South Downs Way

OVERVIEW

Whilst there are trails that feature more dramatic geographic - and in that sense offer a more magnificent walk - there is something about very special about the South Downs Way, that makes it one of the best walking trails in England.

And indeed for those who are international visitors and after a taste of quintessential English countryside - this is probably the best trail on offer to you.

The trail itself features a lot of hills, which whilst individually not that tall, do amount to a fairly substantial amount of climbing in combination. 

But the main appeal of the trail is it's scenery - with wide open expanses of rolling grassland, broken up by rolling ridges and historical features.

It is a great trail, and one that should be on the must-do list - and whilst usually walked west to east, people often return to walk both ways.

PRACTICALITIES

The ease of walking the trail changes quite a bit from east to west - with the eastern end being particularly easy to walk, and the western end being a bit more challenging in terms of the best places to stay and in assessing the possible transport links.

Predominantly access to the trail is via buses that link up with larger towns - and whilst there is a train service to Winchester, the next direct entry point by train comes at Amberley (although the train line does cross the trail just south of Petersfield.

The points of access I used were the bus service at Queen Elizabeth Country Park (a challenging bus stop as it sits alongside a busy dual-carriageway), the train station at Amberley, a very easy bus stop on the A283 just west of Shoreham (which also has a burger van nearby), the train station at Southease, and the train at Eastbourne.

However - whilst I stayed off the trail (I do quite enjoy travelling out and exploring a local town each evening), there are hostels and B&Bs which sit closer to the trail - which provide additional options.

Between this and the additional bus options there are enough options to make the trail possible even with fairly short days of walking. This can make it a high effort trail from a logistical perspective (particularly in the west), but certainly not an impossible one.

I split the walk in Petersfield as I have family not too far away from there, and as always just plan the trail to suit what you wish to do.

USEFUL LINKS

Guidebook : South Downs Way Guidebook

LDWA Page : South Downs Way National Trail - LDWA Long Distance Paths

National Trail Website : South Downs Way - National Trails

Trail Website : The South Downs Way: Comprehensive Guide & Information

STAGES

I walked it east-to-west and so I'll document the stages going that way, but west-to-east is more common.

Eastbourne to Southease (★★★★★) 

Writeup to follow...

Southease to Shoreham (★★★★★) 

Writeup to follow...

Shoreham to Amberley (★★★★☆) 

Writeup to follow...

Amberley to Queen Elizabeth Country Park (★★★★☆) 

Writeup to follow...

Queen Elizabeth Country Park to Winchester

Planned to walk in 2026...

Eastbourne to Cuckmere Haven

Planned to walk later...

Cuckmere Haven to Alfriston

From Eastbourne and Alfriston there are two loops of the South Downs Way. My plan has been to do the inland route, and then cover the other loop whilst walking along the coast. As a result I will probably skip this short section from the coast back to the other loop of the South Downs Way.