The South Downs Way
Annington Hill and Botolphs
The descent is gradual at first, heading westwards along a long grassy field on the top of Annington Hill. A little further on lies one of the best viewpoints on the South Downs Way - all the better for not having a car park to bring crowds to spoil the moment.
You get a great view of Steyning, Bramber, Upper Beeding and the Adur Valley. Look out for the finger of the ruins of Bramber Castle poking through the trees on a knuckle of high ground near the river.
You'll see the huge white scar of Beeding Cement Works on the opposite side of the valley - loathed by most people, but quite liked by some
Then the route plunges downhill fast towards Annington Farm and a cluster of attractive houses which form the hamlet of Annington.
There's a pleasant walk along the quiet back road from Shoreham-by-Sea to Steyning down the valley to the Saxon village of Botolphs, which, rather confusingly, was called Annington in Norman times.
Botolphs itself is a small affair, with a church which seems much too large for it today. The church of St Botolph itself used to be much larger than it is now, indicating that it once supported a large Christian population. This is indeed the case, But unlike many lost villages which were abandoned because of plague and other misfortunes, Botolphs main business - as a port - became largely redundant as the River Adur silted up and shifted course a little.
Longshore drift at the mouth of the Adur (or Soreham River sic. as it was called in the middle ages) was the culprit. Countless tons of shingle blocked the river mouth, pushing it westwards towards modern day Portslade until the embankments of the modern day port at Shoreham-on-Sea restored a degree of equilibrium.
It's now time to cross the Adur and begin the next stage of our route along the South Downs Way.
Places to visit close to the South Downs Way
Amberley | Arundel | Ashington | Bepton | Bignor | Bramber | Bramber Castle | Burpham | Bury | Chanctonbury Ring | Charlton | Chilgrove | Clayton | Cocking | Compton | Cootham | Devil's Dyke | The Devil's Humps | Didling | Duncton | East Dean | East Harting | Edburton | Findon | Graffham | Harting Down | Heyshott | Houghton | Hurstpierpoint | North Marden | Parham House | Poynings | Pyecombe | Rackham | Singleton | Slindon | South Harting | South Stoke | Stedham | Steyning | Storrington | Torberry Hill | Treyford | Trotton | Truleigh Hill | Uppark | Up Marden | Upwaltham | Upper Beeding | Washington | West Dean
You might also like
- The South Downs Way in Sussex - a step by step guide
- The Monarch's Way National Trail in West Sussex
- The Downs Link from Shoreham-by-Sea all the way to Guildford
- A walk along the New Lipchis Way from Liphook to Chichester
- Some good places for walks in West Sussex
- Places to buy walking boots and other outdoor kit in Sussex
- From Chichester to the seaside along Salterns Way
- Riding the ridleways of Sussex
- Horse riding and equestrian sport in West Sussex
- More about Mountain Biking in West Sussex
- B&B Midhurst
- Hotels Midhurst
- B&B Chichester
- Hotels Chichester
- Hotels Petworth
- B&B Arundel
- Hotels Arundel
- B&B Worthing
- Hotels Worthing
- B&B Haywards Heath
- Hotels Burgess Hill
- Butser Hill to Harting Down
- Harting to Cocking
- Cocking to Upwaltham
- Upwaltham to Amberley
- Amberley to Washington
- Washington to Upper Beeding
- Washington & the A24
- Frieslands
- Chanctonbury Ring
- Above Wiston
- Steyning Bowl
- Annington Hill
- Upper Beeding to Devil's Dyke
- Devil's Dyke to Ditchling Beacon
- South Downs Way Tips
- Cycling in Sussex
- Bike repairs
- Bicycle hire
- Mountain Biking
- Sussex Walking
- The Ramblers
- Other trails
- Horse riding
- Arundel
- Bognor Regis
- Burgess Hill
- Chichester
- Crawley
- East Grinstead
- Haywards Heath
- Horsham
- Littlehampton
- Midhurst
- Petworth
- Shoreham-by-Sea
- Steyning
- Worthing
