South Downs
A chalk downland ridge running roughly 100 miles from Winchester to the sea cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head, traced throughout by the South Downs Way. The highest point, Black Down (281 m), actually sits on greensand in the wooded Weald; the walking is rolling, pastoral and well waymarked.
- Country
- England
- Area
- 1,624 km²
- Designated
- 2010
- Listed hills
- 1
- Highest listed hill
- Black Down 280.8 m
Access in this park
A dense rights-of-way network, including the South Downs Way, carries most of the walking; CRoW open access land is limited on this farmed chalk landscape, and wild camping needs the landowner’s permission.
Conditional Right to roam (England): Right to roam only on mapped CRoW open access land.
Conditional Wild camping (England): Permission needed — except on the Dartmoor commons.
Designation as a park creates no right of access in itself — the law of England applies inside the boundary, and park byelaws, seasonal restrictions and closures can override the general position. This is general information, not legal advice. Full detail: access rights in England · check a specific grid reference.
The one listed hill in the park
The single summit from our hill dataset whose summit point falls inside the park boundary. Follow a name for its full record, live summit weather and daylight times.
| # | Hill | Height | Classifications | Grid ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Down | 280.8 m | Historic County TopCurrent County/UA TopMarilyn +1 | SU919296 |
Hill data from the Database of British & Irish Hills v18.3 (CC BY 4.0); park boundaries from the Office for National Statistics (OGL v3.0). Hills are assigned to a park by summit position, so a top just outside the boundary will not appear here even if the walk starts inside it.
Long-distance paths through South Downs
25 waymarked long-distance routes cross the park boundary. Distances are for the whole route, not just the section inside the park.
| Route | Total length | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| King Charles III England Coast Path National Trail | 2282 km · 1418 mi | England |
| Monarch's Way | 922 km · 573 mi | England |
| Greenwich Meridian Trail | 396 km · 246 mi | England |
| Sussex Border Path | 226 km · 140 mi | England |
| South Downs Way National Trail | 163 km · 101 mi | England |
| Wealdway | 136 km · 85 mi | England |
| Wayfarers Walk | 114 km · 71 mi | England |
| Vanguard Way | 108 km · 67 mi | England |
| St James' Way | 107 km · 67 mi | England |
| The Serpent Trail | 101 km · 63 mi | England |
| Three Castles Path | 99 km · 62 mi | England |
| Sussex Diamond Way | 98 km · 61 mi | England |
| West Sussex Literary Trail | 80 km · 49 mi | England |
| The Shipwrights Way | 73 km · 45 mi | England |
| Sussex Ouse Valley Way | 72 km · 45 mi | England |
| Allan King Way | 69 km · 43 mi | England |
| New Lipchis Way | 61 km · 38 mi | England |
| Downs Link | 60 km · 37 mi | England |
| Mid Sussex Link | 59 km · 37 mi | England |
| Wey-South Path | 58 km · 36 mi | England |
| St Swithun's Way | 54 km · 34 mi | England |
| Itchen Way | 52 km · 32 mi | England |
| Pilgrims' Trail | 51 km · 32 mi | England |
| Clarendon Way | 44 km · 27 mi | England |
| Hangers Way | 33 km · 21 mi | England |
Route lines © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); park crossings computed by OpenFell against the ONS park boundary. See all UK long-distance paths.
Plan a walk here
- Walking-time calculator — Naismith with terrain and fitness corrections.
- Daylight safety planner — set your turnaround against sunset.
- Access checker — what a specific grid reference allows.
- Access rights in England — roaming, paths, camping and dogs in detail.
- Safety notes — conditions change fast; build in margin.