The . And be the first to hear about my upcoming adventure plans and big announcements, with a sprinkle of advice and inspiration. On one day, I walked the vast majority of the path alone. The South Downs way is beyond miserable. Breakfast available to purchase on site), Day 7: Rodmell to Alfriston (10 miles)Staying at: Wingrove House (170 for 2 people including breakfast). It might be easier using a South Downs Way Route Planner app such as Komoot, which are designed to provide hikers with useful information and to work offline should you lose signal. This is such a wonderful trail through a beautiful part of the country. HIKE, BIKE, OR RIDE THE SOUTH DOWNS WAY. You can have a rough plan of how far you want to travel each day but can also just see how the day takes you, stopping when you find a suitable place to pitch your tents or bivvy bags. My biggest recommendation is therefore to invest in gear for the walk several months before you intend on walking it, then practice, practice, practice to make sure its a perfect fit. March 3, 2022 by Leslie Gilmour. The west half of the hike is mostly through farmland and forests. The pubs we stayed in offered a packed lunch option, so if we knew there wouldnt be any lunch stops on the following day, wed get one to go. Or perhaps do a mix of both. The South Downs Way takes you through a wonderfully varied landscape of woodland, chalk downs, arable farmland, meandering rivers, ancient forts and castles and picture postcards, and traditional English villages. My shoes had never felt perfect and once I started to walk long distances every day, my ankles ended up so bruised that I could barely move my feet. the south downs way is beyond miserable kahoot singular and plural nouns the south downs way is beyond miserable By: / best books on amillennialism / finishing touch battery change Text settings. National Trails are long-distance footpaths, with distances ranging from 79 miles on the Yorkshire Wolds Way to a whopping 2,795 miles[!] The park has a resident population of around 110,000 people and 125,000 sheep. I invested in this high-end pairfrom Black Diamond and adored them. Theres a decent amount of accommodation around, with villages scattered all along the trail but not on the trail so its fairly easy to set your own milage for each day. Once youve finished your hike, head to the ocean for a swim/paddle and then grab a bag of chips. Alfriston:The Star Inn The Star Inn is one of the oldest in the country and it has a fantastic pub to eat at. Take a look at our guide for recommended walks. That could, of course, be because cyclists travel faster so were more likely to overtake us. I personally walked 114miles/182km in the end. For those of you who want to make your walk a little easier, there is a bag transportation service you can utilise. The South Downs Way is enjoyed by thousands of horses and riders each year, with many accounting its popularity to a combination of beautiful views, lovely bridleways and the wonderful going (even on those wet, winter days). There arent a huge amount of shops en route. Instead, I recommend looking at the Osprey Eja, which is another fantastic Osprey backpack that Ive owned and love. Day two: 39 miles to Petersfield (36 miles on the trail). Fairly certain it would kill me, though, hahaha :-). But with some considerations. Counting every gram and dont want to over pack if i dont need to. The walk follows the ridge across the chalk downs, passing many of the . Take a Look at our recommended walks. I preferred to the Hadrians Wall Walk and my boyfriend enjoyed it more than the Cotswold Way. We loved our hike although it wasnt without its challenges. Its pretty damn hard to lose the trail. All about my hike on the INT and how it changed my life. From guesthouses, hotels and also rooms on Airbnb. We mark out potential spots for wild camping, and discuss how far we can . Required fields are marked *. Water wasnt so easy to come by on the trail. Only 1 a week after your trial. But nothing steep or too big. Website Design, Build & Digital Marketing by WRD. The South Downs Way --Submitted by Mark Worthington. They were so comfortable! The pubs can be a little pricey and can get booked up in the busy season (mostly summer holidays) so you may want to make reservations in advance. We settled on eight days for our walk, although by the end of the adventure, we both agreed that one extra day would have been appreciated. Hi! As UK is especially prone to rain Id also add waterproof trousers to this list. The rolling hills, fantastic views, great walks and picturesque villages of the South Downs National Park offer a blissful taste of country life and make it a great location for a camping or Glamping Holiday.The fact that it's only an hour from London and within easy reach of much of the south coast are added advantages . In particular when you reach the cliffs and have the dramatic coastline ocean views. I also invested in an Osprey reservoir to slip inside it. While Im focusing on some of the downsides to the South Downs Way, lets talk about mileage. Lots of people have accidentally fallen to their deaths getting too close or being distracted taking pictures. You can sign up to my newsletter here. Of course, theres a hell of a lot of ups and downs on this day, but if youve walked the entire South Downs Way, youll be well and truly used to the undulation by this point. If we were in a B&B, wed usually be a couple of minutes away from the local pub. amir johnson shooting; lasalle hotel seattle. Dont forget to also sign up to my newsletter to stay up to date with future adventures. Merrell are king when it comes to long-distance walking, and I decided on the Merrell Accentor shoes for this walk. Search eBay faster with PicClick. A Professional theme for architects, construction and interior designers Western Downs: Harting Downs to Treyford Hill. Copyright Lauren Juliff 2010-2023 All rights reserved. And lets face it: heading downstairs to have dinner is exactly whats needed after a long day of walking. I can recomend checking out: Here are some useful links to other resources, as well as links to blogs to give you a different perspective from others who have hiked the route: Thank you for reading my guide and I hope it was helpful I really do love this hike and I hope this will make it easier for you to plan your own adventure. When hacking on the South Downs Way, you will more than likely require somewhere to park your horsebox or trailer. Breakfasts and dinners were easy everywhere we stayed on the trail offered breakfast, and they were uniformly delicious. There is a baggage transfer option if you are keen on walking the South Downs Way without having to carry your bag. Alternatively, hop aboard one of the Breeze up to the Downs buses, a network of three bus services linking Brighton with some of the most popular South Downs destinations close to the city . Where the only decision you have to make is which excellent pub to eat your meals in. This looks so cool! Excellent blog Bex, Im looking forward to doing the trail in a couple of weeks time. 19 April 2016, 12:00am; Photo by DAVID ILIFF. Whatever your approach to food, you are going to want to make sure you start with plenty of snacks in your bag to keep you going on your 100mile hike. They undulate like a grassy spine from Winchester to Eastbourne, encompassing some of the most romantic, accessible walking trails in Britain, a welter of heathlands and peaks, grazing sheep and pounded footpaths.Kissing gates punctuate the chalk hills, the fields beneath the ridges a patchwork of farmland, green or . There are stunning, panoramic views to the sea and across the Weald as you travel the 100 mile length of the South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne, culminating in the impressive chalk cliffs at Seven Sisters. The park comprises of an area of chalk upland which stretches from Winchester in Hampshire, through West Sussex to Eastbourne in East Sussex. You can also just navigate using a phone. Shop the Largest Selection, Click to See! Birds fill woods and gardens with song in spring, while a relay of snowdrops, daffodils, and bluebells brighten verges and woodlands. You can take the coach or train from London to Winchester! Day 2: Cheriton to Petersfield 13 miles Camping at Wetherdown Camping (Droxford Rd, East Meon, Petersfield, Hants, GU32 1HR) close to the trail. Join my irregular bi-monthly(ish) newsletter. We had two challenging walks, where we racked up 20 and 22 miles, but the rest of our mileage felt comfortable. on the England Coast Path. Obviously, if you arent planning to camp you can ditch the cooking stuff, tent and sleeping gear. the south downs way is beyond miserable. While blisters tend to go numb after ten minutes of walking, the exact opposite occurs on the soles of your feet when walking on a rigid surface. Route: The South Downs Way is well signposted and easy to follow. Thank you again. You'll find some of the best stargazing spots in England in places like Old Winchester Hill, Harting . I also highly, highly recommend taking walking poles with you. Be sure to cache your maps for offline use each morning. Hiking poles will help you conserve energy, keep your weight off your hips and knees, and help so much on the uphill and downhill. If you are planning on doing the SDW all in one go, then you will need to arrange accommodation that offers appropriate food and water for your horse. Today, Im excited to start writing about my walk by sharing a huge overview of what its like to tackle the South Downs Way. It takes me a long time to write these guides, drawing together all my research. Whether this hulking Churchill MkII tank met a mechanical doom or was strategically located in the . Money Back Guarantee ensures YOU receive the item you ordered or get your money back. The South Downs is fantastic riding country. Dont stand too near the edges of the cliffs even if you see others do the same. Hmmm.. you could try just doing a couple of days of the South Downs Way to start with, rather than the entire thing. Text size Small Medium Large Line Spacing Compact . For more fun details go to the overview page, which tells . I was concerned about how accessible food would be on the walk so dutifully packed my bag full of protein bars before leaving. South Harting:The White Hart We loved the White Hart! You can also ride the route on a horse! Your email address will not be published. A cute, high-end pub with excellent food and lovely rooms out the back all en-suite. If wed been staying in hotels and b&bs theres no doubt we would have kept to 4 days with the promise of a dry bed and shower each night. We used a small discrete 2 man tent without issue. No . In fact, due to the low-lying land surrounding the hillside, the horizon seems to go on for miles. Most of the time, we would have to walk a mile off the trail to reach our accommodation, but some towns can be as many as three miles away. Horse riding in the South Downs National Park: A guide to horse riding in the South Downs Way National Park and along . My shoes! Growing up in Hampshire I wasnt far from the South Downs Way. As one of the UK's most challenging National Trails the South Downs Way is enjoyed by a huge cross-section of walkers of various abilities. Our comprehensive guide to the South Downs Way means that planning your trip has never been easier. While that's probably true, I still wouldn't rate it as "easy," especially on longer (15+ mile) days. Google Maps is a great tool to use to plan your food stops each day. Day 7: Lewes to Seaford 18 milesCamping at Foxhole campsite (Seven Sisters Country Park, Exceat, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 4AG) close to the trail. Whether you are a total beginner or an experienced rider, the South Downs Way awaits you. Thats why I recommend investing in hiking poles for you walk, even if you hate them. The South Downs is a national park in South East England. If you wish to take it slower, you can do around 20 miles in a day or take extra days to explore the South Downs surrounding areas. You can pack wraps and tups of peanut butter for lunches, pasta, couscous or freeze-dried meals for dinner. One of the best things about the trail is how easy it is to get to the start and finish using public transport. Up there you'll find the most [] The east half is a bit more spectacular. Just search restaurant and it will highlight all the cafes and food options in your area. The rooms are comfortable, if a little dated, and the large TVs were great for watching England beat New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup sucks to be Dave. I physically retched as I watched him eating unmentionables in the Australian jungle. Special Places to visit in the South Downs . Ah, that makes me so happy to hear! Whatever you use, make sure you take a battery pack (I always use an Anker pack) as having a fully charged phone is essential for safety as well as useful should you need to check things like opening times or to call a pub to make a reservation. Dinners were easily accessible, too. Best camping, glamping, and outdoor stays in South Downs National Park. I settled on the South Downs Way because I knew the navigation was easy and there were no major climbs. Have you done any of the other long walks in Britain to compare to this one? Plan a cycling adventure today with our comprehensive guide. Because the South Downs Way travels across a chalk range, theres little accommodation built on the track it passes directly through only a handful of towns and villages. Or a few days of the Thames Path, as thats super-flat and easy to walk. I do a lot of camping with my job (running the womens adventure Light was already starting to come through the windows at half four in the morning. 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