South Downs Way Annual Walk celebrates 40th year
Footprints of Sussex is preparing for a summer party to remember, as the South Downs Way Annual Walk celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Organisers Keith McKenna and Sally Dench have ordered the balloons, chosen the cake and booked the hall, and more than 100 guests have already said they are attending.
They say the nine-day event in June is all set to be a special occasion and they are well into the planning, especially for the end-of-walk party.
It is, by tradition, a supported rather than a guided walk, with everyone free to walk at their own pace each day.
Sally said: “We are a team of ten who wear these bright red shirts and walk the trail along with everyone else.
“To us, each of the nine days is a party in itself, we just love walking the trail and meeting new people every year and, of course, this should be a very special one.”
The annual walk along the full 100-mile length of the South Downs Way was started in 1980 by West Sussex County Council as a one-off event to celebrate an anniversary of walking charity The Ramblers.
It was so popular, it simply kept going and has taken place every year since, welcoming hundreds of people from all over the world.
Keith explained: “It’s the only national trail in Britain with an organised annual walk and that’s only possible because of the location of the South Downs.
“The whole trail is within the national park and passes through some beautiful countryside but, at the same time, is never far from an easy access point.”
The walk now has its own website, which explains how it all works, including the luxury coaches provided every day to get people to and from the trail.
This year’s walk will be from Friday, June 7, to Saturday, June 15, and there is a choice of four coaches passes, starting from Arundel, Chichester, Shoreham and Worthing on each of the nine days.
Keith said: “With luxury coach transport provided to and from the South Downs Way each day, the annual supported walk is by far the simplest way of completing this inspiring and beautiful trail.”
The direction of the South Downs Annual Walk changes each year and in 2019 the walk will begin in Eastbourne and finish in Winchester .
Visit the website www. southdownsway.com for full details and to book.