Ditchling Beacon
Ditchling, East Sussex
Image: National TrustAt 248 metres, Ditchling Beacon is the highest point in East Sussex, with views to the sea in one direction and across the Weald in the other. The South Downs Way runs along the ridge past the remains of an Iron Age hillfort.
Highlights
- Highest point in East Sussex
- Iron Age hillfort remains
- South Downs Way walks and bike rides
- Chalk grassland flowers on Ditchling Down
Good to know
- Breeze bus 79 runs from Brighton on weekends and bank holidays, and on summer Saturdays
- There are no toilets at the car park
Getting there
Ditchling Beacon, Ditchling Road, near Ditchling, East Sussex, BN1 9QDParking: National Trust car park on Ditchling Road (JustPark location 80562). It fills up at weekends and paying in advance does not guarantee a space.
Get directionsChecked on 15 October 2026 against nationaltrust.org.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
Nearby
Image: One Garden BrightonOne Garden Brighton
An 18th-century walled garden in Stanmer Park, restored and run by Plumpton College and free to wander. Themed show gardens, a café with its own bakery and a market selling plants grown on site make it an easy half day with a walk in the park.
Image: The Living CoastStanmer Park
A 495 hectare 18th-century estate on the edge of Brighton, with woods, chalk grassland and a restored walled garden inside the South Downs National Park. Follow one of three signed trails, let the children loose in the play park, then refuel at the cafés.
Image: Tates of SussexMuseum of Gardening and South Downs Heritage Centre
A free museum of gardening history at Tates' South Downs Nurseries in Hassocks, set up by the Budding Foundation and named after Edwin Beard Budding, who invented the lawnmower in 1830. The heritage centre also houses The Cube art gallery, the Sussex Food Hall and a craft studio, so it pairs easily with lunch and a browse.