The South Downs Way
Tower Hill and Harting
It's very exciting, although nothing compared to what it to come on the rest of the journey where the whole world seems to open up before you.
As the South Downs Way approaches Harting Down it skirts to edge of the great Uppark Estate - the domain of the Fetherstonhaughs and home to a hundred stories of the rich and famous.
Uppark was also the scene of a terrifically destructive fire in 1989 which gave rise to one of the most remarkable and painstaking restorations of any stately home ever undertaken.
As you tiptoe through the slightly slippery path which lips around Tower Hill you may have mixed emotions:
While you may take comfort from the knowledge that the wood through which you are passing is called The Bosom you might simultaneously be irritated that the interesting Tower folly on the hill above you cannot be approached because it is on private property and there's no footpath offering a view of it within three hundred metres.
The Tower was built by the Fetherstonhaughs as a kind of summer house for partying - a pastime at which the wonderfully eccentric Sir Harry Fetherstonhaugh excelled.
You are now about to reach the first major milestone on your route - Harting Down Nature Reserve - and the end of this section of 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
- A guide to walking,cycling or riding along the South Downs Way in West Sussex
- The best West Sussex walking and hiking equipment shops
- The Downs Link - a flat walk from Shoreham-by-Sea on the Sussex coast to the North Downs in Surrey
- Tips for West Sussex walkers
- LIPCHIS Way - a footpath from Chichester to Liphook
- A flat walk you can do with kids from Chichester to the Beach along Salterns Way and Chichester Harbour
- The Sussex part of the historic Monarch's Way
- West Sussex mountain bike clubs, blogs and information
- West Sussex horse riding
- West Sussex bridleways - cycling and horse riding
- 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 to Harting
- Butser Hill
- Leaving Butser
- Queen Elizabeth Country Park
- Coulters Dean
- Milky Way
- Sussex Border
- Main Down
- Tower Hill
- Harting to Cocking
- 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
