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on your doorstep n south downs
Ups and Downs Encompassing the country’s newest national park, the rolling countryside of the South Downs is as quintessentially English as you will find. Local lass Jeannine Williamson gives the lowdown on the high points of this captivating area
s a little girl I spent many a happy hour flying a box kite at Beachy Head, going on family walks to Cuckmere Haven, with its distinctive oxbow lakes, and exploring the dramatic rollercoaster cliffs of the Seven Sisters – tired legs spurred on by the promise of an ice cream at the end. These days I tend to take the easier option, helping friends exercise their horses on the Downs and through woodland in the surrounding countryside. However you choose to travel, it’s a captivating area – and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased. Celebrated author Bill Bryson described the landscape as “some of England’s finest” and, in April, a large part of it was embraced by the South Downs National Park, the country’s 10th and newest national park. Covering 628 square miles and stretching 87 miles from Eastbourne in the east to Winchester in the west, it runs through East Sussex, West Sussex and Hampshire. While the name conjures up rolling green downland ending at sheer, chalky white cliffs, the landscape and scenery is diverse, taking in gentle clay hills and vales, undulating farmland and steep woodland as you travel towards the eastern corner.
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n Beachy Head Britainonview/Rod Edwards
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on your doorstep n south downs
n Arundel Castle
n The South Downs from Goodwood
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l Beachy Head Marathon (www.beachyheadmarathon.org.uk): October 22. One of the biggest, toughest and most scenic off-road marathons in the UK, runners set off from Eastbourne at 9am with the first arriving back less than three hours later. l Lewes Bonfire Night (www.lewesbonfirecouncil.org.uk): November 5. Flaming torches, giant effigies and ear-splitting bangers are all part of the famous celebrations – some would say infamous – in the county town of East Sussex, where bonfire societies compete for coveted trophies for the best costumes. l Sussex Christmas: December 26-January 1: Experience Christmas past in the fascinating collection of reconstructed historic buildings at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum (www.wealddown.co.uk) at Singleton, near Chichester. l Brighton Festival (www.brightonfestival.org): England’s largest international arts festival, spread over three weeks in May, includes theatre, music, dance, literary debates, outdoor entertainment and family events in more than 20 venues, plus a cutting edge fringe festival. l Glyndebourne (www.glyndebourne.com): Unique and quintessentially English, the opera house nestling in the foot of the Downs near Lewes hosts its world famous festival from May to August. l South of England Show (www.seas.org.uk): June 7-9, 2012. This flagship event showcases the very best of the local countryside, with prize winning livestock, equestrian events, regional food and drink, arena displays and much more. l Goodwood Festival of Speed (www.goodwood.co.uk): Dubbed the world’s largest motoring garden party, this weekend event at the end of June is an exhilarating celebration of motorsport history. l Winchester Festival (www.winchesterfestival.co.uk): With over 30 events in 10 days every July, the festival serves up a feast of local, national and international talent. l Arundel Festival (www.arundelfestival.co.uk): Held in August, the 10-day long celebration of arts, music and drama retains a community feel alongside large scale events staged at the castle and around the town. l Chichester Festival Theatre (www.cft.org.uk): Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, the theatre has an international reputation for its varied programme, encompassing classic drama, musicals, comedies and innovative new productions.
“The South Downs is rich in literary and artistic culture”
n Detail from Amberley Castle
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10 key south downs events
In my particular neck of the woods, the picturesque village of Alfriston is a justifiable magnet for visitors. A gentle one-mile walk away is Berwick Church, its spire visible above the trees. No ordinary village church, it is covered with murals painted by Bloomsbury Group artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell, who lived at nearby Charleston.
sparkling wines Sussex soil, high in chalk and lime, is very similar to the Champagne region. So much so, many English sparkling wines produced here are beating their famous French counterparts in international competitions. The English Wine Centre (www.englishwine.co.uk), on the corner of the A27 turn-off to Alfriston, is an interesting place to stop for lunch and browse around the shop, which stocks wines from throughout the region. Down the road, in the neighbouring village of Jevington, is the local culinary institution, the Hungry Monk (www.hungrymonk.co.uk), selfproclaimed birthplace of the Banoffi Pie (look out for the blue plaque on the wall!).
Amberley Castle
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n Glyndebourne
Moving west, seaside towns such as cosmopolitan Brighton, Littlehampton, nestling in the mouth of the River Arun, and family-friendly Bognor Regis, home to one of Billy Butlin’s first holiday camps which opened in the 1960s and is now one of the remodelled resorts (www.butlins.com), make good bases to explore the South Downs. Another gateway town I’d recommend is the elegant cathedral city of Chichester in West Sussex, situated at the halfway point on the national park’s southern side. Take a leisurely one-hour stroll around the Roman walls before visiting the cathedral, with its 15th-century belfry, England’s only remaining detached bell tower.
culture The South Downs is rich in literary and artistic culture; for instance Charles Kingsley was a regular visitor to Hampshire’s Itchen Abbas, the village and river inspiring the setting of his novel, The Water Babies. Energetic types can head for the hills along sections of, or indeed the whole of, the South Downs Way, the only National Trail lying wholly within a national park. The 100-mile trail, a haven for walkers, cyclists and horse
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artistic and literary links l This year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility and Jane Austen’s House Museum (www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk) in Chawton, Hampshire, is the 17th century home where she wrote the majority of her books. l Writers, painters and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group flocked to Charleston (www.charleston.org.uk), the farmhouse at Firle, East Sussex, with interiors painted by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell. l Bateman’s (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) is the beautiful 17th century Jacobean House at Burwash, East Sussex, where Rudyard Kipling wrote children’s classics such as Puck of Pook’s Hill and Rewards and Fairies. l Monk’s House (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) in the village of Rodmell, near Lewes, was the countryside retreat where Virginia Woolf completed works including To the Lighthouse, The Waves and Mrs Dalloway. l Artists have been attracted to Ditchling for over a century and the East Sussex village is credited with the revival of calligraphy and hand weaving at the beginning of the 20th century. l Petworth House (www.nationaltrust.org.uk) and Goodwood House (www.goodwood.co.uk), both in West Sussex, contain exceptional collections of paintings and sculpture, including works by JMW Turner.
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n Winchester, ancient capital of England
riders alike, runs through and around villages and towns, so food and a bed for the night are never too far away. I particularly like the ancient Hampshire market town of Petersfield, where the tradition continues with weekly markets every Wednesday and Saturday and an excellent farmers’ market on the first Sunday of each month. From Petersfield, discover a unique feature of the local landscape – the steep-sided hanging woods, also called hangers. The town is part of Hangers Way, a 21mile countryside path from Alton to Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The latter is home to Butser Hill, 890ft above sea level and the South Downs’ highest point. Walkers can continue 22 miles along the South Downs Way to Winchester, ancient capital of England, while transport users take the low road along the A3 and A272. Each part of the South Downs has its own beauty. I know the places that I love; take time out to find your personal high spot.
south down facts getting there
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Services by Southern Railway (www.southernrailway.com) go from London to East and West Sussex and Hampshire. By car, the M25 leads to the main eastern access roads, the A27 and A22, and the M3 for Winchester.
getting around
n Bateman’s From £10 a day, the Downlander Ticket (www.southernrailway.com), is valid for Southern trains and some bus services. The Breeze up the Downs (www.brighton-hove.gov.uk) bus network links Brighton with popular places in the park.
Born and bred in Eastbourne, Jeannine Williamson cut her journalistic teeth on regional newspapers before spreading her wings and going freelance 12 years ago. She contributes to a range of national newspapers, magazines and websites.
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The National Trails website (www.nationaltrail.co.uk) lists a wide range of accommodation such as camp sites, self-catering, pubs, hotels, dog-friendly accommodation and lodging with bike storage. The Angel Hotel, Midhurst: www.theangelmidhurst.co.uk Findon Manor Hotel, Findon: www.findonmanor.com Russell Hotel, Bognor Regis: www.visionhotels.co.uk The Star, Alfriston: www.thestaralfriston.co.uk Deans Place Country Hotel, Alfriston: www.deansplacehotel.co.uk George Bell House Hotel, Chichester: www.chichestercathedral.org.uk Hotel du Vin, Winchester: www.hotelduvin.com Amberley Castle, Arundel: www.amberleycastle.co.uk
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n Bloomsbury Group artists Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and Quentin Bell, lived at Charleston.
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accommodation
n Amberley Castle
more information
South Downs National Park Authority: www.southdowns.gov.uk Tourism South East: www.visitsoutheastengland.com
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George Bell House is a beautifully restored eight bedroom house situated in the historic precincts of Chichester Cathedral. George Bell House has 4 large double / twin rooms, 3 standard double rooms and a single room (adapted for disabled access). All bedrooms are en-suite.
Breakfast is available in the dining room of the house which looks out over the private, walled garden. A stay at George Bell House offers the convenience of a city centre location within the tranquil setting of the Cathedral Close. An ideal location from which to explore the historic city of Chichester with its beautiful Cathedral, galleries and shops. www.chichestercathedral.org.uk Email: bookings@chichestercathedral.org.uk Telephone: 01243 813586
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