The South Downs Way
Frieslands and Chanctonbury Hill
Rutted, uneven and slippery when wet, you climb 120 metres or more in a kilometre.
The steepest parts, beyond Freislands Farm and next to the disused chalk pit raise you up 80 metres in the space of 400 metres - that's a gradient of 1 in 5.
I've seen people with strong legs and stronger egos mountain biking up here - a triumph of will power over common sense. It's quicker to walk for all but the strongest cyclists.
But what a sense of achievement to cycle to the top!
When you get there, take a rest and look back towards the West for a really enjoyable view of the South Downs above Storrington.
A Chanctonbury Myth?
Climbing up Chanctonbury Hill, frankly, makes me doubt the authenticity of one of the best known Sussex stories.It's often put about that Charles Goring looked after the young saplings he planted at Chanctonbury Ring by carrying water up to them to ensure that they took to the thin chalky soil.
Anyone who has both climbed up the Chanctonbury Hill OR carried a large bucket of water any reasonable distance will know that doing both at the same time is a ridiculous proposition.
Remembering that Charles Goring was just a boy at the time makes me think the story cannot be true - unless he was assisted by a coterie of muscular servants, in which case the tale loses some of its charm.
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
- Along the South Downs Way in Sussex - a guide
- Some walking boots and hiking equipment shops in Sussex
- The Downs Link - a flat walk from Shoreham-by-Sea to the North Downs
- Some good places for West Sussex walkers
- Along the New Lipchis Way all the way from Chichester to Liphook
- The Monarch's Way as it runs through West Sussex
- A level walk Chichester to West Wittering Beach along Salterns Way - a good family walk
- West Sussex Horse riding information
- West Sussex Mountain Bike information
- About Horse riding on the bridleways of 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
