The South Downs Way
Butser Hill
A really good place to start and finish the West Sussex part of the South Downs Way is Butser Hill, despite it being a mile or two over the county's border with Hampshire.
You can get to and from Butser Hill relatively easily from the railway station at Petersfield, which has regular services to and from London Waterloo.
Peterfield station is four miles away as the crow flies, but getting to the top of Butser Hill involves a longer walk and a taxi from the station past the pretty village of Ramsdean is advisable.
Butser Hill is popular with hangliders and paragliders who take advantage of the air currents driven off the steep north west slopes of Butser Hill.
There are also wonderful views across Hampshire in that direction. The views to the south aren't bad either as you can see, with the A3 snaking though the valley below you and beyond that, a glimpse of the south western corner of Sussex and the English Channel beyond.
Something to savour indeed before turning your back and heading off towards West Sussex.
If Butser Hill is the finishing point of your walk, then there's a kiosk on the top of Butser Hill which can provide you with ice cream and other refreshments to crown your achievement and renew you for the journey home - keep that ice cream in mind as you make the final push up Butser Hill - it's quite a tough climb.
Places to visit close to the South Downs Way
Amberley | Arundel | Ashington | Bepton | Bignor | Bramber | Bramber Castle | Burpham | Bury | Chanctonbury Ring | Charlton | Chilgrove | Clayton | Cocking | Compton | Cootham | Devil's Dyke | The Devil's Humps | Didling | Duncton | East Dean | East Harting | Edburton | Findon | Graffham | Harting Down | Heyshott | Houghton | Hurstpierpoint | North Marden | Parham House | Poynings | Pyecombe | Rackham | Singleton | Slindon | South Harting | South Stoke | Stedham | Steyning | Storrington | Torberry Hill | Treyford | Trotton | Truleigh Hill | Uppark | Up Marden | Upwaltham | Upper Beeding | Washington | West Dean
- B&B Midhurst
- Hotels Midhurst
- B&B Chichester
- Hotels Chichester
- Hotels Petworth
- B&B Arundel
- Hotels Arundel
- B&B Worthing
- Hotels Worthing
- B&B Haywards Heath
- Hotels Burgess Hill
Wednesday February 08
- Butser to Harting Hill
- Butser Hill
- Leaving Butser
- Queen Elizabeth Country Park
- Coulters Dean
- Milky Way
- Sussex Border
- Main Down
- Tower Hill
- Harting to Cocking
- Cocking to Upwaltham
- Upwaltham to Amberley
- Amberley to Washington
- Washington to Upper Beeding
- Upper Beeding to Devil's Dyke
- Devil's Dyke to Ditchling Beacon
- South Downs Way Tips
- Cycling in Sussex
- Bike repairs
- Bicycle hire
- Mountain Biking
- Sussex Walking
- The Ramblers
- Other trails
- Horse riding