5 great walks in the South Downs National Park

 
 
 

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South Downs National Park

Photo © Marathon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Photo © Marathon (cc-by-sa/2.0)

The South Downs National Park is a beautiful and diverse walking area that has something for everyone. The park covers 628 square miles and includes the dramatic white chalk cliffs at Seven Sisters, rolling hills with stunning views and ancient forests teeming with wildlife. It really is a magnificent place to explore and provides a huge range of walking options for all abilities. We have lots of walks in the South Downs National Park within the Sussex Walks app and here are five of the best walking areas for you to enjoy.

Seven Sisters, Cuckmere River and Frinton Forest

Seven Sisters walk 1 - Download the Sussex Walks app to see your position on this map as you walk.

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This walking area in the South Downs National Park has a lovely mix of different landscapes, scenery and wildlife including the famous cliffs at Seven Sisters, a stroll along the pretty Cuckmere River and exploring the wonderful Friston forest. We have seven walks on the Sussex Walks app in this area ranging from 3 miles to 7.5 miles in length.

The walk map we have shown is for our first walk on the app around the Seven Sisters area. It’s a wonderful short loop that avoids a lot of the steep climbing that some of our other routes have. It takes you alongside the dramatic Cuckmere River to the Cuckmere Haven beach and then back again through lots of lovely scenery full of wildlife. There is also a short detour to a riverside pub on the route making this a lovely pub walk day out if you want.

You can read about our other Sevens Sisters walks here.

Cissbury Ring

Cissbury Ring walk 1 - Download the Sussex Walks app to see your position on this map as you walk.

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Cissbury Ring is a historic hill fort in the South Downs National Park and is the largest in Sussex. It’s owned by the National Trust and well worth a visit. We have four Cissbury Ring walks ranging from 2.5 miles to 9.25 miles in length on the app.

Cissbury Ring - walk 1
2.5 miles

This is a lovely family-friendly walk around the Iron Age hillfort of Cissbury Ring. It's a biological site of scientific interest and one of the largest hillforts in Europe covering over 84 Hectares.

Cissbury Ring - walk 2
4.25 miles

This second option is basically an extension of the first route for people who want a bit more of a work out. This route still enjoys the Iron Age fort, but it then also ventures out into the surrounding hills and some woodland for some more strenuous walking and nice views.

Cissbury Ring - walk 3
6.75 miles

This third route is a further extension of the first two routes. This walk has everything from the first two routes, but extends the walk with an epic walk across Tennants hill, making this a nice long walk full of sweeping views and fresh air.

Cissbury Ring - walk 4
9.25 miles

Finally, this is the route for you if you really want an epic and strenuous adventure work out around the Cissbury Ring Iron age hill fort and the surrounding South Downs hills. This route enjoys everything from the other routes, but it also heads into the undulating and exposed countryside to the north of the hill fort and joins the Monarch's Way for a stretch.

Devils Dyke

Devil’s Dyke walk 2 - Download the Sussex Walks app to see your position on this map as you walk.

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If you are looking for a walking area that will reward you with spectacular panoramic views across the South Downs National Park then Devil’s Dyke has lots of walks and routes for you to explore. We have six Devils Dyke walks on the Sussex Walks app and the map shown here is for walk two.

You can find out more about our other Devils Dyke Walks here.

Arundel

Arundel walk 2 - Download the Sussex Walks app to see your position on this map as you walk.

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Arundel is a beautiful historic town on the edge of the South Downs National Park. We have three Arundel walks on the Sussex Walks app ranging from 0.75 miles to 8 miles. We have shown the map for walk 2 but there are two more Arundel walk maps on the app. If you are looking for a wander around the historic town, past Arundel Castle, along the River Arun or exploring the surrounding countryside, these Arundel walks are for you.

Arundel walk 1
0.75 miles

This is a nice short stroll around the streets of the incredibly pretty market town of Arundel. There are plenty of pubs in the town to help you make this a nice day out in this historical town.

Arundel walk 2
4 miles

This second route expands the Arundel town walk out into a wonderfully varied and beautiful walk that enjoys the Arundel town centre before heading north into the Arundel Park and around Swanbourn Lake. It then takes you on a lovely riverside loop alongside the River Arun before returning to the town where there are plenty of pubs and eateries that can help to make this a perfect pub walk.

Arundel walk 3
8 miles

This third route is basically a longer extension of the second route if you have more time and want more exercise in this lovely part of the South Downs. You get to enjoy everything from the second route, but the extra mileage is made up of more time walking through the Arundel Park, and a much longer stroll alongside the winding River Arun. It also passes through the Wildfowl and Wetland nature reserve as you go and there are plenty of pubs in the town itself for refreshments.

Ditchling Beacon

Ditchling Beacon walk 2 - Download the Sussex Walks app to see your position on this map as you walk.

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Ditchling Beacon is another great walking area within the South Downs National Park. There are plenty of strenuous walks with amazing views and if you don’t fancy the climb up, you can start from the Ditchling Beacon car park. The route map shown is for walk number two on our Sussex Walks app which descends and then ascends the very steep hill around Ditchling Beacon. There is also a stretch of walking west along the South Downs Way where you will enjoy the lovely views as you walk. We have a total of seven Ditchling Beacon Walks and route maps available on the app. Download the app to access all routes and see your position on the map as you walk.

You can find out more about our other Ditchling Beacon walks here.

 

Download the Sussex Walks app to see your position on the route maps as you walk.

 

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Gary Stevens