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Escape to the South Downs

England’s newest National Park
 
Combine leisurely walks through the rolling chalk landscapes of England’s newest National Park with stays at welcoming country inns and visits to ancient sites, hill-top forts and Petworth – a renowned antiques centre. This self-guided walking holiday includes luggage transfers. 
Escape to the South Downs. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
Escape to the South Downs. 4 nights
+44 (0)1653 617001 Call now
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday in the South Downs

Rudyard Kipling described the landscape in this delightfully rural corner of southern England as “blunt, bow-headed, whale-backed downs”; and the rolling, elevated chalk grassland of the South Downs – offering expansive views across the Weald towards the North Downs from its northern escarpment – makes for exhilarating walking country.
You first see the South Downs in the distance from your first country inn, as you head out to explore Petworth, together with its historic country house and surrounding parkland. On the following day you get a leg-up to the escarpment, now on the South Downs proper, where you follow the ancient ridgeway, which today has acquired the status of a National Trail, ‘The South Downs Way’. As your walks unfold, you have opportunities to encounter prehistoric burial sites and hill-top forts, high points with panoramic views, ‘living’ modern chalk sculptures, ancient yew groves, pretty villages with traditional pubs, shady woodland, and grassland with myriad wildflowers and butterflies. Your accommodation, two traditional but well-heeled hostelries providing excellent food, is another highlight of this short but satisfying break.
 

2021

We are currently unable to take new bookings for this holiday, but hope to be able to do so again soon.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You can start on the day of your choice, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.

    You should always be prepared for wet weather, whichever month you are travelling.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 8 8 11 14 17 20 22 20 20 15 11 8
    mm 65 48 47 51 48 45 49 47 43 70 65 67
  • Arrival in Petworth
    Night 1: at Welldiggers Arms (the first of two nights here).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.
  • Circular route from Petworth: 7.5km (5 miles), 2.5hrs; 170m ascent/descent
    Your first day’s walk is relatively short and easy-going, so makes a good ‘loosener’. It heads through woodland and rolling countryside via a section of the Serpent Trail into the ancient hill-top market town of Petworth, known as the ‘Antiques Centre of the South’ and home to a superb summer music festival (www.petworthfestival.org.uk). After browsing the town’s curio-filled boutiques, you can explore the deer park surrounding Petworth House, an impressive 17th-century National Trust property whose gardens and parkland were landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown. (Admission is free for National Trust members; otherwise an admission fee applies to visit the house, while the park may be explored free of charge.) To return, you can walk the couple of miles cross-country via the hamlet of Byworth; or take a bus, alighting right outside your accommodation.
    Circular route from Petworth: 7.5km
    Route around Petworth
  • Petworth to Chilgrove: 15.5km (10 miles), 5.5hrs; 350m ascent/400m descent
    The day begins with a short transfer – a ‘leg-up’ to a viewpoint near the top of Duncton Hill – meaning you are now on the escarpment itself, within a landscape described by Kipling as “blunt, bow-headed, whale-backed downs”. Follow the ancient ridgeway – The South Downs Way – westward, drinking in the far-reaching views before descending through woodland, keeping an eye out for the weathered, spherical Chalk Stones, devised by environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy. Your destination is the White Horse Inn in Chilgrove, where you spend two nights.
    Petworth to Chilgrove: 16km
    Countryside views on the route from Petworth to Chilgrove
  • Choice of routes from Chilgrove: 12.5km or 13.5km

    Circular route via Beacon Hill: 12.5km (7.5 miles), 3.5hrs; 290m total ascent/descent
    This walk is a favourite of ours, with enough – but not too much – of a challenge. From Beacon Hill, on a fine day, views extend from the Weald in the north to the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. There’s also an Iron Age hillfort here (archaeological evidence suggests that the down was first occupied around 3000 BC), as well as a former telegraph station. This was a link in the shutter telegraph chain (1796-1816) which connected the Admiralty in London to its naval ships docked in Portsmouth and Plymouth. After being replaced by a semaphore station, ‘Telegraph House’ was the home of the famous Beacon Hill School run by the renowned philosopher, Bertrand Russell. Also featuring on today’s walk are the Devil’s Jumps – Bronze Age burial mounds whose name owes much to local legend.

    Circular route via Kingley Vale: 13.5km (8.5 miles), 4hrs; 376m total ascent/descent
    The highlight of this option is undoubtedly Kingley Vale, a National Nature Reserve, which you reach about a third of the way in. You arrive along a wooded ridge intersecting with the top of this horseshoe-shaped dry valley, where first you encounter some Bronze Age burial mounds or ‘barrows’ known as the ‘Devil’s Humps’ (not to be confused with the Devil's Jumps that feature on the Beacon Hill circuit), before descending through magical, Tolkien-esque yew groves with some curiously shaped specimens over 500 years old. The rest of the walk is quiet and very pleasant, passing through the isolated village of Stoughton with its 11th-century Saxon church, plus the Hare & Hounds pub for refreshment.

    Explore Chichester
    A third option, if the weather is poor, is to take a taxi to the delightful small city of Chichester (just 7 miles away), where there is plenty of history, especially Roman (including a modern museum); and a compact, historic centre within the city walls, with an ancient market cross and 11th-century cathedral. You can also stroll to the newly renovated canal basin and wharf.   
    Beacon Hill on the route around Chilgrove
    Circular route via Beacon Hill: 12.5km
    Circular route via Kingley Vale: 13.5km
 

Accommodation

You stay at two high-quality inns – or ‘dining pubs’ – of character, each of which places emphasis on good food sourced from fresh, local produce.
 

Extend your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter. For general information on pricing, see the 'your holiday price explained' page.
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  • 4 nights: 01 September 2020 - 31 October 2020 & 01 April 2021 - 31 October 2021

    Start any day | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    1 - 30 Apr 2021 £365 £250
    1 - 28 May 2021 £380 £260
    29 May - 31 Aug 2021 £415 £295
    1 - 30 Sep 2021 £380 £260
    1 - 27 Oct 2021 £365 £250
    3rd & 4th person discount -£25
    Single traveller supplement £25

    Please note: dogs are not permitted on Inntravel holidays

    Included travel: transfer Chilgrove-Petworth to collect car OR from Pulborough railway station / to Chichester railway station

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Welldiggers Arms, Petworth
    'Indulgent': 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £8
    'View': 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £14
    White Horse Inn, Chilgrove
    'Feature': 01 Apr - 31 Oct 2021 £8

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    White Horse Inn, Chilgrove (B&B) Double room Single room
    01 Apr - 31 May 2021 £48 £96
    01 Jun - 31 Aug 2021 £58 £116
    01 Sep - 31 Oct 2021 £48 £96
  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Connecting travel options - out via Pullborough, home via Chichester

    Outward route Price per person Latest train
    arrival time
    taxi Pulborough station to hotel (0h15) included flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest train
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Chichester station (0h20) included flexible
What is included
  • 4 nights
  • 2 picnics
    4 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • transfer on day 2
  • taxi to/from local railway stations or to collect car
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 6 reviews
  • Anon
    22 September 2020

    An excellent introduction to walking in the South Downs. Each walk had its highlights but reaching the top of Beacon Hill was wonderful with 360 degree views, while the combination of woodland and open track walking on other routes was perfect.

  • Mr R Delaney
    Bristol
    02 September 2020

    The walkng and weather were lovely and the vista from the height of the weald stunning. I would advise your customers to book a field facing room at the Welldiggers and find somewhere else to eat your evening meal or face four nights with the same very limited menu.

  • Mrs M MacDonald
    Canada
    06 October 2019

    This was a wonderful holiday. I especially liked the accommodation and walking trails. I would definitely consider another trip.

  • Anon
    29 August 2019

    The walks were wonderful - varied, challenging enough (but not too much) and very quiet. On Day One, after a long and very interesting afternoon at Petworth House, we hesitated to walk back rather than take the bus option but were so pleased we walked - the distance wasn't too far at all (maybe two thirds of the circular route covered on the outward walk to Petworth)and the scenery beautiful. We chose option B on the 3rd day and highly recommend Kingley Vale and the magical Tolkien-like ancient yew trees. Stunning .. .we are keen walkers (and have taken many Inntravel walks across Europe and at home) but have never seen anything like it.

  • Brian, Edinburgh
    22 July 2019

    Personal highlights were all the walks, in all their variety, and the easy to follow guidance notes. Recommend you review the detail of the service provided by both hotels - or the price they charge.

    Inntravel
    response

    We're pleased you enjoyed the holiday overall, and that we were able to satisfactorily address the issue you identified with your room as per our direct communication. We  look forward to welcoming you on another Inntravel holiday in the future.

  • Stuart Anderson
    11 April 2019

    I had a very pleasant stay at The Welldiggers. The restaurant and bar are good. The menu is a bit limited and for the length my stay I felt I needed a bit more variety. if you want to continue on walking parts of the SDW then without the use of a car it is a bit impractical and you will need to move on.

    Inntravel
    response

    We are pleased you enjoyed your stay at The Welldiggers on your tailored itinerary with a car. On the standard version of this holiday customers do move on to Chilgrove for the second half of the break.
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We sincerely hope that your holiday experience will be as enjoyable as it would have been before the pandemic – walking holidays are ideal in these times of social distancing, and we’re not operating holidays if the key highlights can no longer be delivered – but, naturally, there will be some changes to ensure your and other people’s safety.
    Your holiday experience: what to expect >
    Safety measures being taken by hoteliers & others >
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • Yes, absolutely. Over the years, we have arranged a great many walking holidays in the UK for customers living in the USA, Canada, Australia and beyond.

    If you've never travelled with us before, it's worth reading the web pages which explain how we can cater for customers who live outside the UK. The main thing to bear in mind is that our tour operator's licence doesn't allow us to book flights that originate outside the UK, and nor are we able to book rail travel in the UK, so we can't make travel arrangements for you, other than pre-arranging taxis between the local railway station and the accommodation – see the ‘prices & travel options’ section for the options available.

    As regards entry requirements, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. Our essential travel information page provides links to websites where you can find out about the applicable requirements, along with general official travel advice.
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.

    More information about the booking process >
    Information about accommodation, general practicalities and more >
    Booking conditions >
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to take out our recommended travel insurance policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for residents of the UK and Europe, but not Switzerland), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies – including falling ill with Covid-19 while on holiday – and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.

    We'll ask you for the details of your policy (insurer, policy number and medical emergency phone number) so that we can help out if the worst happens while you are on holiday. It's up to you, though, to check that your policy covers the activities you'll be doing on holiday and that it is adequate for your own individual needs; we don't check alternative policies.
  • You are the best judge of your child’s/children’s capabilities. We are happy to take bookings for families of older children/teenagers if they walk regularly, love the outdoors and are comfortable with the distances and ascent/descent involved. Please note that the bedrooms at most of the accommodation we use will normally only sleep a maximum of 3 people, and sometimes only 2.
  • Unfortunately not. The Inntravel team includes many dog owners, but the extra considerations – such as whether taxi firms accept dogs for transfers to the start of walks, whether routes cross private land on which dogs are not allowed, and proximity to a vet’s – would add another layer of complexity to what are already quite complex holidays.
Last fetch time is : 11/25/2020 11:02:49 AM