Where to stay and what to see on the South Downs Way, by Dixe Wills
ACCOMMODATION
NIGHT 1 Sustainability Centre, Leydene Park
The centre offers B&B, hostel, yurts and a campsite. I enjoyed a peaceful and comfortable night in a yurt before sampling an inexpensive and tasty breakfast at their veggie/vegan Beech Café. sustainability-centre.org
NIGHT 2 Moonlight Cottage, Cocking This 200-year-old flint-and-brick guest house is also a bright and cheery licensed café. moonlightcottage.co.uk
NIGHT 3 Foxleigh Barn, Amberley Enjoy a lovely bijou campsite (open Easter–October), or stay in the cottage and shepherd’s hut (two-night minimum stay) if you fancy a half-way rest day. avsshop. co.uk/foxleigh-barn
NIGHT 4 Duck Lodge,
Pyecombe A luxurious en-suite garden bedroom with cooking facilities and a hot tub. Owner Keith’s breakfasts are a wonder. Baggage transfer offered. duck-lodge.com
NIGHT 5 South Downs YHA,
Southease A venerable farmhouse with dorms, private rooms, bell tents and small campsite. Also on offer are two styles of cosy pods, while the café has an amazing unlimited breakfast deal. yha.org.uk/yha-south-downs
NIGHT 6 Hydro Hotel, Eastbourne Once a grand Victorian residence, this is such an elegant throw-back to times past that one can imagine Agatha Christie wandering in. Enjoy sea views, an outdoor heated swimming pool and even a croquet lawn. hydrohotel.com
CAMPING
Happily, there are more than enough campsites close to (or slap-bang on) the South Downs Way to make it possible to walk the entire route under canvas. Campsites include Holden Farm (holdenfarm.co.uk), Housedean Farm (housedean.co. uk), Alfriston Camping Park (alfristoncamping.com), and Truleigh Hill and Southease YHA (yha.org.uk).
HOW TO GET THERE
Winchester and Eastbourne both have railway stations (with direct London services) in walking distance of the start/end. They are also on multiple bus routes and have a wide choice of car parks. You can join/leave the Way by train at Amberley (see Days 3 & 4) and Southease (Days 5 & 6).
