The South Downs Way
Climbing West Hill
The first part of the climb takes you along a really muddy track through an attractive copse before opening out to pass along the side of a field.
You may well be tempted to rest half way up - and why not.
The views of the Devil's Dyke looking back are interesting and spectacular.
While this is not the classic view of the Dyke (which can be seen from the viewpoint alongside the road under North Hill) it's a lovely one nonetheless. The rounded downland features contrast markedly with the curious rhomboid box of the reservoir protruding from the hillside on the left hand side of your view.
To the right a gap between Newtimber Hill and the Devil's Dyke allows you a terrific view of part of the route you have just walked. You can see all the way along the spring line villages to the clump of trees at Chanctonbury Ring - that famous Sussex landmark - still, despite the depredations of the wind, the most notable mark on the landscape for hundreds of square miles.
To the south the vista is lovely as well with a road sweeping through the sides of the valley sweeping on towards Brighton and the sea.
The lovely soft greens of the fields and the contrast between them as the light falls on them is accentuated by the dark lines of the hedgerows delineating each square patch of farmland.
It's very beautiful.
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,cycling or riding along the West Sussex South Downs Way
- The best West Sussex hiking and walking boot shops
- The Downs Link - a flat walk from Shoreham-by-Sea on the Sussex coast to the North Downs in Surrey
- Tips for West Sussex walkers
- LIPCHIS Way - a long distance footpath from Chichester to Liphook
- A flat walk you can do with kids from Chichester to the Beach along Salterns Way and Chichester Harbour
- The Sussex part of the historic Monarch's Way National Trail
- West Sussex mountain bike clubs, blogs and information
- West Sussex horse riding
- West Sussex bridleways - cycling and horse riding
- 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
- 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
- Cycling in Sussex
- Bike repairs
- Bicycle hire
- Mountain Biking
- Sussex Walking
- The Ramblers
- Other trails
- Horse riding