The South Downs Way
Harting Downs
This is the magnificent downland nature reserve at Harting Downs, which is one of many properties in Sussex run by the National Trust.
Harting Downs are collectively Harting Down, the appropriately named Round Down and , most famously, Beacon Hill.
This is a wonderful rolling landscape, fully open and allowing extensive views to the north, right across the Weald.
Beneath you is the large and interesting village of South Harting which has two good pubs and a church with a distinctive copper coloured spire which you can see very well from the hill tops.
If you are thinking of dropping down from the South Downs Way to visit South Harting it's best to use the footpath which runs a few metres to the west of the road for safety's sake. The road is very steep and has a series of sharp bends which makes it a dangerous place for pedestrians.
The National Trust car park at Harting Down, where a charge applies for NT non-members, makes this a good place to start a shorter walk along the South Downs Way.
And if you're lucky there might even be an ice cream van on hand on a hot summer's afternoon.
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
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- Walking the South Downs Way in Sussex - a guide
- Some walking and hiking equipment shops in Sussex
- The Downs Link - a flat walk from Shoreham-by-Sea to the North Downs in Surrey
- Best places for West Sussex walkers
- New Lipchis Way - a footpath from Chichester to Liphook
- Walking the Monarch's Way in West Sussex
- A flat family-friendly walk from Chichester to the Beach along Salterns Way
- West Sussex Horse riding resources
- West Sussex Mountain Biking information
- Cycling and Horse riding on the bridleways of West Sussex
- B&B Midhurst
- Hotels Midhurst
- B&B Chichester
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- Hotels Petworth
- B&B Arundel
- Hotels Arundel
- B&B Worthing
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- Butser Hill to Harting
- Harting to Cocking
- Harting Downs
- Beacon Hill
- Pen Hill
- Buriton Farm
- Treyford
- Devil's Jumps
- Linch Down
- Bepton Down
- Cocking Down
- Cocking to Upwaltham
- Upwaltham to Amberley
- Amberley to Washington
- Washington to Upper Beeding
- 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