Of all England’s long-distance footpaths, I know the South Downs Way best. For twenty years I’ve lived almost within sight of it; walked many stretches countless times and all of it at least twice. But I had never completed the entire 100 mile trek from Winchester to Eastbourne in one continuous, sweaty effort. Until now.
On the 18th April, I caught an early train to King Alfred’s capital, Winchester, in order, curiously, to walk all the way back home again; and then on to the finish at Eastbourne.
Winchester Cathedral
At 9am on that sunny morning, I stood at the path’s start beside the Cathedral, pawing the ground and snorting,
Hamo Thornycroft’s statue of King Alfred the Great, Winchester
before, to an imagined fanfare of trumpets, I scurried off in a puff of dust – raising my hat politely to His Greatness in passing.
Thatched cottage, Chilcomb
You might think that a path across the rolling Downland of southern England is a relaxing saunter. And initially it is pretty easy: mostly on the flat past small villages,
along quiet country lanes;
farm tracks and footpaths;
across fields of flowering rape;
and emerging wheat;
through beech hangers
and into woodland. Early on, there is little sense of the magnificent Downland for which the path is famous.
I was setting off on my annual long walk a month or two later than usual, guiltily leaving the gardens during the busy season. But with bluebells at their peak,
late daffodils;
and all manner of spring flowers, any guilt quickly evaporated.
Especially as I was remarkably lucky with the weather. For April. For England.
It didn’t rain at all and the sun shone on five of my six days.
One of a handful of irresistible benches
On the third day, I reached the chalk escarpment with panoramic views to the north across Hampshire and Sussex
Isle of Wight on the horizon
and, away southwards, a strip of English Channel.
But often, the route dropped from the scarp edge to cross a river valley or a crease in the Downs;
and time and time again I’d be at the foot of another hill, flexing my back and squinting ahead at a ribbon of white wending away, up and over a distant horizon.
One could almost take the frequency of dips and climbs personally: no sooner had I regained the tops then another long descent unwound before me. The easy start to the Way was over.
I like solitude on my annual treks but with fine weather the SDW was busy: far busier than any other long-distance path I’ve done. Even mid-week, I nodded, smiled and said hello many, many times to other distance walkers; to strollers and dog-owners;
horse-riders
and cyclists galore. It was a rare hour if I had the Downs to myself.
South Gardens Cottage B&B, South Harting
With extra miles added for reaching an off-route B&B
Ye Olde George Inn, East Meon
or my room at the Inn,
the total mileage crept up to 110 and, pressed for time, I squeezed four twenty-mile days into my itinerary. It was a tight schedule.
Made tighter by frequently stopping simply to, you know, look.
There was much to gawk at;
The fattest, noisiest, nosiest goose
to meet and greet;
and time whizzed by
in a flurry of shutter clicks.
There’s a lot to see in the South Downs National Park.
Including plenty of wildlife: distant herds of fallow deer;
a red-legged partridge leading me on;
pretty goldfinches;
cocky pied wagtails;
the first swallows of 2016;
and singing yellowhammers;
if not as incessantly as skylarks (who frankly wouldn’t shut up).
I saw birds of prey: kestrels doing that clever, showy-off hovering thing;
buzzards letting me believe I could get really, really close (but then flying off before I could)
and my first red kite on the Downs. I’ve been waiting for these birds to reach my part of Sussex in their ongoing recolonisation of England. This one was a few miles east of Winchester and soon, no doubt, they will be soaring over the Priory – when I might get a better shot.
“As God is my witness – I’ll never be hungry again!”
So, yes. My pace was slow and the days long, spent happily snapping away at whatnot:
silvered twigs;
pleasing hues;
shimmering reeds;
vibrant colour;
detail in an enormous bonfire;
Amberley Castle
far-off subjects (brought close by zoom lens);
simple compositions;
A few hours in, a helluva long way to go
or the odd selfie. (N.B. The frequency of the selfie is odd, not the subject).
When I was actually walking, those ups and downs of the SDW were ongoing, with no let-up on the final day. From the railway halt at Southease, the Way climbs back to the escarpment and on to my home turf. (My partner, Jim joined me for these last 20 miles. He’s all right. You’d like him).
This is Downland walking at its very best, on springy turf with views over to Lewes and Mount Caburn,
and, to our right, Newhaven and the sea,
before dropping to Alfriston for coffee and marvellous sausage rolls,
and then pulling away towards the coast.
At Exceat near Cuckmere Haven, we met friend Annie and, after a friends-reunited chat,
and another attempt by Jim to master his sitting skills (he’s almost got it), we began the walk’s climax: The Seven Sisters.
The Seven Sisters are best viewed off the path from the far-side of the Cuckmere Valley. Photo – September 2015
These are a stately, procession of blinding cliffs between Cuckmere Haven and Beachy Head. After 100 miles and five and a half days, the South Downs Way doesn’t wind down meekly – like many trails. It ends with a bang.
Birling Gap
Decisively conquering the first clutch of cliffs, we fell on tea and cake at Birling Gap,
Belle Tout Lighthouse
rejoined the Saturday afternoon throng and climbed up to and past Belle Tout Lighthouse
Beachy Head Lighthouse
until there it was. The very last climb of the South Downs Way: Beachy Head.
It’s not a bad ending
and though I’m undoubtedly biased, I can’t think of a finer finish to any path.
Satisfied, tired and thirsty, I followed Jim and Annie down to Eastbourne for the bus back home and a celebratory glass of sparkling mineral water. Or something. After first attempting the South Downs Way in 1985, I had finally walked all of it in one hit.
Have I convinced you? To walk the South Downs Way? I hope so. It is a superb path: varied; beautiful; ancient and increasingly dramatic (if walked west to east). The start and finish are easily reached by public transport; it is easily chopped into day or half-day sections and, if some bits aren’t exactly gentle, it is all easily do-able by most.
South Harting – one of the spring-line settlements below the Downs
But a word of warning from horrid experience. If the weather turns foul, the Downs can be downright hostile. They are bleak and miserable in driving rain or icy wind, with little or no shelter. And the nearest pie-shop is often either miles away or else a long detour to the foot of the hills followed by a long, achy climb back up again.
This during a dry April, imagine a wet January
Clay paths in woods and on lower ground quickly turn to grim mush in heavy rain and often remain so for months. Whilst, during hotter weather, the high chalk tracks are baked hard into flinty ruts and ridges which butcher ill-clad feet.
Chanctonbury Ring
In good weather however, the SDW is possibly the perfect long-distance footpath
Southease Church
and I haven’t even mentioned the iron-age hill-forts, the bronze-age burial mounds, C12th churches, ghostly remains of abandoned medieval settlements,
good, solid English place-names and, crucially, decent pubs. What more inducement could you need?
The Devil’s Jumps, West Sussex
One morning, I stopped at The Devil’s Jumps – a 3000 year old barrow cemetery. Perhaps predictably, it was an eerily atmospheric spot – underlined somewhat by the freshly severed deer-foot lying nearby. There was no-one about and, except for birdsong, the Downs were empty and silent. At my feet, discreet and easily overlooked, I noticed a small, weathered plaque.
It is inscribed only with the dates 23 July 1960 – 20 April 1998 and the words, “Mark liked it here”. If you visit the South Downs or walk the Way, I expect you’ll agree with Mark. I do.
oooOOOooo
A more detailed account of this walk – with loads more photos – is on my other blog – ‘The Walking Gardener’.
The Anxious Gardener 
I love your photography – wonderful gardening blog and a walker too, man after my own heart! I walked the South Downs Way a couple of years ago. What gentle words in the name – and then along the ridge you see an occasional lone tree growing horizontally and you realise how harsh it is up there! Fantastic walk which certainly blows the cobwebs away
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Hi Anna, I’m pleased you like the blog and the SDW. It is a great path and I already miss those huge skies and views. The sculpted trees are a bit of a give-away aren’t they? I don’t have a dog at the moment and so don’t walk stretches of the path whatever the weather just because the dog needs a walk. Shame. But I’ve certainly been up there in atrocious conditions and only too grateful to get home again, cobweb-less. Dave
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Absolutely magic Dave.
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Thanks very much, Janet. D
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Thank you for that lovely walk I did enjoy it as I do all your walks, great pictures
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Thanks Ann, pleased you enjoyed it. I did! D
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Magnificent hike, Dave. I appreciate your sharing your journey. 110 miles is a long way! Hats off to you.
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Thanks Eliza. It was grand but not as long as I would’ve liked! D
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I admire your ability and stamina. 20 miles a day would kill me! 😀
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It increasingly feels like that to me too!
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😀
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You had me right up until the mud. Having experienced footpaths like that on our first (attempted and with much regret, subsequently aborted) English walk in March, my heart sank. Have you just learnt to mud skate? You’ll have to slow down with your walks by the way; you’re stressing me out with how many I NEED to do! They all look so gorgeous.
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Only a teeny weeny bit of mud, Janna and only once did my boot disappear into the gloop. The path will be dried out completely soon in this heat. Off you go!! Dave
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OK, putting my boots on…
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Fabulous walk. But definitely with comfortable B&Bs en route! We do short stretches of the Devon coast path and I’d love to do more, sadly other half is not so keen.
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Now you’re talking! I’ve been mulling over doing the entire SW peninsular walk – all 600 odd miles. Too many walks is the problem! Oh and lack of money. D
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Quite Brilliant Photography!! Well Done! Pity I cannot Join you Dad x
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Thanks Dad! Well, we can certainly drive to some of these spots when next you’re down. Dx
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Beautiful David, thank you. I was so thrilled to see the bluebells in the Cotswolds last year. We have done two walks in Englad and would love to do more but for the time being will have to do our walking here in Australia. I agree, the end of the SDW was pretty spectacular. Cheers.
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Hi Chris, well I for one wouldn’t mind doing some walking in Australia! I was chuffed that my walk coincided with bluebell time – as completely coincidental as it was. Dave
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A beautiful portrayal of your walk and reminder of the drama of the South Downs. We were there the previous week – my other half with a walking group, me exploring and revisiting student haunts.
Well done for completing the whole length of the route.
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aka Celia of PurplePoddedPeas blog
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Thanks Celia. How funny that you were there about the same time. I hope the weather was as kind to you as me. D
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What a lovely post, Dave. I’m glad you had such accommodating weather—and didn’t have to rely on your tent! Looking forward to the longer version (but no pressure or anything). I may raise a glass to Mark, too.
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Thank you, Stacy. I did weigh up the idea of wild-camping against B&B’s (not showers, cooked breakfasts, that sort of thing). It wasn’t much of a contest, to be honest. But it was mainly the thought of not carrying cooking equipment, sleeping bag and all the other paraphernalia that swung it for me. Mind you, last time I walked half the Way, I did just that – as well as dog food and bedding for Hobbes. I must be getting soft. D
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Absolutely beautiful! What a great collection of images from along the way, and yes it does make me want to lace up and follow in your footsteps… and I’ll just ignore the ruts and mud and whatever else tries to bring me down along the way!
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Hi Frank, sorry for the bad weather dampener – but I was beaten off the path after three days when I first tried it by dreadful weather. I thought I’d better counter my latest experience with possible cold reality! Hope you get to do it. Dave
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Well done David! And the sceneries aren’t too bad either 🙂
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Thanks Boys of Luton. D
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when novels end at Beachy Head it is grim.
This was a much happier view!
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Hi Diana, yes that’s an aspect to Beachy Head I didn’t cover. There were many sad, home-made memorials on the cliff for the desperate people who have ended their lives there. D
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Yes you have convinced me, especially as it is from my home part of the country. Looks like you had glorious weather too. I enjoyed your wonderful photos as always.
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Thanks Annette, I hope you get to do it. You’d enjoy the photography, I know. D
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We almost did a stretch of the West Highland Way a few weeks ago, but that is as close as we have come to doing any of these long walks!!! Hopefully my other half will retire next year and we will get in some more serious walking.
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The West Highland Way is high up on my wish list. The logistics of travel and accommodation have put me off so far, as well as squeezing it into a quiet period when it isn’t heaving … and plagued by midges. One day though certainly. D
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We were down that way last month – I think April or May would be a good time to do it. You must try to fit it in, the scenery round there is amazing.
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Yes, I must. I’ve bought the guidebook!
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Beautiful photos as always and such glorious scenery. England is so beautiful! I think I’ll have to read it all again so I can enjoy your photos again.
How did you pull up at the end – sore, blisters? A pretty decent walk! Glad you got some good weather.
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I was in pretty good shape, thanks – a bit of a sore hip but no blisters. When I was younger, blisters were an integral part of any long walk but I think boots and walking socks have come a long way since then. I haven’t had one for a few years now! Dave
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