if there are many shops on route to enable me to re-stock. The Shoe Inn, the village pub, is a friendly welcome on the South Down's Way. Required fields are marked *. Subscribe to leave a comment. What that means is that unless youre camping, youll need to wander off the trail each evening, then kick off every morning with a mile-odd trek uphill to rejoin the path. The South Downs Way takes you through a wonderfully varied landscape of woodland, chalk downs, arable farmland, meandering rivers, ancient forts and castles and picture postcards, and traditional English villages. The 6 day holiday has 4 long days and should only be attempted if you are fit and used to walking long distances day after day. Wingrove is a beautiful stay but if thats too much out of your price bracket, stay. Although the relentlessness of the hills shouldnt be underestimated, Id say this is a good trail for hiking and backpacking beginners. While the official mileage for the walk is 100 miles, we ended up tackling 121 miles in total. My biggest recommendation is therefore to invest in gear for the walk several months before you intend on walking it, then practice, practice, practice to make sure its a perfect fit. 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. Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. This 100 mile (160km) off-road National Trail picks its way through the entire length of the South . Itll be blustery, cold and windy over winter so youll want to wrap up warm. Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience. Very useful article and it left me smiling at your very great photos. Website Design, Build & Digital Marketing by WRD. You can sign up to my newsletter here. Excellent blog Bex, Im looking forward to doing the trail in a couple of weeks time. the south downs way is beyond miserable. If you get stuck for shops a good idea is to stay a night in a cheap b&b and ask if you can send them a resupply box in advance. The route covers the length of the South Downs National Park, the UK's most popular and most visited National Park.. If you have enough time, I recommend booking a night in both Winchester and Eastbourne. Whether you are a total beginner or an experienced rider, the South Downs Way awaits you. Probably the most comfortable backpack Ive ever worn. Thanks for sharing! It would usually take a solid nights sleep for my feet to stop hurting each day just in time for me to start walking again. Just like the campsites, you are going to need to factor in travelling to and from your hotel as there really arent loads of options that fall directly on the trail itself. You do pass the odd pub and (in peak season) cafes and ice cream vans in hot spots, like along the Seven Sisters way. At the weekend, the trail gets crammed with visitors and dog walkers. Breakfasts and dinners were easy everywhere we stayed on the trail offered breakfast, and they were uniformly delicious. In fact, there was a part of me that was eager to turn around at the finish line and walk back to Winchester! japanese mythology quiz; spanish slang for girl Theres also a super-useful distance calculator in the book that gives the mileage from village to village this enabled us to know how far we could expect to walk each day, rather than guessing with Google Maps. 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Walking the South Downs Way is a great option for anyone wanting an easy/moderate long-distance trail in the UK that can be completed in under 10 days, at a very chilled pace - or a week if you want to move a bit quicker. Ah, thank you! Counting every gram and dont want to over pack if i dont need to. Follow the South Downs Trail to Winchester or eastward towards Old Winchester Hill, Petersfield & on to Eastbourne. 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! As with any other hack, we strongly recommend you bring your mobile phone, allowing you to contact someone for help should it be required. lionel richie lytham st annes. uva scott stadium parking. In short, if youre considering walking this trail, go do it! Thanks David.I hope you have a great time. Always, always, always size up! 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