St. Ann (Without) walks

From lovely Lewes in East Sussex along the River Ouse valley, then up onto the South Downs for a bracing downland stretch with views across the Weald, gorgeous South Downs Way and the sea, ending up in the delightful village of Alfriston, where there are afternoon buses back to Lewes.

Using a part of the South Down Way, this circular walk goes through Southease, Rodmell, along the River Ouse and include one steep hill.

This East Sussex walk takes you onto the South Downs for spectacular views north at Firle Beacon. The walk also offers the opportunity to visit Charlestown Farmhouse with its bohemian decor and associations with the Bloomsbury set. This walk has un challenging climb.

A walk along one of the best sections of the ridge of the South Downs with excellent views to the north. It then returns through one of its dry valleys. The route is easy to follow and, being on chalk, is generally firm and dry (apart from a few short sections on farm tracks).

Sea, Sun and … the Seven Sisters walk of course! When the weather is nice and the temperatures are rising, lace up your hiking boots (or trail runners, it’s summer after all), apply the sunscreen and get the brim out of the closet. It is time to enjoy a walk by the South Coast, and who knows, maybe even take a dip in the bright blue English Channel.

Alfriston is a beautiful village, with old houses and a lovely Common in front of its typical church. Clergy House was the first acquisition of the National Trust. This walk runs along the two river banks of Cuckmere River, via the White Horse, the horse is engraved with the chalk of a valley, and the return trip runs by a hill offering beautiful views.

Beautiful out-and-back walk starting in Cuckmere Haven car park, taking in riverside, coastal path, village and forest

The Seven Sisters are magnificent white cliffs cut in half by the River Cuckmere, which ends its course towards the sea. Part of the Southdowns National Park, the site is protected. It is one of the most beautiful natural sites in South-East England. We walk among the sheep (many gates to pass) toward the cliffs to walk back along the meandering river.

A nice variety - up high on the Downs, and back down to woodland, countryside, riverside - with Chanctonbury Ring frequently in view in the distance.

Lovely walk around the Ardingly reservoir in West Sussex.

This linear walk from East Dean to Eastbourne includes many of the highlights along the East Sussex coast in this area. A frequent bus serrvice can be used to return to the start.

An easy circular walk in Sussex with a number of options to increase or decrease the distance using a variety of footpaths.

The walk starts at the Beachy Head car park (paying) and follows the cliff top path to Birling Gap, where the famous Seven Sisters begin, somewhat equivalent to the cliffs of the Opal Coast between Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. After passing the memorial dedicated to the Second World War bomber pilots, the landscape gradually opens up onto the cliffs with a first beautiful view of Beachy Head Lighthouse (offshore). The route continues to a second lighthouse, Belle Tout Lighthouse (private property) located at the top of a cliff. The next stage is the approach to Birling Gap with a superb view of the Seven Sisters. At Birling Gap, the observation tower overlooking the pebble beach has a staircase leading down to the cliffs, where you can see their unique rock formations up close. Be careful of the tides!

Unspoilt nature, country and forest footpaths in all directions, stile gates and turnstiles, a little tarmac to connect them, a very scattered settlement, streams and rather wet areas: this is what the hike mainly consists of.The English countryside is home to many architectural treasures, such as stone churches with square bell towers, typical farms with pointed cones topped with a white turret, castles and huge estates combining (former) farms and dwellings.At the end, the walk takes a small section of the old railway line that connected Groombridge to Hartfield and Crawley. Transformed into a cycle path called Forest Way, this route is the British equivalent of the Belgian RAVeL or the French Voie Verte, with the advantage of not yet (2025) having been concreted or asphalted.

A suggested start of the walk is at Warnham Local Nature Reserve. Going clockwise, the route follows Chennells Brook and later picks up the Horn Brook near Leechpool Woods.