Day 8 Final day!Our last day on this amazing trail.. few spots of rain at 6.15, and the wind had also picked up.Breakfast out of a packet wasn’t great, so we packed up and left Alfriston camp site on slightly empty stomachs at 8.30.We knew there would be plenty of places to stop, the firstContinueContinue reading “Day 8, Final day Alfriston to Eastbourne”
Author Archives: Chris Bristow
Day 7 Housedean Farm to Alfriston
South Downs Way Day 7.Another 15 miler today, courtesy of a 1 mile off route to the campsite, we laugh in the face of another mile 😆 Definitely a day of 2 halves.Packed up and left our campsite to the sounds of wailing sirens on the main road outside the campsite, fire engines, police, ambulancesContinueContinue reading “Day 7 Housedean Farm to Alfriston”
Day 6 Truleigh Hill to Housedean Farm
Day 6. I know you’re excited for this… 🤣14.29 miles, 5 hrs 59 walking. Someone please order 2 new pairs of feet for us, please! (do Amazon deliver here?)Kim is leading the blister division by a couple of points, 9 to 7, I dare say I’ll do my best to catch her up..Left YHA TruleighContinueContinue reading “Day 6 Truleigh Hill to Housedean Farm”
Day 5. The longest day, Amberley to Truleigh Hill
Day 5. Sooo glad it was raining when we left today, I don’t think there was any way we could have done our longest day in that heat. 15 miles, 1923 feet of elevation which took us just over 6 hours of walking. Breakfast at the pub started at 9, so we didn’t leave untilContinueContinue reading “Day 5. The longest day, Amberley to Truleigh Hill”
Day 4 Cocking to Amberley
Day 4. And we thought yesterday was hot… 12.6 miles, 4 hours 52 walking timeTreated to a fab sunset last night and a reasonably good sleep in the tent. Took ages to pack everything away, so we didn’t leave until 8.15.The obligatory 1 mile uphill to start the day and get the legs burning. AContinueContinue reading “Day 4 Cocking to Amberley”
Day 3 Buriton to Cocking
Day 3. Whose idea was this?!🤣 Crazy heat today. 12.5 miles, 1,644 feet of elevation, Buriton to Cocking.Nearly broke both of us today… We left at 8.15 with half mile uphill out of town back to the trail, and then more uphill. The tracks were hard, stony, chalky and seemed to just attract the heat.ContinueContinue reading “Day 3 Buriton to Cocking”
Day 2 Exton to Buriton
Day 2 of the South Downs Way. A day of heat, humidity and hills, and plenty of them all!14.5 miles and 1800 feet of elevation. We left early in dull cloud, but still very humid. Hills came thick and fast, Old Winchester Hill first was very long and steep, finishing with a long narrow steepContinueContinue reading “Day 2 Exton to Buriton”
Day 1 Winchester to Exton
After a quick breakfast at the Premier Inn, we made our way to City Mill, the official starting point of the South Downs National Trail. As we were a little early, so the National Trust shop wasn’t open, so we had to be a little inventive with the obligatory start photos! Rather humid, so shortsContinueContinue reading “Day 1 Winchester to Exton”
South Downs Hike Eve
So the day is nearly here. Bags packed, unpacked and re-packed again, many times over and over! Left home around 2.30 and had a slow walk to Furze Platt train station to get the 3.17 to Maidenhead. Took the train to Reading and then changed for the Bournemouth train which stopped at Winchester. Trains wereContinueContinue reading “South Downs Hike Eve”
Hot, hot, hot
Sunday 15th June was hot, very hot. We had a route planned from the National Trust website which was 12.5 miles, starting in Henley and passing through Hambleden, Medmenham, Remenham and back to Henley. We parked in Henley Station car park and headed out about 10am with plenty of suncream applied. The bags were fullyContinueContinue reading “Hot, hot, hot”
