South Downs National Park
Midhurst, West Sussex
Image: South Downs National ParkImage: South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park protects the chalk hills, woods and river valleys that run across Sussex and into Hampshire, including the Seven Sisters cliffs. The South Downs Way follows the ridge, and there are step-free Miles Without Stiles routes, some of the darkest skies in England and plenty of villages and vineyards to stop at.
Highlights
- The South Downs Way national trail
- Step-free Miles Without Stiles routes
- Stargazing under dark skies
- Vineyards, breweries and distilleries
Good to know
- The National Park website has free walk ideas and family activities
- Coordinates point to Midhurst, home of the National Park Authority
Getting there
South Downs National Park, Across West Sussex, East Sussex and Hampshire
Get directionsChecked on 15 October 2026 against southdowns.gov.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
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What's on at South Downs National Park
Image: South Downs National Park AuthoritySeven Sisters and Beachy Head – South Downs Coast Tour by Minibus
A minibus day trip runs on Sundays along the chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head, with a Sussex village visit and a pub lunch included. Pick-up is from Brighton Station, with options from Worthing and Steyning, and private groups can be collected from their door. No driving is needed, so it suits couples, groups and friends.
Image: South Downs National ParkMigration marvels
Migration marvels is a family workshop on 28 October 2026 in Midhurst, where attendees learn about birds that migrate for winter and how wintering birds and animals survive colder months. Participants make autumnal bird feeders to take home. Booking is recommended, and times are given on the event page.
Image: South Downs National ParkWhat went crunch in the owls lunch?!
A Halloween family workshop on Thursday 29 October 2026 at 10.30am, lasting two hours, run within the South Downs National Park near Midhurst. Children dissect owl pellets to work out what owls have eaten, then make a Halloween lantern and a monster to take home. Suited to families with children, and booking is recommended.
Image: South Downs National ParkWhat went crunch in the owls lunch?!
Children dissect owl pellets to solve a spooky mystery, then make a Halloween lantern and monster to take home. The two-hour workshop runs on Thursday 29 October at 10.30am in Midhurst and suits families. Booking is recommended.
Nearby
Image: National TrustWoolbeding Gardens
A 26 acre garden on the edge of Midhurst, with distinctive garden rooms and colourful borders that flow into the Rother valley landscape. Follies include a classical Tulip Folly, a ruined abbey, a gothic summerhouse and a river-god grotto, alongside a striking ten-sided glasshouse and Silk Route garden.
Photo: Chris Thomas-Atkin, CC BY-SA 2.0Woolbeding Countryside
A large estate in the Rother valley just west of Midhurst, running from open heathland on Woolbeding Common down to parkland and riverside pasture along the River Rother. The heath is home to nightjars and woodlarks, and Belted Galloway cattle graze it. It is separate from Woolbeding Gardens, which has its own ticketed visits.
Photo: Chris Gunns, CC BY-SA 2.0Drovers Estate
A quiet working estate in the folds of the South Downs above Singleton, with beech and oak woods, old pasture and flint cottages and barns. Hat Hill, the high point, looks over Goodwood racecourse and down to Chichester. A disused railway tunnel on the estate is a winter roost for 12 of the UK's 17 bat species.