Steyning, South Downs
Steyning and Chanctonbury Ring
A five-and-a-half-mile loop from Chanctonbury Ring along the South Downs Way and down into Steyning, passing the Star Inn on the High Street.
Photo: Brian Gillman (cropped), CC BY 3.0
- Distance
- 5.6 miles (9 km)
- Time
- About 3 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Start
- Chanctonbury Ring National Trust car park, or start in Steyning to finish at the Star
Parking: Chanctonbury Ring car park, off the A283 between Washington and Steyning (free, no time limit). Don't park on the surrounding roads.
Chanctonbury Ring, the crown of trees on top of the Downs above Washington, is one of the best-known landmarks in Sussex. This route climbs up through the woods to the South Downs Way, follows the ridge, then drops down a bridleway into the market town of Steyning.
It's a circle, so you can start at either end. Start from the car park and Steyning's High Street, with the Star Inn, comes halfway; start in Steyning and you finish there instead, which is the better way round if a fire and a pint are the goal.
Terrain
- A climb through woodland up onto the South Downs Way at the start.
- Grassy downhill paths and a sometimes uneven path past a small pond and bridge.
- A couple of stiles on the way back from Steyning, and some quiet road.
With your dog
- Cows and sheep are often in the fields on the farm section near the end: lead on.
- Two stiles on the return leg; be ready to help bigger dogs over.
- The South Downs Way is popular with cyclists and other dogs at weekends.
The pub at the end
The Star
The Star is a dog-friendly pub on Steyning High Street with a real fire and a garden.
See The Star and more in SteyningFull route
For turn-by-turn directions and a map, use the published route from Discover Sussex. Take a map or app with you as well.
Open the Discover Sussex routeThe weekend walk
A walk, a pub and a place to stay
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