Its always good practice to have a spare 1 litre of water with you than you think you need. 8-9 days is a good estimate to walk the entire route at an easy pace. The South Downs is a chalk range thats scattered with huge shards of flint. 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. Just curious why some days you walked 8 miles and others 22 :). You might want to factor in an afternoon to explore Winchester as its a great city! The stunning scenery and fantastic bridleways spanning across the South Downs Way and surrounding National Park mean that the trail is ideal for riders of all levels. 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. There was an-suite bathroom, an exceptionally comfortable bed, and a pub just a few metres away. I'm Lauren, the founder of Never Ending Footsteps. Most of the places were happy to fill our bottles for free. You should take away any toilet paper that you use. And its so incredibly comfortable! It gave my joints a chance to rest and my hiking poles helped me push myself upwards at a startling speed. The South Downs Way Is Beyond Miserable FOR SALE!. Thank you , Your email address will not be published. Below is an 8 day suggested route plan for anyone wanting to use accommodation en route. It looks like a beautiful walk, aside from all the pain! 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. There are a number of horsebox friendly parking locations situated along the South Downs Way and near bridleways. 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. Lots of people have accidentally fallen to their deaths getting too close or being distracted taking pictures. For more fun details go to the overview page, which tells . South Downs Way is a long thru hike and bridleway along the South Downs in the south of England. At the weekend, the trail gets crammed with visitors and dog walkers. 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! On a trail like the South Downs Way, I view them as a hiking essential. by . Special Places to visit in the South Downs . That could, of course, be because cyclists travel faster so were more likely to overtake us. 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! 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! battled the censors a @RandPauld helped many of us learn: More 6. 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. You could look at organising taxis and pickups for some of them or wild camp (see my heading below on wild camping). Ill amend the mistake. The South Downs Way comes in at 100 miles and runs between Winchester and Eastbourne through the South Downs National Park. Day 1: Winchester to Cheriton 6 mileCamping at Holdean Farm (Cheriton, Nr Alresford, hants, So24 0NX) close to the trail. Or you can subscribe to my YouTube channel. We used a small discrete 2 man tent without issue. 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. No . My shoes! (I always recommend Osprey backpacks because they come with a lifetime guarantee Osprey will repair or replace any of their backpacks for any reason, even if you bought it back in 1975. When riding the South Downs Way, you may wish to stop over at a horse-friendly B&B or find a livery yard for the evening. Theres so many places to stay in Eastbourne, but overall, this spot was decent. 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. February - April: AustraliaMay: South KoreaJune: The U.K.July: IrelandAugust: Mauritius, Rodrigues. Good to know about the hiking trail being hard underfoot too. I wouldnt have known that, but now Im searching for the most cushioned shoes possible to try to make it easier on my feet! 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. 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. We encountered far more cyclists than walkers, but only a handful of horse riders. And let me know if you are planning to do the SDW! The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath in Southern England and is one of Britain's National Trails. She solo wild camped showing that it is both possible and also a safe place to do it: If you dont want to camp there are plenty of other options providing a bed for the night. We started on the 8th July and it landed us with wonderful sunshine. The South Downs are designated as a national park. Four nights hiding under a tree. 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). 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. 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. Plan a cycling adventure today with our comprehensive guide. If you really want to experience the diversity of the South Downs national park (or you're just looking for a fun new challenge! This looks so cool! South Downs: England's Mountains Green. The views are pleasant and consistent. I, however, recommend staying in as many pubs and B&Bs as possible the accommodation was one of the highlights of our walk! Or perhaps do a mix of both. 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 recommended time to walk the South Downs Way is 8 days, with an average of 12.5miles/20km a day. You can walk the Hangers Way, a 21 mile path from Alton to Queen Elizabeth Country Park through Selborne, Steep and Petersfield. Day 3: Petersfield to Chichester 19 milesCamping at New House Farm (New House Lane, East Dean, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0NJ). Excellent blog Bex, Im looking forward to doing the trail in a couple of weeks time. This is especially so for the Beachy Head/Seven Sisters section. 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. There is an option to book taxis to take you to and from your accommodation. At the time we were living in London and this made it easy to get to and from the start via public transport. :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. "People who are not happy with themselves, cannot possibly be happy with you.". Keep this in mind when planning out your days, as it quickly adds up. When is the best time to walk the South Downs Way? Countryside and cultural events take place throughout the year in the towns and villages. Wingrove is a beautiful stay but if thats too much out of your price bracket, stay. For women you might like to take apee clothwith you (only for summer as youll need some sun to dry it). Despite my blisters and foot pain, I absolutely loved walking the South Downs Way. Personally, I use aMoonCupand find it works well for hiking as you dont need to change it so often. Social media giants banned even discussion of the idea that Covid was manmade, escaped from a lab. Try hit this part of the trail mid-week and not during school holidays if you can. This took a bit of planning its especially important that you check opening times for cafes and pubs in advance. Best wishes. As someone who believed walking poles were exclusively for douchebags and grandparents, Im holding up my hands and confessing to being a convert. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Horse riding in the South Downs National Park: A guide to horse riding in the South Downs Way National Park and along . The only thing youll have to look out for are the cows. There are other accommodation options in Lewes from B&B to Airbnb rooms or Id recommend wild camping this night***. Fairly certain it would kill me, though, hahaha :-). As always, you made me yearn for the same type of vacation! Are there any places that would recommend for lunch stops or cafes for takeaway on the route please? Typically the ideal route length is 4 days averaging around 25 miles per day. This would require you to cover around 12-15 miles a day. 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. National Trails are long-distance footpaths, with distances ranging from 79 miles on the Yorkshire Wolds Way to a whopping 2,795 miles [!] Thanks so much! uva scott stadium parking. Can you wild camp on the South Downs Way? 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. If you do choose to wild camp, one of the great advantages is that you dont need such a rigid itinerary. It came with an en-suite bathroom complete with bath, which was greatly appreciated for soaking my blisters. Copyright 2016 2022 | The Ordinary Adventurer | All Rights Reserved | Website Terms. Given how many hills this part of the world is home to, it looked like a tough challenge. Walk amongst vibrant yellow fields of corn, along picturesque . We spent a couple of hours hitting up the main attractions: Winchester Cathedral (one of the largest in Europe), The Great Hall (a 13th Century hall featuring a round table thats falsely linked to King Arthur), and the City Mill (where the walk starts from), and decided wed return at some point to spend even more time there. We found the terrain to be easy underfoot and the sloping climbs manageable with our heavy packs containing all our camping gear and food. Many hundreds of miles of single tracks and bridlepaths spurring from the South Downs Way means that the trail and National Park is a mecca for Mountain Bikers. I marked all the water options on the map and in advance planned how much I needed to fill up at eat spot to keep me going to the next. This long-distance footpath is 100 miles, or 160 kilometres, and is full of stunning countryside, spectacular views on the coast, beautiful parks (including Queen Elizabeth Country Park), and lovely villages with cozy pubs. Hi Bex, love your website and specific detail on the South Down Way. Winchester to Eastbourne in 6 Days Walking Code: SD7. Way, I absolutely loved walking the South Downs Way yellow fields of corn, along picturesque 6! The South Downs Way is Beyond Miserable for SALE! douchebags and grandparents Im... Discussion of the places were happy to fill our bottles for free quickly adds up today with our guide! Landed us with wonderful sunshine type of vacation need some sun to dry ). Of planning its especially important that you use a chance to rest and my hiking poles me. Heading below on wild camping ) underfoot and the sloping climbs manageable with our heavy containing! Along picturesque and bridleway along the South Downs Way is a long thru hike and bridleway the. 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