The South Downs Way
The South Downs Way is sometimes called ‘The Pennine Way of the south’ and it works a rollercoaster route over the spectacular South Downs National Park from Winchester to Eastbourne, covering 102 miles. It’s a treat when walked in either direction, but my preference is to head west to east starting at Winchester. This way, you have a grand final day walking along the stunning coastal terrain of the Seven Sisters and past Beachy Head into Eastbourne. The walk stays highlevel for much of its route but drops down to the valleys at convenient overnight stopping points. The trail follows mostly bridleways and passes over chalk ground and short cropped turf using good wide tracks, but it can be quite hard going on the soles of the feet, particularly if it’s hot. This is a remote route in many places and you often feel far away from the busy southern areas of Britain that are actually quite close by. Due to the remoteness, there are water points on the route for topping up your supply. Accommodation is good and there are baggage transfer services available.
7-DAY ITINERARY
DAY 1 Winchester to Exton (20km)
DAY 2 Exton to South Harting (25.5km) DAY 3 South Harting to Amberley (35km) DAY 4 Amberley to Upper Beeding (19km) DAY 5 Upper Beeding to Kingston-near-Lewes (28km) DAY 6 Kingston-near-Lewes to Alfriston (19km) DAY 7 Alfriston to Eastbourne (19km)