Budget: Wetherdown Lodge & Campsite Situated just south of East Meon, the Wetherdown Lodge & Campsite offers simple accommodation at reasonable prices. Hope that makes sense. at Ye Olde Smugglers Inne for something nice but more basic (95 for 2 dinner available for an additional 20). 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 started on the 8th July and it landed us with wonderful sunshine. the south downs way is beyond miserable. A big section of the South Downs is privately owned farmland which you shouldnt be camping on without permission. The South Downs Way is one of the 16 National Trail walks that criss-cross their way around the United Kingdom. Quotes tagged as "miserable" Showing 1-30 of 131. TQ032123) which is a wild camping space right on the trail. Far more importantly, we fundamentally disagree over his handling of the pandemic. Ultra hikers and runners often cover the distance in a 2-day 100mile challenge (hats off to them!). The South Downs Way: Fact File. The park is bountiful with many places to stay including hotels, bunkhouses, Bed and Breakfasts, campsites and even yurts and shepherds huts. There are 2 factors to consider when picking your dates. Day 3: Petersfield to Chichester 19 milesCamping at New House Farm (New House Lane, East Dean, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0NJ). Although the relentlessness of the hills shouldnt be underestimated, Id say this is a good trail for hiking and backpacking beginners. Day one: 40 miles Eastbourne-Upper Beeding (39 miles on the trail). Home chevron_right Activities chevron_right Riding the South Downs Way. Total length: 160km. If doing a poo, you need to be a decent way off the trail and at least 200m away from any water sources. "The Palestinians are a miserable people and they deserve to be.". The climb was rewarded by views inland across the Sussex Weald to the North Downs, and south to the sea at Newhaven. 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. Most people opt for walking the South Downs Way at a gentler pace. National Trails are long-distance footpaths, with distances ranging from 79 miles on the Yorkshire Wolds Way to a whopping 2,795 miles[!] Would you walk this on your own? Heres where we stayed on the South Downs Way: Cheriton:The Brick House B&B What a lovely spot! 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Buying a 4m bell tent was probably one of the best purchases I have ever made. Our comprehensive guide to the South Downs Way means that planning your trip has never been easier. The South Downs Way has become the first fully accessible national trail! I'm here to help you explore this planet safely, adventurously, and affordably. This was probably our favourite place we stayed on the entire walk. Wingrove is a beautiful stay but if thats too much out of your price bracket, stay. Well.the simple answer is yes. I wanted to start with a brief introduction to give this guide context. It is renowned for exhibiting the best of southern English countryside with its rolling hills, glassy chalk streams, bucolic farmer's . Day 1: Winchester to East Meon (18 miles)Staying at: Angel Cottage B&B (58 for 2 including breakfast) perfectly located on the SDW. The accommodation recommendations below are as close to the trail as possible. The Trailblazer guide has a mileage chart at the back that tells you the exact distance between towns, so you can work out the total distance in advance. I personally walked 114miles/182km in the end. But now added to that list are wheelchair users and off-road buggies. 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. However, I have wild camped and found that if you are considerate and follow the rules, it is tolerated. Its pretty damn hard to lose the trail. In fact, there was a part of me that was eager to turn around at the finish line and walk back to Winchester! The South Downs stretches from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in Sussex, with the South Downs Way covering the 101 miles . Best camping, glamping, and outdoor stays in South Downs National Park. Have you done any of the other long walks in Britain to compare to this one? For a quote you can contact info@southdownsdiscovery.com. Not all rides need to be on the path, why not take a leisurely tour between scenic villages on your road or regular bike. Yes, Im fortunate to have feet that are as flat as the floor I stand on and it made for a tough challenge. Once youve finished your hike, head to the ocean for a swim/paddle and then grab a bag of chips. These 2 guys walked it while pushing a pram for their dogs! There are some moderately steep slopes but the path mostly runs on farm tracks across rolling open chalk downland. 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! The west half of the hike is mostly through farmland and forests. 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! Take any sanitary products away with you to dispose of when you next pass a bin. Special Places to visit in the South Downs . The hospices of Sussex are dedicated to providing specialist end-of-life care. Website Design, Build & Digital Marketing by WRD. The South Downs is fantastic riding country. Providing a very different experience! Once you complete the trail you can get a completion certificate to keep! Your blog is full of lots of information which is great. It runs for around 100 miles from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in Sussex, with a small loop around Eastbourne. 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. In March-April, when the fields are dotted with lambs and calves, the trees begin to bud. The provision of wonderful restaurants, cosy fireside pubs, rivers, seaside, hills, woods, walks and the transport links from London, Portsmouth, Southampton and beyond means this special part of the country consistently ranks as one of the most popular places to spend an afternoon, a day, a weekend or even a week! Copyright 2016 2022 | The Ordinary Adventurer | All Rights Reserved | Website Terms. where did the dursleys go to escape the letters; the south downs way is beyond miserable; 30 . My mistake, West to East is the better way so you finish with Eastbourne. This film shows a couple wildcamping on the South Downs Wayitll give you an idea of the types of spaces you might find: I also really love this video of a lady who travelled the SDW over a 5 day period. It was a sudden, three-pronged assault on the senses. Long Man of Wilmington & Litlington White Horse. But nothing steep or too big. 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 Shoe Inn, the village pub, is a friendly welcome on the South Down's Way. Day two: 39 miles to Petersfield (36 miles on the trail). We met just three other people that were walking the entire distance, although there were dozens of other people out on day hikes. Hadrians Wall is a little easier in terms of walking surface, so you could also do a few days of that. Wow! As for the pub in Amberley was that the George & Dragon, or the Bridge? Read more Located within an hour of London, this delightful National Trail meanders along the crest of the Downs with far-reaching views over the patchwork fields, woods and villages of the Weald and southwards to . Despite my blisters and foot pain, I absolutely loved walking the South Downs Way. 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. "Each indulgence in pleasure is an appointment made with misery.". Walking conditions are reasonably easy due to the fast draining chalk, though some sections are steep. 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 Beyond Miserable FOR SALE!. The South Downs Way comes in at 100 miles and runs between . In terms of weather windows from April-October will give you the best weather. It was especially nice to have some avocado toast for breakfast rather than a full English, which youll find yourself eating plenty of on this track. This is a very manageable trail in so much as the route is easy to follow and the terrain is flat and with very little ascent. 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. - Daniel Pipes. I attempted to walk the length of Hadrians Wall, The Cost of Travel in London: A 2023 Budget Breakdown, How to Spend Three Magnificent Days in Tbilisi, Georgia: A 2023 Itinerary, How to Spend Two Fantastic Weeks in Germany: An Itinerary for First-Time Visitors, How to Spend Three Perfect Days in Amsterdam, How to Spend Three Incredible Days in Lisbon, Portugal, How to Spend Three Days in Berlin, Germany: My 2023 Itinerary, 18 Breathtaking Things to Do in Mallorca, Spain, The Cost of Travel in Slovenia: A Detailed Budget Breakdown, How to Spend Three Days in Austin: The Best Itinerary, How to Pack for the Netherlands: My Complete Packing List, How to Spend Two Weeks in Morocco: My 2023 Itinerary, 29 Things to Do in Wellington, New Zealand. Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience. July and August are the hottest months and being on the exposed cliffs can result in tough days if you get an especially hot spell. Your email address will not be published. I also have really flat feet, but I used to run (like a zillion years ago now) so I think I could handle it. We recommend that you wear your usual riding attire, as well as waterproofs if the weather is looking like it could be damp. That could, of course, be because cyclists travel faster so were more likely to overtake us. It wasnt rare for us to walk for a couple of hours without seeing another human. We hop on the train to Eastbourne, and examine the hiking route we'll be taking. I felt like I was walking through a postcard for much of our journey. 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. Every time I did so, I felt exceptionally safe. If you do choose to wild camp, one of the great advantages is that you dont need such a rigid itinerary. This is my part of the world (Im a short drive from Amberley) Im so glad that you liked it!! Most of the places were happy to fill our bottles for free. 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. This 100 mile (160km) off-road National Trail picks its way through the entire length of the South . Well, kind of but not really. battled the censors a @RandPauld helped many of us learn: More 6. 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. Stretching the full width of the South Downs National Park, the trail starts in Winchester, Hampshire. The trail is favoured by National Trail 'baggers', solo walkers, first-timers, and those who are simply looking for a walking holiday in a peaceful yet historical corner of England. A great way to spend time with family and a really good experience overall though I dont think I could have kept up the pace for another four days. Winchester to Eastbourne in 6 Days Walking Code: SD7. It is wooded, with a defined ridge along which the South Downs Way runs. Day 5: Amberley to Poynings 18 milesCamping at Saddlescombe Farm (Saddlescombe Road, Poynings, BN45 7DE) close to the trail. Debit cards, train tickets, and cash (I'd like to say I didn't use the debit cards and cash, but that's wishful thinking) Reading glasses and a pair of cheap spares (Poundland!) For more fun details go to the overview page, which tells . That means that theyve adapted all stiles and ensured the track is suitable for wheels the whole way. Countryside and cultural events take place throughout the year in the towns and villages. South Harting:The White Hart We loved the White Hart! Text size Small Medium Large Line Spacing Compact . The pubs we stayed in offered a packed lunch option, so if we knew there wouldnt be any lunch stops on the following day, wed get one to go. The South Downs Way is a public bridleway, open to walkers, cyclists, and horse riders. We encountered far more cyclists than walkers, but only a handful of horse riders. Of the hike is mostly through farmland and forests throughout the year in the towns villages! Encountered far more cyclists than walkers, but only a handful of horse riders Design, Build Digital... Petersfield ( 36 miles on the South Downs Way runs 160km ) off-road National trail walks that criss-cross their around... The South Downs Way is one of the great advantages is that you wear your Riding. The South Downs Way is beyond miserable ; 30 as flat as the floor stand... 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