Schmap Brighton The South Downs Way

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Brighton - The South Downs Way
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This long distance walk is part of the National Trails network of footpaths and bridleways that cover all areas of the UK. This walk is 161 kilometres long and stretches from Winchester, north of Southampton to Eastbourne in East Sussex. It follows the paths and tracks used by ancient man along the chalk escarpments and ridgeways of the South Downs.

Man has traversed these trails for at least 5000 years and evidence of past eras can be seen along the route. Traces of Bronze Age farmsteads and round burial barrows are visible, as are Iron Age hillforts. These buildings were constructed to protect people from wild animals as much as from human enemies and can be seen from Devil's Dyke to Old Winchester Hill. The sheep and scarp foot corn farming of the Middle Ages produced the landscape that now exists in this area. The area has always been sparsely populated away from the coast and remains a wild and peaceful place today.

Although the South Downs Way passes close to many towns and villages, it remains home to many species of wildlife and is as isolated a place as one can get in the urban sprawl of South East England. Wild flowers, salad burnet, cowslip and several species of orchid, proliferate. Skylarks, corn bunting and even kestrels and ospreys have been spotted in the skies. On the ground live foxes, rabbits, fallow and roe deer and badgers.

The first part of the trail goes from Winchester to Queen Elizabeth Country Park. This section is 38km long and follows firm tracks although there is some on-road walking. Winchester is the ancient capital of Wessex (old England) and was a popular destination for pilgrimage. The present cathedral, of Saxon origin, is the second longest in Europe.

The second section is made up of 29.3km of mainly wooded pathways and takes us from Queen Elizabeth Country Park to Upwaltham. This is the most rural and isolated area of the walk and involves walking along prominent escarpment, away from any towns or villages.

From Upwaltham to Upper Beeding is 35km of open downland offering panoramic views over The Weald and the English Channel. The tracks are firm and dry and cross into Sussex and the rolling open landscape associated with this part of South East England.

The next part of the route, a 34km stretch, from Upper Beeding to Rodmell, takes us close to the coastal towns of Worthing and Brighton and the historic town of Lewes, county town of East Sussex. The route crosses the high and exposed Ditchling Beacon and close to the twin Jack and Jill windmills.

The final piece of the route moves to the coast past The Long Man of Wilmington; a chalk figure etched into the landscape. It is the largest representation of the human form in the world but little is known of its origin, as the earliest record of its existence was not until the late 18th century. The path follows the coast around Beachy Head and its high chalk cliffs before ending in the sedate and pristine seaside resort of Eastbourne.

The South Downs Way is easily accessible by car and public transport from all points. From Brighton, walkers can join the trail at Devil's Dyke, which can be reached by bus from the town centre daily during the summer. The South Downs Way National Trail Guide (by Paul Millmore, Aurum Press) is available at most bookshops, as are the Ordnance Survey Explorer Series of maps that cover the route. The National Trails gives information on this walk and others in the UK. The site also has details of accommodations located in villages and towns along or close to the trail.

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Beachy Head

Spectacular Clifftop Landmark

Birling Farm
Brighton, East Sussex BN20 0AA
United Kingdom
+44 1323 728060
http://www.beachyhead.org.uk

One of the most spectacular spots on the South Coast, a windswept headland with sheer 534ft drop to the lighthouse below. It is the most popular suicide spot in the UK with around 50 deaths per year. The landscape is open, grassy chalkland where sea birds and hang-gliders ride the air currents. There is also a mile-long clifftop nature trail. The new Countryside Centre describes local downland life, past and present - flora and fauna of cliff face and rock pools, Bronze Age man and talking hologram of a shepherd.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Devil's Dyke

National Trust open space Devil's Dyke Road
Brighton BN6 9DY
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1273 83 4830 Devil's Dyke offers outstanding views over the South Downs, the western Weald to the north and the English Channel to the south. This National Trust landmark is still a favourite day out for Brighton families. Legend has it that the dyke, a deep valley, was created by the devil in an attempt to flood the Weald but he was disturbed when an old woman put a lighted candle in her window. The best way to get there is by open-topped bus from Brighton Pier, which runs at hourly intervals throughout the summer. There is a National Trust information point at the top and a pub.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Ditchling Beacon

South Downs landmark Ditchling Beacon, off B.2112
3.5 miles North of Brighton
Brighton, East Sussex BN
United Kingdom
At 813ft, the highest point in Sussex and on the South Downs, the ultimate test for riders in the annual London-Brighton Bike Ride in June. On a clear day uninterrupted views across the Downs, the Weald, with Ashdown Forest and Crowborough Beacon to the north, and the English Channel, as far as the Isle of Wight, 50 miles away. The site of an Iron Age hill fort, it was one of a chain of summits on which beacon fires were lit to warn of the advancing Armada.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Lewes

Medieval Sussex town Follow the A27 towards Lewes
Brighton, East Sussex BN
United Kingdom
This town, situated within the South Downs next to the River Ouse, is the County Town of East Sussex. There are narrow alleyways (twittens) and many specialist shops selling antiques, crafts and local produce. Lewes even houses its own brewery. The town is home to Lewes Castle, a Norman ruin; Anne of Cleves House - part of her divorce settlement from Henry VIII, and the Lewes Town Museum.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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South Downs

Jewel of the South Coast Park stretches from Eastbourne to Winchester in Hampshire
Brighton, East Sussex BN
United Kingdom
http://www.vic.org.uk/vis/welc... Designated in 1999 as a National Park and currently an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the South Downs are one of the jewels of the South of England, stretching through East and West Sussex and well into Hampshire. The South Downs Way is an 161 km route from Eastbourne, near Beachy Head in the east to the outskirts of Winchester in the west, and is much-loved by walkers, mountain-bikers and kite-flyers. Hill forts and ancient burial grounds, old windmills and the mysterious Long Man of Wilmington are among the many landmarks.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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