2019-09-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

PHOTOGRAPHS:

KRZYCH_34/GETTY

IMAGES,

JUSTIN

FOULKES/LONELY

PLANET,

MYLES NEW/LONELY

PLANET,

VIVIENNE

BLAKEY

A lineof chalkhillsruns

fromHampshireto East

Sussex,thegentlegreen

foldschangingto sheer

whitecliffstheinstantthey

reachthesea.Mostof the

regionis a nationalpark,

thenewestin thecountry.

Therearealsovineyards

here,onwineestatesthat

youcanvisit.Seeit allon

a shortsummerbreak.

FRIDAYEVENING

FMakeyourfirststopthe

townof Steyningin West

Sussex,nearthemidpoint

of theSouthDowns.On

High Street, Springwells’

sixroomsarelightlyin

keepingwiththehouse’s

Georgianroots(from

£140;springwells.co.uk).

Supperhampersfortwo

(£29.50)letyouendthe

dayin thegardenwith

picnicdelicacies.

SATURDAYMORNING

FThetownof Arundelis

halfanhourto thewest,

crownedbya castlethat’s

likea smallerWindsor

(from£13;arundelcastle.

org).Afterbrowsingthe

tight-knitstreets,headto

theBlackRabbitfora fine

lunch of pub or bistro

standardsoverlookingthe

RiverArun(mainsfrom

£11;theblackrabbit

arundel.co.uk).

SATURDAY

AFTERNOON

FMealcomplete,setoff

in searchof viewsof the

downsaroundArundel

(southdowns.gov.uk).

A patchyroadrunsnearly

to thetopof BignorHill

• onewayto takein the
  heightsof theSouth
  DownsWaywithout
  muchhiking.Lookonthe
  nationalpark’swebsite
  for other walking routes

includingtwonear

Amberley.It’sa goodspot

to endupat fordinner,

thanksto thebeergarden

at theSportsmanInn

(mainsfrom£11;thesports

mansussex.co.uk).

SUNDAYMORNING

FNowit’stimeto look

east.It’sa 40-minutedrive

throughthedownsabove

Brightonto reachthe

villageof Alfriston.The

routepassesbyLewes,

wortha stopto seeits

Georgianstreetsat the

footof a ruinedcastle.

The destination is the

GeorgeInn,a pubdating

fromthe14thcentury,full

of wonkyhalf-timbered

charm(mainsfrom£10;

thegeorge-alfriston.com).

SUNDAYAFTERNOON

FSwingbyRathfinny

Estate,pickupa bottleof

sparklingwineandtake

a tour(rathfinnyestate.

com).Fivemileson,South

HillBarncarparkmarks

thestartof a shortwalkto

seeoneof England’smost

stirringviews:thewhite

cliffsknownas theSeven

Sisters,stretchingaway

into the distance.

WEEKEND AWAY

Clockwisefromabove:

A viewof theSeven

Sistersfromtheother

sideof CuckmereHaven;

a post-walkpint;vinesat

RathfinnyEstate;parts

of theSouthDownsWay

havebeenwalkedfor

around 8,000 years

South

Downs