2020 Walking Challenge: The South Downs Way

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Sunday 23 February 2020 10:00 - Sunday 13 September 2020

(203 nights)

From £30.00

Listed by Spice Thames Valley & Solent

Overview

Join Brenda and Chelsea for our 2020 Walking Challenge and walk the 100 mile South Downs Way with us. This National Trail traverses the length of the South Downs National Park. Starting from Winchester in Hampshire and ending in Eastbourne, Sussex, the trail follows the old routes and droveways along the chalk escarpment and ridges of the beautiful South Downs. The trail is almost entirely off road and follows the undulating landscape with spectacular 360 degree views over the National Park and the south coast which found Virginia Woolf “overcome by beauty more extravagantly than one could expect.”  The trail includes Bronze Age barrows, with grassy ramparts still clearly visible at Old Winchester Hill, the circle of beech at Chanctonbury Ring, Iron Age hillforts, hilltops where beacons were lit to warn of the Spanish Armada and the stunning chalk cliffs of Birling Gap and Beachy Head.

You will need a reasonable level of physical fitness to join us for this challenge – the individual legs will be between seven and 12 miles each, and for the latter stages we will complete up to 19 miles in one weekend. We recommend that you are comfortable walking at around 3mph pace (roughly 20 minutes per mile) – although we will of course be stopping for photos, and for lunch and drinks breaks!

We have divided the trail into 12 legs, which will initially be walked on Sundays from mid February. As we get further from the Thames Valley and Solent area, we will complete two legs over a weekend – in July, August and September, so you may choose to stay in the area overnight rather than travel to and fro each day. The dates are as follows:

Sunday 23rd February – Winchester to Holden Farm (7 miles)

Sunday 8th March – Holden Farm to Old Winchester Hill (9 miles)

Sunday 5th April – Old Winchester Hill to Buriton (9.5 miles)

Sunday 17th May – Buriton to Hill Top Cocking (11.5 miles)

Sunday 7th June – Hill Top Cocking to Bignor Hill (7 miles)

Sunday 28th June – Bignor Hill to Storrington (7.5 miles)

Saturday 18th July – Storrington to Botolphs (10 miles)

Sunday 19th July – Botolphs to Clayton Windmills (8.5 miles)

Saturday 15th August – Clayton Windmills to Housedean Farm (7.5 miles)

Sunday 16th August – Housedean Farm to Firle (10 miles)

Saturday 12th September – Firle to Exceat (7.5 miles)

Sunday 13th September – Exceat to Eastbourne (8 miles)

We will also have an exclusive Facebook group for Challengers so you’ll be able to contact other members, discuss accommodation and lift shares etc.

How does transport work?

Each time we will meet at a car park at the end of the walk and will then car share back to the start of the walk. Once we have completed the day’s route, some of those with cars at the end of the walk will drop those who drove to the start back to their cars, before making their way home. The vast majority of the car parks we are using are free and we will operate a cash kitty to pay for the few where we will need to pay.  We will also have a rota for lifts to ensure that the mileage is as evenly spread as possible.

What happens if I can’t do a date?

Sign up for the Challenge to guarantee your place on the walks and if you’re not able to make a date we send you all the info so you can walk that section on your own, send us your photos and still complete the challenge! We’ll also be able to link you up with any others who haven’t walked that section so you may be able to arrange to walk together/share transport etc.

Can I walk just a section or two?

We have limited spaces available for the walks so priority will go to those who have booked the Challenge as a whole. If there are any spaces available after all Challenge walkers have been accommodated, places may be sold separately for individual walks – but there is no guaranteed availability. It’s also better value to book the Challenge as a whole rather than individual walks (12 for the price of 10), plus you’ll get access to the Facebook Group for information on transport sharing and accommodation.

What arrangements are there for overnight accommodation?

We have chosen not to include accommodation as part of the challenge to keep the costs down.  You are therefore free to make your own arrangements – so you may wish to stay in the Youth Hostels en route, to camp, or to treat yourself to a local b&b or hotel. Membership of our Challenge Facebook group means that you’ll be able to chat to others about where they’re staying so maybe some of you can stay together.

Alternatively if you prefer not to stay overnight you can also drive home on Saturday and return on Sunday morning. Please note that in July, August and September then Sunday walks will start at 9am rather than the usual 10am.

Sign Up

Book your place for this exciting Challenge now – just £30 for all 12 walks (that’s 12 walks for the price of 10), plus the satisfaction of achieving a goal! 


And remember, if you need to renew your gear, your SPICE membership can get you discounts with key suppliers of outdoor wear, including Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock, Ultimate Outdoors, Mountain Warehouse and Trespass. For full details, see Useful Info: Spice Extra Discounts on your dashboard.


Extras

Car parking kitty - £1.50 per person (one off cost, not per walk)

Availability & Pricing

TypePrice
Member£30.00Available
Guest£48.00Available

Not enough spaces left for you? Join the waitlist

South Downs Way, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9BH

Host & Everything Else

Brenda O'Neill and Chelsea

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