Walking in East Sussex
East Sussex is where the South Downs meet the sea: the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head, the Cuckmere valley and the Long Man of Wilmington above Alfriston. Inland are Lewes and the Ouse valley, Ashdown Forest and the High Weald, and in the east the 1066 country around Battle, Hastings and Rye. Below are free walks in East Sussex, each with a map, distance and starting point.
Difficulty is shown only where we have graded the route, so choosing a level hides walks not yet graded.
Walks with a mapped start point are plotted above; the rest appear when you search their town. Zoom, drag or click a pin to explore, or search a town to list its walks.
Choose a starting town
Brighton & Hove
Lewes & the Ouse Valley
Eastbourne, Seven Sisters & the Cuckmere
Hastings, Battle & Rye
Ashdown Forest & the High Weald
Top walks by area
A starting point for each part of East Sussex: well-documented routes that finish back where they start, between 1 and 12 miles.
Brighton & Hove
- 4.6m Circuit Walk – Stanmer ParkStanmer · 4.7 mi
- Woodingdean Circular WalkBrighton · 10.7 mi
- Falmer via Great WoodFalmer · 2.0 mi
Lewes & the Ouse Valley
- Firle Beacon LoopGlynde · 5.5 mi
- Newick via Shortbridge and Fletching.Newick · 8.0 mi
- Lewes via Castle HillLewes · 9.8 mi
- Southease via South Downs Way and River OuseTarring Neville · 10.9 mi
Eastbourne, Seven Sisters & the Cuckmere
- Birling Gap via Beachy Head and Belle Tout LighthouseBirling Gap · 3.6 mi
- Eastbourne via Wealdway and King Edwards ParadeEastbourne · 6.2 mi
- Exceat via Seaford and the Vanguard WayExceat · 7.5 mi
- Folkington via AlfristonFolkington · 7.6 mi
- Alfriston via Beach via Cuckmere HavenAlfriston · 10.1 mi
Hastings, Battle & Rye
- Scotney Castle and Bewl via the VineyardFlimwell · 8.4 mi
- Powder Mills via Saxon Wood and Manser ShawBattle · 2.2 mi
- Baldslow via Hastings and BulverhytheHastings · 10.2 mi
Ashdown Forest & the High Weald
- Broadwater Forest and Broadwater Warren LoopWealden · 3.2 mi
- Danegate via Sussex Border PathDanegate · 4.4 mi
- Duddleswell via NutleyFairwarp · 4.9 mi
- Balls Green via High Weald Landscape Trail and WithyhamHartfield · 6.8 mi
- Hindleap via Coach Horses and Birchgrove WoodForest Row · 7.8 mi
- Groombridge To Crowborough CircularGroombridge · 9.1 mi
Popular in East Sussex
Where to walk in East Sussex
Walks in East Sussex range from chalk downland and white cliffs to sandstone woods and heath, with historic towns along the way.
Brighton, Lewes and the Ouse
The South Downs rise straight up behind Brighton, with routes out over the downs from Falmer. Lewes and Glynde are good bases for the Ouse valley, Mount Caburn and Firle Beacon.
Eastbourne, the Seven Sisters and the Cuckmere
This is the classic East Sussex walk: from Eastbourne over Beachy Head and along the Seven Sisters to Cuckmere Haven, with Birling Gap and East Dean in between. Inland, Alfriston sits on the South Downs Way, close to the Long Man of Wilmington.
Hastings, Battle and Rye
In the east, the 1066 Country Walk links Pevensey with Battle and Rye, through farmland, woods and old towns. The cliffs east of Hastings are sandstone rather than chalk, and wooded rather than bare.
Ashdown Forest and the High Weald
North of the Downs, the High Weald is a landscape of small fields, woods and sunken lanes. Ashdown Forest, the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood, has open heath with long views, and Wadhurst is a base for quieter woodland walks.
Choosing a walk
There are 206 walks in East Sussex on Walking Rambler, starting from 55 towns and villages. Of those, 31 are under 4 miles, 28 are 4 to 7 miles, 38 are 7 to 10 miles and 106 are 10 miles or more. Of all the routes, 54 bring you back to where you started, which makes them easy from a car park, while 118 are one-way routes, best paired with a bus or train. The busiest starting points are Brighton (26 walks), Eastbourne (23 walks) and Lewes (18 walks). Use the filters above to narrow the list by length, route shape or difficulty, or search for a town to see every walk that starts there.
When to go and getting around
The Downs and coast are at their best from spring to autumn, though the clifftops are exposed in strong winds. Ashdown Forest is lovely in late summer when the heather is out, and the Weald woods are full of bluebells in late April and May. Brighton, Lewes, Glynde, Seaford, Eastbourne, Battle and Rye all have stations, and buses run along the coast road between Brighton and Eastbourne past the Seven Sisters.
Know before you go
Practical points for walking in East Sussex. Rules and timetables change, so check the linked sources before you set off.
Seven Sisters and Beachy Head
At 162 metres, Beachy Head is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain. Waves undermine these cliffs and falls happen often, so keep well back from the edge along the Seven Sisters and Birling Gap.
South Downs National Park
England’s newest national park, designated in 2010. The 100-mile South Downs Way finishes at Eastbourne, passing Alfriston, the Cuckmere and the cliffs on its way.
Long Man of Wilmington
Cut into Windover Hill above Wilmington, the Long Man is about 72 metres tall. Once thought prehistoric, it is now dated to the 16th or 17th century, and is cared for by the Sussex Archaeological Society.
Ashdown Forest
Around 25 square kilometres of heathland near Hartfield inspired A.A. Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood, and Poohsticks Bridge is about a kilometre’s walk from his old home at Cotchford Farm.
1066 Country Walk
This 31-mile route runs from Pevensey, where William of Normandy landed his army, through Battle to Rye, and links with the Saxon Shore Way.
Maps
Eastbourne, Beachy Head and the Cuckmere are on OS Explorer OL25, Brighton, Lewes and Ditchling on OL11 (Brighton and Hove), Hastings and Battle on Explorer 124, and Ashdown Forest on Explorer 135.
Walking in East Sussex: questions
How many walks are there in East Sussex?
We list 206 walking routes in East Sussex, starting from 55 towns and villages. The typical route is about 10 miles; 31 are under 4 miles and 106 are 10 miles or more. Every route is free to view.
Which towns have the most walks?
Brighton (26), Eastbourne (23), Lewes (18), Alfriston (9), Seaford (9) and Hastings (8). Use the town search or the town list on this page to see every walk from a particular place.
Are there short circular walks in East Sussex?
Yes. 6 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Falmer via Great Wood (2.0 mi), The Ram Pub To The Beanstalk Tea Gardens Circular (2.1 mi), Powder Mills via Saxon Wood and Manser Shaw (2.2 mi) and Broadwater Forest and Broadwater Warren Loop (3.2 mi). Choose Under 4 mi and Back to start in the filters above to see them all.
Can I take my dog on East Sussex walks?
Yes, on most routes. Sheep and cattle graze much of the South Downs, so keep dogs on a lead near livestock, keep them well back from the cliff edges, and on a lead no longer than 2 metres on open access land from 1 March to 31 July. See Know before you go for more.
Is it safe to walk along the Seven Sisters cliffs?
Yes, if you keep well back from the edge. These chalk cliffs are undermined by the sea and rock falls happen often, so stay on the grass well away from the edge.
Where is the real Hundred Acre Wood?
In Ashdown Forest. A.A. Milne’s Hundred Acre Wood was based on Five Hundred Acre Wood and the surrounding forest near Hartfield, and Poohsticks Bridge is about a kilometre’s walk from Cotchford Farm.
Which long-distance trails pass through East Sussex?
The South Downs Way passes through East Sussex, and has its own guide on Walking Rambler.