Cycling in the South Downs

YHA South Downs is great for mountain bikers and road cyclists alike. The hostel benefits from a cycle rack and repair equipment to keep your bike in excellent condition while you're cycling the beautiful pathways which start on our doorstep.

Uniquely for a UK National Trail, the entire 100 mile length of the South Downs Way is open to cyclists and, what’s more, it’s accessible from the hostel front door! Running from Winchester, the ancient capital of England, to the white cliffs of Eastbourne it has a total ascent of 3,800m; plenty of slopes and undulations mean it isn’t the easiest trail to tackle, but the scenery is simply sublime.

If you’re fit enough and game enough, it’s possible to complete the whole bridleway in a day but most take 2-4 days to ride it. And with two other hostels along the route – Littlehampton and Eastbourne – YHA can accommodate you all the way. For those preferring a more relaxed, shorter excursion, simply cycle a section in either direction and take the train back to Southease station, just 200m away from the hostel.

If a shorter route is what you’re after then why not try part of the South Downs way and jump on a train back?

Shorter routes include:

• Southease – Ditchling Beacon with the option to call in at Houseedean Farm
• Southease – Eastbourne with the option of getting the train back

More leisurely still is the going in Seven Sisters Country Park, 10 miles to the east. Though there are no bridleways as such, cycling is permitted on the valley floor and a paved track provides easy access to the beach. A pleasant hour’s bike ride north from the hostel brings you to the cafes, independent traders, art galleries and historic buildings of Lewes. Visit Anne of Cleves’ 15th century house to enjoy the Tudor garden, authentic interior and Lewes Folk Museum.