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West Sussex > South Downs Way Guide
Picture of sheep grazing on the South Downs in Sussex at Newtimber Hill

The South Downs Way
On top of Newtimber Hill

As is so often the case on the South Downs in Sussex, your reward for a steep climb up West Hill is the opening up of a wonderful new panorama.

To the south the encroachment of Brighton onto the Downs becomes more evident. To the east you can glimpse the distant outline of the South Downs as they sweep on past Lewes to the South Downs Way's end at Eastbourne.

As you sweep your gaze round Jack and Jill windmills show themselves for the first time on the South Downs Way. And, as you complete the circle of your panorama, to the north, beyond Newtimber Hill lies the wonderful scalped roundness of Wolstenbury Hill, one of the most distinctive downs of all.

This is one of the places on the South Downs Way where you get a true sense of being up high.

As you continue on past the grazing sheep you catch a sight of the village of Pyecombe, looking pretty enough down in its valley but ravaged by the fast moving traffic of the A23.

You might notice how Pyecombe is split into two halves, separated by a kilometre or so. This split was caused by the ravages of the plague between 1603 to 1621.

The plague was so bad that the population of the old village declined to next to nothing. The remaining villagers decided a new start was needed and so moved up the valley to what is now known as Pyecombe Street.

By the end of the seventeenth century old Pyecombe village had been repopulated, leaving the village split in two.

Further on through a gap to the north of Pyecombe you can see the distinctive white tower of the recently restored Oldland Mill, just to the north of Keymer.

<< Go West | South Downs Way Home | Go East >>

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

You might also like
  • A guide to walking, riding and cycling the South Downs Way in Sussex
  • Some walking and hiking equipment shops in Sussex
  • The Downs Link - a flat walk from Shoreham-by-Sea to the North Downs in Surrey
  • Best places for West Sussex walkers
  • New LIPCHIS Way - a footpath from Chichester to Liphook
  • A flat family-friendly walk from Chichester to the Beach along Salterns Way and Chichester Harbour
  • The historic Monarch's Way in West Sussex
  • West Sussex Mountain Biking guide
  • West Sussex Horse riding resources
  • Cycling and Horse riding on the bridleways of West Sussex
SOUTH DOWNS WAY - WHERE TO STAY
  • 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
SOUTH DOWNS WAY - STEP BY STEP
  • Butser Hill to Harting Down
  • 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
  • Devil's Dyke viewpoint
  • The Devil's Dyke
  • Saddlescombe Farm
  • West Hill
  • Newtimber Hill
  • Newtimber to Pyecombe
  • Pyecombe Village
  • Pyecombe Church
  • Pyecombe Golf Course
  • Clayton Windmills
  • East Sussex Border
  • South Downs Way Tips
SOUTH DOWNS WAY INFORMATION
  • Cycling in Sussex
  • Bike repairs
  • Bicycle hire
  • Mountain Biking
  • Sussex Walking
  • The Ramblers
  • Other trails
  • Horse riding
SUSSEX INFO
  • West Sussex news, blog and features
  • Full details of sports clubs in West Sussex
  • West Sussex bed and breakfast guide

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Page author: Mark Hoult of West Sussex.info