Harting Down
South Harting, West Sussex
Photo: N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0Photo: N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0
One of the largest areas of ancient chalk downland in the Trust's care, on the South Downs Way just east of Uppark. From the brow of the hill the views run north over the Weald and south to the Isle of Wight. Iron Age earthworks and the site of a Napoleonic telegraph station on Beacon Hill add some history to the walking.
Highlights
- Wide views over the Weald and to the Isle of Wight
- One of the best juniper sites in the south
- Iron Age hill fort and cross dykes
- Harting Down wildlife walk
Good to know
- Dogs on leads; sheep graze the down
- Download and set up the JustPark app before you go
- The Stagecoach 54 bus stops near Uppark, just across the road
Getting there
Harting Down, Off the B2141, South Harting, Petersfield, GU31 5PWParking: National Trust car park at the top of the hill on the B2141, paid via the JustPark app (location 80586). Members check in on the app to park free. No camping or overnight stays.
Get directionsChecked on 16 October 2026 against nationaltrust.org.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
Nearby
Image: National TrustUppark House and Garden
A 17th-century house crowning the South Downs ridge near South Harting, with views stretching to the Solent. Its Georgian interiors show the comfort of life upstairs alongside the servants' world below, and past residents include the Fetherstonhaugh family, Emma Hamilton and a young H.G. Wells.
Photo: Martyn Pattison, CC BY-SA 2.0Sky Park Farm
A working deer farm in the South Downs National Park near Petersfield, where fenced paths lead between paddocks of deer towards the River Rother. Children can let off steam in a handcrafted adventure playground, and there is a farm shop, butchery and bar and grill on site.
Image: West Dean GardensWest Dean Gardens
West Dean Gardens sits at the foot of the South Downs north of Chichester and is one of the finest restored gardens open to the public. Highlights include the Victorian glasshouses, a productive Walled Kitchen Garden, a 100-metre Edwardian pergola and the 49-acre St Roche's Arboretum. It is open year round, with a restaurant, tea cottage and shops on site.