For a good bowl of iodine: The Seven Sisters & Beachy Head
Duration:
6 hours for the entire hike with breaks.
Elevation:
568 m.
Jewels of the South Downs, the Seven Sisters are chalky and dramatic cliffs in East Sussex.
They have seven peaks, hence their name "Seven Sisters", to which is added Beachy Head, the highest limestone cliff in the United Kingdom (162 meters).
Moderate in level, the walk can be started or stopped at different places, served by buses 12, 12A, 12X or 13X from Eastbourne and Brighton.
To enjoy the best views, we start from
Seaford
and
walk
along the coast to the east, without approaching the edge.
Beware of wind and landslides!
Soon, we can make out the silhouettes of the Seven Sisters that we approach by the beach of
Cuckmere Haven
.
If the sea is high, you may want to take the
South Downs Way
inland
trail
.
It winds between the Cuckmere River and the grazing marshes.
Low tide reveals the wreck of a three-master, the
Coonatto
, while the Seven Sisters end at
Birling Gap
for coffee and beach access.
The walk continues among meadows, covered with rapunzel and primroses in spring.
You can see the "Belle Tout" lighthouse, built in the 19th century and transformed into a B&B.
It was relayed by the Beachy Head lighthouse which seems rickety under the colossal cliff at the entrance to
Eastbourne
.
Appeared on screen in
Quadrophenia
,
Harry Potter
or
Black Mirror
, Beachy Head is even more impressive in reality.
For the curious: the giant of Wilmington
How old is the Wilmington giant?
Some historians say it was Roman, others place it in the Bronze Age.
This 69-meter figure is as impressive as it is mysterious.
Adobe Stock
Duration:
1 hour.
Elevation:
117 m.
This quick and easy walk, between two villages in East Sussex, takes us to meet the giant of Wilmington, or "Long Man", a
mysterious geoglyph of 69 meters
, engraved on the limestone slopes of Windover Hill.
To see it, go to
Wilmington
(from London, 1h20 by train to Polegate then bus 126 or 26), with a good gastropub, The Giant's Rest, and a priory whose monks are suspected of be the authors of The Long Man.
From the priory, a signposted route allows you to observe the giant from every angle.
In 1874, its contours were emphasized with yellow bricks.
Painted green during World War II, to prevent the giant from serving as a landmark for bombers, they were replaced by cement blocks.
We greet the Long Man from afar.
In order to prevent soil erosion, we do not walk on or around it.
From the ground, its proportions seem more human than on aerial photos where it appears longer.
We then cross the road
The Street
and a field which ends in the precious village of
Alfriston
, in the hollow of the Cuckmere river.
There, we treat ourselves to scones in The Singing Kettle tearoom, before going to explore the
church of St Andrew
(14th century), known as "the cathedral of the South Downs".
Without forgetting the old
Clergy House presbytery
: a half-timbered thatched cottage and its pretty medieval garden.
For History and Virginia Woolf Fans: From Lewes to Rodmell
In Rodmell, you can visit Virginia Woolf's house and her writing hut, planted in the middle of a sumptuous garden, imagined by her husband, Leonard.
Grassroots Groundswell / Flickr
Duration:
5 hours.
Elevation:
509 m.
This long walk of medium difficulty, through
South Sussex
, is strewn with cultural and natural treasures.
It connects the small medieval town of
Lewes
with the village of
Rodmell
.
A 1h20 train ride from London and 15 minutes from Brighton, Lewes is home to a Norman Castle, the Princess of Cleves' Mansion and Harvey's Brewery which are all worth a visit.
Nearby, just before the golf club on Chapel Hill, a trail climbs up
Mount Caburn
.
Bearing the remains of an Iron Age fort, it measures 146 meters and surveys the river Ouse and the sea in the distance.
At its feet, the pretty village of
Glynde
, famous for its opera house, is linked by a path to its neighbor
Firle
.
We visit Charleston Farmhouse - curious residence of artist Vanessa Bell, sister of Virginia Woolf and leader of the Bloomsbury Group.
Then we breathe at B&B The Ram Inn: we sleep as well as we dine there.
From there, head south to
Firle Beacon Hill
.
Past St Peter's Church and Firle Plantation, we climb, not without effort, to the top of the 217-meter hill where we meet paragliders and Celtic ponies.
The view that stretches to the English Channel is epic!
We go down the
South Downs Way
towards
Southease
.
The most tired take the train back to Lewes and the others continue along the Ouse to
Rodmell
where Monk's House is located, the cottage where Virginia Woolf lived.
Closed in winter, it contains its writing hut and marvelous gardens.
For a little taste of England: the River Arun and Arundel Castle
In the middle of the South Downs, the village of Arundel is crossed by a river and overlooked by a fairytale castle dating back to 1067. ohn Englart / Flickr
Duration:
4-5 hours.
Elevation:
187 m.
With the glorious backdrop of
Arundel Castle
in West Sussex, this invigorating walk combines pastoral British charm and old pubs.
1h20 by train from London and Brighton, the historic village of Arundel is famous for its neo-Gothic fortress, which Hergé was inspired by for the first version of
The Black Island
.
It overlooks the Arun river where swans glide, and which we follow northwards on a bucolic walk starting from the Waterside Cafe.
We stop there for a bite to eat or rent a boat, or we continue and, three kilometers later, we settle by the water at the gastropub "The Black Rabbit".
Then, a wooded path leads us to
Arundel Park
, crossed by
Monarchs Way
which brings us back to the village.
The
South Downs
and
Mount Amberley
rise up majestically, as does the
Hiorne Tower
, a folly built by a candidate for the castle's renovation.
He lost the contract but his tower was immortalized in an episode of
Doctor Who
.
From there we follow
London Road
to
St Mary's Gate Inn
.
Next to the stunning Arundel Cathedral, this pub hostel serves English classics (ales, pies,
roast
,
fish & chips
) as does the elegant Swan Hotel, facing the river on the
High Street
.
For lovers of the great outdoors: the East Meon Valley
At the top of Old Winchester Hill, the Meon Valley reveals its rolling hills.
On a clear day you can see the coast and the Isle of Wight!
Adobe Stock
Duration:
3h30.
Elevation:
400 m.
This easy loop crosses undulating landscapes, with a thousand shades of green and ocher.
It starts in
East Meon
, a pretty medieval village a 20-minute drive from
Winchester
, or 50 by bus 67. It features All Saints Church which dates back to the Norman period, and the quaint Ye Olde George Inn pub and inn, by the Meon river.
Departing from the
Sustainability Center
in East Meon, follow the
South Downs Way
north to
Salt Hill
and pass a former Cold War naval base.
On the path leading to the top of
Small Down
, the show begins, a succession of grandiose panoramas, in particular
Butser Hill
, the highest relief in the county of Hampshire.
We go deep into the forest, heading northwest and
Whitewool Farm,
and we get back to the
South Downs Way
.
Then, we cross a stream of crystalline chalk and "trout" and the nature reserve of
Old Winchester Hill
, dotted with wild flowers and sheep.
At the top of this hill - dominated by an Iron Age fort - one admires a striking view of the valley.
We then descend to the Sustainability Center from the south-east, and by opening our eyes we spot the nozzles.
Note that this section of the hike is interspersed with roads.
To follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen: from Chawton to Farringdon
Chawton House in Hampshire is an Elizabethan mansion that belonged to Edward Knight, the brother of Jane Austen.
She often referred to it in her letters and called it "The Great House".
Herry Lawford / Flickr
Duration:
2h45.
Elevation:
111 m.
This loop, accessible to all (equipped with boots! Some sections can be muddy) follows in the footsteps of Jane Austen in her native Hampshire.
The walk starts in
Chawton
- a 25 minute drive from Winchester or 50 by bus 64 - from a cottage where the author of
Pride and Prejudice
spent the end of his life with his mother and sister.
Now a museum, it contains her letters, the table at which she wrote her novels and a small garden.
Next, we explore
Chawton House
, the mansion of his brother, Edward Knight.
It houses a study center on women writers, a huge library and a lovely garden.
Jane Austen's sister and mother are buried next door at
St Nicholas Church
.
There, a passage leads to the left, followed by paths parallel to the main road which lead to pastures.
A path, lined with giant sequoias and yews rises above the valley, offering sensational panoramas.
She goes back down to
Upper Farringdon
, where Jane Austen often visited, especially to All Saints Church as her family was related to that of the Reverend.
Nearby, take a break at The Rose and Crown pub, built by Edward Knight.
We recover the old railway line of the Méon valley which leaves from the A32.
It follows the
St Swithun's Way
, a long footpath which links Winchester to Kent via Chawton.
Back, we get our strength back at The Greyfriar gastropub or a cup of tea at the Cassandra's Cup lounge, neighboring
Jane Austen's House Museum
.