Walking on the South Downs

 There are many options for circular or linear walks up on the South Downs, and you can use the trains and buses to access these walks! You can basically do any combination of walks between Eastbourne and Brighton.  You can make your walk as long or as short as you want by using the intermediate railway stations of Polegate, Berwick, Glynde, Southease and Lewes. I'll list the walks I've done, but do look them up online to check the actual routes as it was many years ago! Part of the South Downs Way runs through  Friston Forest, and nearby Cuckmere Haven with it's fantastic meandering river and the cliffs called the Seven Sisters.

Berwick to Glynde (approx. 6 miles)
Park at Berwick station (which has a pub opposite it) then walk the one mile to Berwick village, crossing the very busy A27 road. Take a look in Berwick Church (St Michael & All Angels church) as there are some recently-restored murals, painted in 1941 by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. Then head out through the graveyard and follow the signed path up to the Downs. You then keep going straight ahead until you get to the path on the right that takes you down to the main road again, and across it to Glynde where you find the station. Sadly the very popular Trevor Arms pub closed in 2017 and I don't think anyone has taken it on.
N.B. You can add a few more miles to your walk by carrying on to Lewes from Glyde, walking up and over Mount Caburn (a high point on the Downs with good views.)

Berwick to Polegate, via Alfriston (approx. 6 miles)
Starting at Berwick station again and walking to the village, this time you go left once you are up on the Downs. You then follow the waymarked South Downs Way, which will take you through the pretty village of Alfriston (a place of tea shops, the famous bookshop Much Ado Books and The National Trust's first property - The Clergy House. There is also a rather lovely 15th Century inn, The Star, which has accommodation and re-opened to guests in 2021 after extensive renovation.) After Alfriston continue following the waymarked route until it's time to bear left and head down to Polegate.
N.B. You can extend this walk by continuing to Eastbourne, instead of bearing left for Polegate. You may need a town map to locate the station, or a GPS device, as it is some way from Beachy Head (the cliff that you descend to get to the far end of Eastbourne seafront) but you can simply follow the seafront and eventually turn left into the town centre to pick up signposts pointing to the station.

Southease circular, including Lewes (approx. 5 miles)
You can do a circular walk from Southease station, taking in the town of Lewes  where there's a castle to visit, Anne of Cleves house, and a variety of independent shops, cafes and pubs. Thomas Paine's house, Bull house, has been open to visitors on Heritage Days but is now set for more regular openings, from August 2024, which is fantastic as Thomas Paine is famous for his treaty from 1791 'The Rights of Man.' Apocryphally, one of my ancestors apparently had to flee the country after printing this treaty! This is plausible as the treaty was seen as seditious by many people in authority.

This walk also takes in the village of Rodmell, where Monk's House is located. This National Trust property belonged to the writer Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard. Virginia could walk across the Downs to her sister's house, Charleston.

Hassocks to Lewes (approx. 11 miles)
Look out for the Jack and Jill windmills at Clayton. On the South Downs Way you pass medieval dew ponds and an Iron Age fort at Ditchling Beacon. There is an option to descend to Plumpton for lunch, if you don't want to take a picnic. The walk ends in Lewes (see Southease walk for information about the town of Lewes.)


Other places to visit along the South Downs Way.

Charleston (the house owned by Vanessa and Clive Bell, and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Set. You would need to book a guided tour to see the house. There are also exhibition spaces on site, and a shop and cafe. There is one main literary festival held here in May, and various other events throughout the year.) The house is not far from Firle Beacon.

The National Trust lists their top walks in Sussex here. Some of them are up on the South Downs.

Happy walking!