South Downs High Weald Beachy Head South Downs Way Crowborough Ashdown Seven Sisters

Seven Sisters Country Park & South Downs Way

The Seven Sisters Country Park is an area to get active in. The park is wonderfully accessible with ample opportunities for walking including coastal walking along the South Downs Way which runs along the coast here towards Eastbourne. Other popular outdoor activities within the park include birdwatching, cycling and canoeing along the River Cuckmere. Cycling is only allowed on the valley floor and in Friston forest on the designated bridleways and tracks. See the Cuckmere Cycle Hire webguide right for details on cycle paths and cycle hire. A huge variety of birds can be seen across the changing seasons in the park. An extensive guide to which birds you are likely to see here at Seven Sisters is via the park's website and pick-up a bird list and birding maps from the visitor centre.

The Seven Sisters Country Park is a superb park for family walking. The long 160 km South Downs Way pushing its full stretch from Eastbourne to Winchester crosses the Seven Sisters Country Park. From the park stretch of the trail spectacular views can be seen of the Seven Sisters Cliffs, the Cuckmere Estuary and in the distance Beachy Head near Eastbourne. The two main signed trails within the park include the Park Trail which is 5km/3miles long and signed with purple arrows and the Habitat Trail marked with green arrows. The starting point for both is by the gate next to the visitor centre.

The Easy Access Trail makes the Seven Sisters Country Park accessible to all. Suitable for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and push chairs, this trail follows the gentle valley floor from the visitor centre to the Cuckmere's shingle beach where the river meets the sea. The roundtrip is 4km in total and a map of this trail is available to download via the website.

Seven Sisters Country Park, Exceat, Seaford, East Sussex. BN25 4AD. Tel. 01323 870280.

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Beachy Head Walks, Birling Gap & The Beachy Head Countryside Centre

There are a variety of ways to access the spectacular Beachy Head coastline, one of Britain's Designated Heritage Coasts just west of Eastbourne. Many opt for direct access from Birling Gap and the Beachy Head Countryside Centre which sits right near the most dramatic stretch of the Beachy Head white cliffs and lighthouse where the South Downs meets the sea. This is easily reached by car off the A259 Beachy Head Road with a large carpark situated at Birling Gap. Alternatively the Brighton Bus Service runs regular buses between Brighton and Eastbourne stopping at Birling Gap (bus no.12A) or East Dean village (12). If you're staying around Beachy Head, for example in the East Dean area, you can walk direct from East Dean village down to Beachy Head. Comprehensive walking guides are via the Beachy Head webguide. To reach Beachy Head directly from Eastbourne to appreciate not just the Beachy Head Cliffs but also the stunning Eastbourne Downland around Foyle Way, Whitbread Hollow and the cliff edge at Cow Gap an access path sits at the very end of King Edwards Parade beyond Helen Gardens on the western edge of Eastbourne seafront. A cafe is located directly on the access point to the Beachy Head Circular Path. In fact from this point at the far west of the Eastbourne seafront you are at the very start/or end of the South Downs Way National Trail as well as being at the end of the Weald Way which moves inland towards the Weald and Ashdown Forest from Eastbourne and on to Gravesend.

The Beachy Head Countryside Centre is home to an extensive exhibition and guide on the history, geology and natural history of Beachy Head and also has an on-site art gallery and gift shop.

Reaching upto 530 feet at Beachy Head, the white chalk Downs Cliffs together with the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs just west of Beachy Head are one of Britain's most striking coastal features. Walking, cycling and horse riding are all popular around the Beachy Head Downland. For birdwatchers and lovers of wildlife, the Beachy Head area of the Downs contains a huge variety of habitats. Look out for numerous birds including the Cuckoo, Redstart, Skylark, Perigrin Falcon and the Herring Gulls to name a mere few. In early autumn the Downland is carpeted with Blackberries with other shrubs and trees including Hawthorn, Honeysuckle, Yew and Sweet Briar. These and other scents mingle with the sea air to great effect. Care is needed at the cliff edge and dogs are recommended to be kept on leads. For a comprehensive guide to the choice of walking and cycling paths around the Eastbourne and Beachy Head Downland with details on birds and wildlife in the area see the Beachy Head webguide.

Beachy Head Countryside Centre, Beachy Head Road, Eastbourne East Sussex BN20 7YA. Situated off the A259 following signs for Beachy Head. The centre sits adjacent to the Brewers Fayre Family Pub & Restaurant. City Sightseeing Open Top Bus Tours run up to Beachy Head from Eastbourne Centre.

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West Sussex South Downs AONB

Within Sussex the majority of the South Downs Area of Outstanding Beauty is in West Sussex. Pushing up from main South Downs centre Steyning, which sits alongside the South Downs Way National Trail, the beautiful Downland rolls west towards East Hampshire. The West Sussex Downs contains a wealth of outdoor activities and attractions including heritage museums at Amberley and Singleton, character country inns and quintessentially English villages, ancient Iron Age Forts, Roman villas and roads, stately homes and gardens, farmers markets and nature reserves and ancient woodland. The rolling Downland of course is the main attraction, a haven for wildlife and best explored via the 160km long South Downs Way National Trail which follows the old path of the chalk escarpment and ridges within the South Downs.

Historic Steyning with its charming heritage timber buildings, Norman church and striking Romanesque architecture serves as the perfect base for exploring the South Downs and indeed the Weald to the north. Pretty villages including Bramber, Upper Beeding, Small Dole and Ashurst are in the Steyning area with Bramber boasting the Bramber Castle ruins. Famous ancient sites are here too including the Iron Age hill-forts at Cissbury Ring and Chanctonbury Ring. Both of these elevated historic sites afford spectacular views of the Downland and the coast beyond.

To the west of Steyning sit the stunning market towns of the Horsham District - Storrington, Pulborough and Billingshurst and north of Steyning Henfield. All these rural market towns serve as perfect bases again for exploring both the South Downs and the High Weald. Attractions in this area include the RSPB centre at Pulborough Brooks, Parham House & Gardens near Storrington, family farm parks and golf around Billingshurst and horse riding, cycling and fishing around Henfield. Nutbourne Vineyard, Bignor Roman Villa and the King's Mill Shipley Windmill are three further outstanding Sussex attractions in this area.

To the far west of the Sussex Downs north of Chichester are the two historic market towns of Midhurst and Petworth. Popular West Sussex attractions around these two historic Sussex locations, both of which contain a choice of country inns, fine restaurants and specialist shops, include Petworth House and Gardens and the Cowdray Estate and Ruins at Midhurst.

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South Downs Way National Trail

Stretching 160km from Eastbourne in East Sussex to historic Winchester in Hampshire, the South Downs Way National Trail is one of Britain's most popular and beautiful national walking trails. Breathtaking Sussex scenery sits along the trail including on the East Sussex coast the chalk white cliffs at Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters Country Park and in West Sussex the Iron Age hill forts of Chanctonbury and Cissbury Ring near Steyning.

The landscape of the West Sussex route of the trail from Upwaltham to Upper Beeding features rolling chalk Downs, steep scarp slopes and dramatic dry valleys and offers some of the best views of the South Downs and the Weald.

The route is an ancient trail, used by people for over 8000 years as the Bronze and Iron Age features along the way hint at. Evidence of the Romans in the Downs is around Bignor, notably the Roman Stane Street Road. Around twenty percent of the South Downs is woodland.

Particular highlights along the Upwaltham to Upper Beeding section in West Sussex include the two nature reserves - Amberley Wild Brooks and Pulborough Brooks which sit aside the River Arun. An RSPB centre is also at Pulborough. Large expanses of arable croplands mix with chalk grassland around this stretch of the trail and the spectacular Adonis Blue butterflies are to be found around Amberley Mount come late May and August. For more information on the history, wildlife and a breakdown of particular sections of the South Downs Way see the National Trail's webguide.

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Ashdown Forest in the Sussex High Weald AONB

Ashdown Forest in the Sussex High Weald is called a forest not for a coverage of trees but rather signifying a designated royal hunting area. The word forest is derived from the French Norman meaning 'a place of deer'. Ashdown hunting park was presented to John of Gaunt by Edward III, his father, in 1372. As befits all medieval parks, Ashdown was enclosed by a ditch and bank inclusive of deer-proof fence. Originally the medieval 'pale' was around 23 miles long with 34 gates. Some of the 'pale' survives today and this ancient stake-lined ditch and bank was specifically constructed to allow deer to enter Ashdown Forest but not to depart.

Ashdown Forest however is marked by human activity stretching further back from the Medieval and Norman periods. Both the Romans and Saxons mined for iron ore in Ashdown Forest and the Weald, and upto the Tudor period the ships of the Armada were armed with Wealden canons produced from iron mined in the area.

Today Ashdown's heathland covers two thirds of its 6500 acres. Woodlands, of which there are 4 main types, consist of mixed mature woods, pine woods, coppice woods and new birch woods. The old mixed woods areas were considerably damaged in the 1987 Great Storm but they are rapidly regenerating today. Look out for the old woodland Alder Carr around Newbridge - a particular highlight and an area where you'll find the unique and rare Marsh Fern.

Ashdown's heathland is a direct result of old pastoral activities by people or 'Commoners' as residents in Ashdown Forest have long been known. Commoners have ancient rights within Ashdown which can still include today the right to cut the pest Bracken, the renowned invasive forest plant within Ashdown. The heathland areas of Ashdown are thought to have been first cleared around 3500 years ago. Cutting and grazing over the centuries has preserved the heathland which boasts distinct habitats and wildlife including birds such as the Darford Warbler, Nightjar and Stonechat. Silver-Studded Blue butterfly, the Small Red damselfly, the Emperor moth and the Tiger beetle are all to be found aplenty in the Ashdown area. The beautiful heathland plants include Flowering Dwarf Gorse and heathers, Sawwort especially near Nutley Windmill and Creeping Willow near Millbrook. Grazing, essential for the heathland's preservation, is now undertaken by the Ashdown Conservators across an 80 hectare block. Another special feature of Ashdown Forest are the deer. Red Deer were in the Weald 6-8000 years ago with the Normans later introducing Fallow Deer. Both were hunted in this royal hunting park. Despite a 1539 survey recording evidence of 300 Red Deer (and 7-800 Fallow Deer), management neglect after the English Civil War saw the disappearance of Red Deer in Ashdown by 1700. Today the forest is home to around 1000 Fallow Deer, with the Roe increasing in numbers since the 1990s. Sightings of the small Muntjac from China and the Japanese Sika have also been reported. Efforts to reduce road casualties of the deer, mainly along the A22 main road, include Deer reflectors along the roadside. Around 100 Fallow Deer are killed on Ashdown's roads annually.

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Pyecombe, Poynings & Devil's Dyke - The Brighton South Downs

The stunning hamlet of Pyecombe, a classic Downland village, sits in the heart of the South Downs alongside the South Downs Way National Trail. Famous for its ancient shepherding history, Pyecombe is a popular holiday base choice with walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Within the village you'll find the historic pub, The Plough Inn. Pyecombe is perfectly placed for exploring the nearby Ditcling Beacon Nature Reserve and affords easy access to the Jack & Jill Windmills as well as Brighton to the south via the A23 main road.

The two famous windmills at Clayton called the Jack and Jill Windmills afford spectacular views of the surrounding Sussex South Downs and the Sussex Weald to the north. Jill Windmill is owned by Mid-Sussex County Council and maintained by volunteers whilst neighbouring Jack Windmill is in private hands. Jill is open to the public for visits between May and September from 2pm to 5pm on Sundays, with Christmas special openings - see the webguide right for details and a full history of both mills. Windmills on this South Downs site were first referred to in 1765. The Jack and Jill windmills were most probably given their nicknames by daytrippers in the 1920s.

Poynings, Fulking and Saddlescombe villages are located around the dramatic dry valley, Devil's Dyke in the South Downs. Poynings developed as a Saxon village (Puningas). A Saxon church and two watermills were recorded at Poynings in the Domesday book but the current historic Holy Trinity Church is 14th century. Poynings has close links with Devil's Dyke, the steep coombe which sits adjacent to the village. Devil's Dyke takes its name from a legend linked to St Cuthman and his friend Sister Ursula. The Devil, as the legend goes, carved out the steep valley at Devil's Dyke with the intention of flooding the surrounding Sussex land where numerous Christian churches had been springing up. Sister Ursula apparently put a stop to the Devil's work by placing a candle in her window and getting her cock to crow thus fooling the Devil into thinking it was dawn - the Devil apparently only worked at night. After she had saved Sussex from flooding, poor Sister Ursula died having done her job. For a superb complete account of the Devil's Dyke legend see Sheila Marshall's account via the Poynings Village webguide.

Cared for by the National Trust, the vast dry valley of Devil's Dyke is a popular beauty spot in the South Downs - hang gliders love it here. The valley cuts deep into the rolling chalk grassland to great dramatic effect and affords outstanding views of the Weald north and the English Channel coast to the south. Cycling, walking, hang gliding and kite flying are all popular outdoor pursuits around Devil's Dyke. Wildlife is extensive including huge numbers of rare butterflies and orchids. The Dyke has long been a favourite with visitors to the Downs and in the late Victorian period a cable car (built in 1894) was up here, the foundations of which are still visible. As well as the cable car a funicular railway was also popular, with around one million visitors recorded as visiting this railway in 1897. Remains of the railway are also visible today. Classic Downland is at its best here at Devil's Dyke with views across to the Fulking escarpment to the West. The National Trust's Estate Office is at Saddlescombe Farm, Saddlescombe Road, Brighton, West Sussex BN45 7DE. Tel.01273 857712. A National Trust information trailer is also at Devil's Dyke from Easter to the end of September, open Sat & Sun 10am to 4pm but sometimes Mon-Fri dependent on warden availability. Toilets, open all year round, are also on-site and Devil's Dyke is a most popular spot for family picnics.

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