Celebrating 50 years of the South Downs Way

One of Britain’s most-loved walks, the South Downs Way is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Taking in beautiful views of coast and countryside, the hilltop route along a chalk ridge stretches 100 miles from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Packed with interesting sights, there are ancient forests, plunging river valleys, Iron Age forts and brilliant white cliffs.

At 889ft, the highest point at Butser Hill gives visitors the opportunity to get away from it all, while Ditchling Beacon, another famous hill on the trail, was used to warn Queen Elizabeth I of the Spanish Armada that could be seen sailing up the English Channel.

In July 1972, it was officially opened as the South Downs Way National Trail, making it the UK’s fifth such trail to be established and its first long-distance bridleway. Since then, tens of thousands of people have walked, cycled or ridden it.

If you fancy a crack at the world record

for completing the South Downs Way on foot, you could try to beat Mark Perkins’ time of 14 hours, three minutes and 54 seconds, set in 2014 at the Centurion Running SWD 100 event.

The fastest South Downs Way single cycle ride was achieved by Ian Leitch in seven hours, three minutes, and the speediest non-motorised wheelchair user to complete the route is Swasie Turner who did it in nine days.

To mark the South Downs Way’s golden milestone, a special commemorative plaque is being produced for the 66 parishes along the route, along with a celebratory beer crafted by the Long Man Brewery, which takes its name from the famous carved hill figure, the Long Man of Wilmington, that has been delighting South Downs Way walkers for centuries.

nationaltrail .co.uk

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