Thinking of walking the South Downs Way is a 100-mile (160 km) long-distance walking trail that runs along the crest of the South Downs National Park in southern England, from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex.
The path offers stunning views of rolling hills, picturesque villages, and historic landmarks such as the Iron Age hill fort at Chanctonbury Ring and the medieval castle at Arundel. It is also home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including rare butterflies, birds, and wildflowers.
The South Downs Way is suitable for walkers of all levels of ability, with a mixture of easy and more challenging sections. It is well-signposted and passes through a variety of landscapes, including open fields, ancient woodlands, and chalk grasslands.
One of the highlights of the South Downs Way is the sense of history and heritage that surrounds it. The path follows an ancient trade route that has been used for thousands of years, and walkers can discover prehistoric barrows, Roman villas, and Norman churches along the way.
Like the South West Coastal Path, it is important to be prepared for the weather and to plan ahead for accommodation and facilities, especially during peak season.
Further down the page you will find the South Downs Way has been split up in to multiple stages from 4 days to 9 days.
South Downs Way Map
South Downs Way Interactive Map
Transport Links
Buses
A number of bus services that operate within the South Downs include:
If you are advanced walker who can handle 20 to 30 miles a day and live locally to the South Downs Way the below 4 day intierary might be of interest you! The 4 day stage that have been mapped out using train station as start and endpoint. This itinerary suits someone who has limited spare time and wants to complete trail own long period of time..
For walkers looking for accommodation after each stage and prefer 10 to 17 mile distances this guide breaks the South Downs Way into 8 days worth of hiking. In short the maximum day of hiking would be 16.5 miles and minimum amount of hiking would be 10.7 miles. Also accommodation has been listed after each stage.
South Downs Way broken into 9 stages with the most miles you walk on stage being 14 miles and the lowest miles being 6 miles. This should be a manageable walk for most ages.