Here we will share country walks that we have enjoyed with our family, but also links to where you can find shorter or longer walks in Sussex.
[Disclaimer: The information provided below are shared experience and are intended to inspire you to visit our beautiful countryside. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability of the information provided. You will need to prepare and do your own research before setting off.]
>>Barcombe Mills – Anchor Inn pub [Lewes District]
Lovely peaceful walk 👣 at Barcombe Mills along the River Ouse, with a pit stop at the Anchor Inn on a glorious day ☀️ [even my teen said it was actually quite nice 😜]
Start & end at the Barcombe Mills car park [BN8 5BX] we took the path before going over the bridge and walked along the river. After crossing the 2nd bridge we turned right and walk a few meters on the road and took the path on the right (~where the road kind of bends to the left), which will bring you back along the river.
There are lots of opportunity to picnic on the bank of the river or have a pit stop at the Anchor Inn pub.
image credit: Brighton & Hove Family Grapevine [Spring 2022]
>>South Downs – Round trip from Plumpton College [Lewes/Ditchling]
Short-ish round trip (~1h) starting/ending at Plumpton College [BN7 3AE]. Walk up the hill and then along the South Down Way with amazing views across the South Coast! The walk can be extendend to include a pit spot at the Pink Pit Stop*, marked with an x on the map, apparently they do lovely coffee & brownies 😜, only heard about it when I was half way down the hill though 😬…
*check their FB page for their opening times, especially in the colder months.
image credit: Brighton & Hove Family Grapevine [October 2022]
>>South Downs – Kingley Vale Nature Reserve [Chichester area]
Round trip starting/ending at the West Stoke car park [PO18 9BE], amazing ancient Yew trees forest, head towards the hill, very steep climb up Bow Hill*, then pass the The Devil’s Humps [group of Bronze Age burial barrows] and then back down through the woodland area.
[Designated as one of the country’s first National Nature Reserves in 1952, Kingley Vale is home to ancient yew trees, some of which are thought to be 2000 years old! (source South Down National Park)]
*I would not recommend the path on the right, via the open land, if it has been raining as it can be extremely muddy and slippery [I tested for you and pratically went all the way up on my hands and knees – not the most enjoyable ;-)].
image credit: Brighton & Hove Family Grapevine [October 2020]
>>England Coast Path Shoreham-by-Sea to Eastbourne:
This easy to follow 33-mile (53km) stretch of the England Coast Path linking Shoreham-by-Sea to Eastbourne opened in May 2022.
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/england-coast-path-south-east/route-description/
>>Mill Hill Nature Reserve, Shoreham:
It has a 500-metre easy access trail, which enables less mobile people to enjoy this site. There are no steps or steep gradients on the trail and benches are located every 150 metres to provide plenty of resting places.
www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/parks/conservation-and-countryside/mill-hill/
Useful Links:
- Short walk maps around East Sussex green spaces [Eastbourne/Lewes/Wealden/Hastings area]. One, two and three mile routes: 123walks.org
- East Sussex – circular walks by distance: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisure-tourism/circular
- 5 miles loop: Eastbourne – Beachy Head – Eastbourne: www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/short-routes/eastbourne-beachy-head-circular-walk/
- National Trust: short and longer walks around/in between NT sites [East Sussex/Kent]: thefamilygrapevine.co.uk/eastbourne-wealden-lewes/2022/11/29/winter-walks-at-the-national-trust-east-sussex-kent/
- South Down National Park: South Downs Walking Trails and Brand-new Miles Without Stiles route for people of all ages and fitness levels.
- West Sussex – walks around Angmering: www.angmeringwalks.com/walks
- Wey & Arun Canal [West Sussex/Surrey]: weyarun.org.uk/backdrop/walking-routes-view
- Cycle route around Hassocks/Hurstpierpoint: www.hassockscommunitycyclehire.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/hcp-cycle-leaflet-route-2-landscape.pdf