The South Downs Way is a delightful 100 mile (160 km) National Trail along the south coast of England, through beautiful countryside in the heart of the South Downs National Park.
About half way along the trail is the medieval town of Steyning and it’s here - on the trail - that you’ll meet Footprints of Sussex.
Andy Goldsworthy's chalk stone Passing Chanctonbury Ring
South Downs Way June 2009 June 2010
For sixteen years we have been providing high quality holidays along the South Downs Way. Our 'walking holidays' are featured in the menu to the left.
As well as running a professional business we are also active country walkers ourselves and regularly lead walks over the downs - our 'local Sussex walks' page has details of these.
We walk the downs throughout the year and, just to prove how beautiful they are at any time, here's a few photos we took last winter ....
Please install the latest version of Adobe Flash®. Click here to download Flash now.
Walking the South Downs - Winter 2009/10
And then each year in mid-summer we lead the Annual South Downs Way Walk on behalf of West Sussex County Council. That's how we know the South Downs so well !
We are often asked which is the best direction to walk the south downs way, whether from Eastbourne heading west to Winchester or easterly from the ancient capital of Wessex to the dramatic chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.
The numbers taking part in the annual south downs way walk would suggest Winchester to Eastbourne is a little more popular - partly because the prevailing wind is then usually at your back and partly because of the spectacular finish of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head
Others will argue that the morning light is much more attractive walking towards Winchester and that the magnificent Winchester Cathedral and imposing statue of King Alfred the Great offer a more fitting end to the southdowns way - with perhaps an extra day being spent in this cathedral city on the banks of the River Itchen.
Whichever way you choose to walk the South Downs Way National Trail you'll be delighted with the sights and sounds of the southdown sheep, the wild orchids and butterflies and those truly amazing views of forty miles or more across the Sussex Weald towards London and out across the English Channel towards the Isle of Wight.
