But maybe not quite 20 mile days! :D. The yha hostels on the SDW are excellent. The South Downs will leave you spattered to the waist in grey-white mud. As someone who believed walking poles were exclusively for douchebags and grandparents, Im holding up my hands and confessing to being a convert. The South Downs Way comes in at 100 miles and runs between . While the official mileage for the walk is 100 miles, we ended up tackling 121 miles in total. Thanks! Hi Bex, love your website and specific detail on the South Down Way. Fantastic breakfast with homemade sourdough bread (the owner runs classes on how to make sourdough bread, so you know its going to be great!). 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. Long Man of Wilmington & Litlington White Horse. The views were consistently pretty. Hmmm.. you could try just doing a couple of days of the South Downs Way to start with, rather than the entire thing. Thanks for sharing, Fred :-). The South Downs Way is the most famous trail in the South Downs National Park. I think Id be adding an extra day to my trip if I was going to do it. - Jason Paul. This is Aalto. And if, like me, you dont actually have any arches, the walk can be even more excruciating. Dig a hole at least 6inches deep and then cover it up when finished. 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. 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 . Join my irregular bi-monthly(ish) newsletter. I also invested in an Osprey reservoir to slip inside it. Hadrians Wall is a little easier in terms of walking surface, so you could also do a few days of that. The South Downs Way pases through the South Downs a beautiful area, which may soon become a National Park. Growing up in Hampshire I wasnt far from the South Downs Way. The South Downs are designated as a national park. 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. This Campsites South Downs Way directory lists all the campsites available near the trail. The only thing youll have to look out for are the cows. battled the censors a @RandPauld helped many of us learn: More 6. Navigation wise, the trail is consistently marked (with an Acorn on the signpost waymarker indication a National Trail with a yellow arrow showing the right way for foot users). The pubs can be a little pricey and can get booked up in the busy season (mostly summer holidays) so you may want to make reservations in advance. You'll find some of the best stargazing spots in England in places like Old Winchester Hill, Harting . 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. If hiking in peak season you will be able to make use of the occasional pub and cafe (although youll be expected to buy something if you do use the facilities). Most of the places were happy to fill our bottles for free. In particular when you reach the cliffs and have the dramatic coastline ocean views. Thats always an added bonus in this country! Breakfast available to purchase on site), Day 7: Rodmell to Alfriston (10 miles)Staying at: Wingrove House (170 for 2 people including breakfast). The South Downs Way Is Beyond Miserable FOR SALE!. Website Design, Build & Digital Marketing by WRD. It looks beautiful. If you are attempting the South Downs Way in stages, be sure to remind whoever is collecting you at the next stop to bring water for your horse before you load them. Breakfasts and dinners were easy everywhere we stayed on the trail offered breakfast, and they were uniformly delicious. A journey that can be taken by cyclists and horse-riders . I suggest going outside of school holidays if you can and avoiding any bank holiday weekends. Text settings. The trail goes from the city of Winchester to Eastbourne, a famous seaside town with iconic white cliffs. 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. Subscribe to leave a comment. Required fields are marked *. Best known for the South Downs Way, this 160km (100 mile) route from Winchester to Eastbourne offers stunning . Open access downland. Alternatively, use toilet paper and take it with you (just store it in a disposable sandwhich bag or a biodegradable nappy/poop bag) then dispose of it when you see a bin. Route: The South Downs Way is well signposted and easy to follow. 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! All the hotels and b&bs come with a personal recommendation they are clean, comfortable and have great customer service. 2. 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. I used to spend family holidays at the seaside in the U.K., so it filled me with a certain amount of nostalgia. Obviously, if you arent planning to camp you can ditch the cooking stuff, tent and sleeping gear. The South Downs Way is one of the 16 National Trail walks that criss-cross their way around the United Kingdom. L urking among the jubilant Americans venturing back out to bars and planning their summer-wedding travel is a different group: liberals who aren't quite ready to let go of pandemic . Or a few days of the Thames Path, as thats super-flat and easy to walk. 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! 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. We mark out potential spots for wild camping, and discuss how far we can . The South Downs is fantastic riding country. As with any other hack, we strongly recommend you bring your mobile phone, allowing you to contact someone for help should it be required. A pub meal will cost around 20 for a main and drink and a light lunch (sandwich and snacks) 10.80-90 a day is about right for a more comfortable experience. In the U.K., school holidays start on around the 15th July and last until around the 5th September, so early-July was a fantastic time to walk! Once you complete the trail you can get a completion certificate to keep! 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. the south downs way is beyond miserable. In this guide I cover everything you need to know to do the hike yourself from details on camping and accommodation options, wild camping choices, costs, what you need to pack, food, top tips and the best South Downs Way route planners. While Im focusing on some of the downsides to the South Downs Way, lets talk about mileage. I'm Lauren, the founder of Never Ending Footsteps. At the weekend, the trail gets crammed with visitors and dog walkers. Because time was short, we opted to not do the full trail in one go and settled on a 50mile multi-day hike, from Amberley train station to Eastbourne. We had two challenging walks, where we racked up 20 and 22 miles, but the rest of our mileage felt comfortable. 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. A Professional theme for architects, construction and interior designers Would love to get a taste and work up to something a bit longer (and sloppier and filled with those rock shards!) Id suggest bringing a buff and a warm hat you can pull over your ears to give your face a break on especially windy days. Im actually intending to walk the trial with an off-road buggy later this year and will be blogging about my experience. +44 (0)1323 870280; sevensisters.org.uk. The hospices of Sussex are dedicated to providing specialist end-of-life care. Thats why I recommend investing in hiking poles for you walk, even if you hate them. lionel richie lytham st annes. This took a bit of planning its especially important that you check opening times for cafes and pubs in advance. The walk follows the ridge across the chalk downs, passing many of the . 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! Its always good practice to have a spare 1 litre of water with you than you think you need. Before choosing to wild camp on the South Downs Way, please do read this Wild Camping UK article so you know the correct etiquette. The South Downs is a long range of chalk hills, and the trail runs largely along the top of them. We hop on the train to Eastbourne, and examine the hiking route we'll be taking. Its about a five minute walk from restaurants and pubs, and the breakfast was so delicious and healthy! I also enjoyed spending a night in Eastbourne after finishing my walk. It runs from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in Sussex.. Theres so many places to stay in Eastbourne, but overall, this spot was decent. I can recomend checking out: Here are some useful links to other resources, as well as links to blogs to give you a different perspective from others who have hiked the route: Thank you for reading my guide and I hope it was helpful I really do love this hike and I hope this will make it easier for you to plan your own adventure. Most people spend 7 or 8 days walking the whole South Downs Way. 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. As for the pub in Amberley was that the George & Dragon, or the Bridge? But with some considerations. Its said to be one of the easiest of the National Trails, but it was its reputation as one of the prettiest that had me sold. While blisters tend to go numb after ten minutes of walking, the exact opposite occurs on the soles of your feet when walking on a rigid surface. Quotes tagged as "miserable" Showing 1-30 of 131. A tough mum covered the full distance with her children and a buggy carrying all their items, Champing: a guide to camping in ancient churches, contingency its always good to have a contingency in the budget, 200 should be plenty for their hike to account for any unplanned taxis or accommodation if needed. All the hotels and b&bs come with a personal recommendation they are clean, comfortable and have great customer service. Are there any places that would recommend for lunch stops or cafes for takeaway on the route please? And lets face it: heading downstairs to have dinner is exactly whats needed after a long day of walking. The 9 day trip is done at a more leisurely pace. Alternatively, hop aboard one of the Breeze up to the Downs buses, a network of three bus services linking Brighton with some of the most popular South Downs destinations close to the city . Ecstasy (noun): an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement.From the Greek ecstasis (standing outside oneself). Its pretty damn hard to lose the trail. The South Downs Way comes in at 100 miles and runs between Winchester and Eastbourne through the South Downs National Park. arduino credit card skimmer. 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. 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. Awesome website! As long as youre prepared for the tough surfaces, youre going to have a great experience. Some great tips here for walking the South Downs Way. For the start point, you want to head to Winchester. Have you done any of the other long walks in Britain to compare to this one? For more fun details go to the overview page, which tells . Dont forget to also sign up to my newsletter to stay up to date with future adventures. One of England's National Trails, the South Downs Way, is a 160km long-distance walk, the entirety of which sits within the South Downs National Park. by . Merrell are king when it comes to long-distance walking, and I decided on the Merrell Accentor shoes for this 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. We stayed at the Ecolodge while walking the South Downs Way. The park has a resident population of around 110,000 people and 125,000 sheep. When is the best time to walk the South Downs Way? The South Downs Way is one of 16 National Trails in the UK. Hotel in East Meon. Amberley:A Barn at South Downs This is a great place to stay, with a lovely pub within walking distance you can probably tell what my priority was on this walk. Google Maps is a great tool to use to plan your food stops each day. At the time we were living in London and this made it easy to get to and from the start via public transport. 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. Each year thousands head out to explore the trail - this is what they see.https://www.s. Follow, Or for something really challenging, how about the. Five days of walking. As always, you made me yearn for the same type of vacation! The South Downs Way is one of 16 National Trails in the UK. I do a lot of camping with my job (running the womens adventure Light was already starting to come through the windows at half four in the morning. It made for a fun physical challenge and was a great way to spend a week in nature. Now even the U.S. Energy Department has come to that conclusion. Plan a cycling adventure today. Especially on a hot day. 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. 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. The . Walking conditions are reasonably easy due to the fast draining chalk, though some sections are steep. the south downs way is beyond miserable . Take a Look at our recommended walks. The South Downs Way is a 100-mile National Trails walking path in the UK. If you do choose to wild camp, one of the great advantages is that you dont need such a rigid itinerary. - Daniel Pipes. The first is weather and the second is how busy the trail is going to be. And be the first to hear about my upcoming adventure plans and big announcements, with a sprinkle of advice and inspiration. Off-road cyclists regularly complete the trail. It'. Dave's brought a map, a compass, a navigational guide for the South Downs Way, a gas canister, and a spare water pouch for me. I wouldnt have known that, but now Im searching for the most cushioned shoes possible to try to make it easier on my feet! Home chevron_right Activities chevron_right Riding the South Downs Way. I. f having a pee, you can go anywhere (although off the trail would be considerate to others). The passage of time has not left me any less angry about, Theres still a hint of life in the Tory party, Harry, Meghan and the rise and fall of the folie deux, The importance of exposing Matt Hancocks WhatsApp messages, Five things weve learned from Hancocks lockdown files. 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