HISTORY
There has been a long distance route running along the top of the South Downs for far longer than walking has existed as a leisure activity. The well-drained chalk hilltops high above the densely forested boggy clay below were perfect for human habitation and were certainly in use as far back as the Stone Age.
From this time onwards a complex series of trackways and paths developed across the land and it is believed that by the Bronze Age there was an established trade route along the South Downs. All along the crest of the Downs escarpment there is evidence of Iron Age hill-forts and tumuli (ancient burial grounds), many of them very well preserved, particularly the Old Winchester hill-fort site in Hampshire.
In more recent times the land was cleared, enclosed and the flat hilltops were put under the plough. Although this process erased many of the lesser tracks the most significant of them remained; the one which ran east–west along the edge of the escarpment.
It was not until 1972, amid rapidly growing public interest in walking, that the Countryside Commission designated the eighty miles from Eastbourne to the Sussex–Hampshire border the first long-distance bridleway in the UK. Later, the final section through Hampshire was added bringing the length of the South Downs Way up to one hundred miles and bringing it to a spectacular halt in the historic city of Winchester. Today the route is growing in popularity with walkers, cyclists and horse-riders alike, all of whom tend to mingle with ease.
HOW DIFFICULT IS THE SOUTH DOWNS WAY?
The South Downs Way has to rank as one of the most accessible and easiest of Britain’s long-distance paths. Those on foot will find the path usually follows wide, well-drained tracks in keeping with its designation as a long-distance bridleway, catering for cyclists and horse-riders as well as walkers. If anything walkers may, on occasion, crave a few more lightly-trodden paths since the route always sticks to the well-beaten track.
This one-hundred-mile walk can be conveniently divided into sections starting and stopping at any of the numerous little villages that sit at the foot of the escarpment or in a fold in the hills.
Route finding
There is very little opportunity to get lost along the Way. It would be an easy route to follow even without the way-mark posts, which are usually marked with the National Trail ‘acorn’ symbol. Posts are often also marked with a blue chevron but bear in mind that these are not exclusively related to the South Downs Way: they also indicate other footpaths.
Nevertheless, it is hard to go astray. Should you find yourself erring from the path the chances are a fence on one side or the steep Downs escarpment on the other will deflect you back in the right direction. In addition there are usually other walkers around, both on and off the official route, so getting lost is nothing to get worried about. Someone will be able to steer you on the right course.
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED?
Walkers will find that the whole route can be tackled over the course of a week but it is well worth taking a couple of extra days to enjoy the beautiful downland villages that are passed along the Way. It is also worth taking time to explore the former capital of Saxon England, Winchester, a historic town with a beautiful cathedral. At the other end of the walk Eastbourne, to be polite, is possibly a little less interesting but will keep those who like to sit on a windy seafront happy for hours.
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