Walking in West Sussex
West Sussex rises from the saltmarsh and creeks of Chichester Harbour to the chalk ridge of the South Downs, with Arundel and Amberley on the River Arun and Devil’s Dyke on the downs above Brighton. North of the Downs lie the woods and fields of the Weald around Horsham, and the High Weald villages near Haywards Heath and East Grinstead. Below are free walks in West 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
Chichester & the Harbour
Western Downs: Midhurst, Harting & Cocking
Arundel, Amberley & the Arun
Steyning, Shoreham & Devil's Dyke
Horsham & the Low Weald
Crawley, Haywards Heath & the High Weald
Top walks by area
A starting point for each part of West Sussex: well-documented routes that finish back where they start, between 1 and 12 miles.
Chichester & the Harbour
- Chichester Marina via Dell QuayChichester · 4.1 mi
- The Trudle East Lavant ChichesterEast Lavant · 5.7 mi
- Goodwood LoopGoodwood · 2.8 mi
- West Wittering via East HeadWest Wittering · 3.4 mi
- Prinsted Beach via the Nutbourne ChannelPrinsted · 4.1 mi
- Stoughton via Inholmes WoodStoughton · 5.0 mi
Western Downs: Midhurst, Harting & Cocking
- Midhust via Cowdray EstateMidhurst · 3.5 mi
- The Trudle, Chichester, West Sussex LoopSingleton · 4.9 mi
- East Dean via Upwaltham Hill and Oxen DownEast Dean · 6.7 mi
- Petworth Circular WalkPetworth · 4.1 mi
- Cocking via South Downs WayCocking · 6.6 mi
Arundel, Amberley & the Arun
- Angmering Park via Wepham Woods Circular WalkAngmering · 3.5 mi
- Westergate Circular WalkWestergate · 3.6 mi
- Whiteways Bignor LoopArundel · 5.5 mi
- Kithurst And Storrington LoopStorrington · 5.6 mi
- Angmering Park Long LoopPoling · 6.7 mi
- Patching Clapham LoopPatching · 7.2 mi
Steyning, Shoreham & Devil's Dyke
- Shoreham Airport Circular 1Shoreham-by-Sea · 3.4 mi
- Bost HIll Gallops To Cissbury Ring CircularFindon · 5.1 mi
- Chanctonbury, Steyning LoopWiston · 6.2 mi
- Sompting And Pig Farm LoopSompting · 6.8 mi
- Cissbury LoopSteyning · 7.4 mi
- Devis Dyke, Pycombe LoopPoynings · 8.4 mi
Horsham & the Low Weald
- Loxwood Loop 01Loxwood · 3.1 mi
- Knepp Castle LoopDial Post · 1.3 mi
- Broadbridge Heath via Christs HospitalBroadbridge Heath · 5.1 mi
- Broadbridge Heath via Slinfold and Downs LinkHorsham · 5.4 mi
- Mannings Heath South Via SedgwickMannings Heath · 5.4 mi
Crawley, Haywards Heath & the High Weald
- Hosted Keynes Train LoopHorsted Keynes · 5.3 mi
- Balcombe Circular ArgusBalcombe · 7.2 mi
- Rocks Wood LoopWest Hoathly · 1.4 mi
- Three Bridges via Trigate ParkMaidenbower · 3.3 mi
- Copthorne via Horsepasture WoodCopthorne · 4.9 mi
- East Grinstead via Swites WoodEast Grinstead · 4.9 mi
Popular in West Sussex
Where to walk in West Sussex
Walks in West Sussex range from tidal creeks and harbour paths to the open chalk of the South Downs and the woods of the Weald.
Chichester and the harbour
Chichester is the base for the harbour villages of Bosham, Chidham and Prinsted, with level shoreline paths and plenty of birdlife. Kingley Vale and its ancient yews lie on the Downs just north of the city.
The western Downs
Midhurst, South Harting and Petworth sit in the Rother valley below the steep northern face of the Downs, with heath, woodland and parkland walks in the valley and open chalk above.
Arundel, Amberley and the Arun
Arundel and Angmering are bases for the Arun valley, the castle and the wetlands, and the South Downs Way crosses the river near Amberley.
Steyning, Devil’s Dyke and the Weald
Steyning is the base for Chanctonbury Ring and Cissbury Ring, and Devil’s Dyke lies to the east. North of the Downs, Haywards Heath and Crawley Down give woodland walks in the High Weald.
Choosing a walk
There are 295 walks in West Sussex on Walking Rambler, starting from 95 towns and villages. Of those, 58 are under 4 miles, 94 are 4 to 7 miles, 47 are 7 to 10 miles and 91 are 10 miles or more. Of all the routes, 138 bring you back to where you started, which makes them easy from a car park, while 115 are one-way routes, best paired with a bus or train. The busiest starting points are Arundel (22 walks), Haywards Heath (13 walks) and Chichester (10 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 are good all year and are well drained, while the Weald gets muddy in winter. Bluebells fill the woods in late April and May. Chichester Harbour paths can flood at high tide. Chichester, Arundel, Amberley and Haywards Heath all have stations, and the Downs can be reached on foot from several of them.
Know before you go
Practical points for walking in West Sussex. Rules and timetables change, so check the linked sources before you set off.
South Downs National Park
Designated in 2010, the South Downs is England’s newest national park. The South Downs Way follows its chalk ridge right across West Sussex, past Harting Down, Amberley and Chanctonbury to Devil’s Dyke.
Chichester Harbour tides
Some harbourside paths and lanes flood around high water. At Bosham, Shore Road can be under water for about an hour either side of a big tide, so check tide times before walking the harbour edge.
Kingley Vale
A National Nature Reserve since 1952, Kingley Vale near Chichester holds the largest ancient yew forest in Britain, with many trees over 500 years old and Bronze Age burial mounds on the hill above.
Devil's Dyke
Nearly a mile long, Devil’s Dyke is the longest, deepest and widest dry valley in the UK, with an Iron Age hill fort above it. The National Trust asks walkers to keep dogs on a lead near the sheep and cattle that graze the downs.
Maps
Chichester, South Harting and Selsey are on OS Explorer OL8, Arundel and Pulborough on OL10, Steyning, Devil’s Dyke and Burgess Hill on OL11 (Brighton and Hove), and Horsham and Crawley on OL34.
Walking in West Sussex: questions
How many walks are there in West Sussex?
We list 295 walking routes in West Sussex, starting from 95 towns and villages. The typical route is about 7 miles; 58 are under 4 miles and 91 are 10 miles or more. Every route is free to view.
Which towns have the most walks?
Arundel (22), Horsham (15), Haywards Heath (13), Lavant (13), Steyning (10) and Chichester (10). 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 West Sussex?
Yes. 30 routes under 4 miles finish where they start, including Knepp Castle Loop (1.3 mi), Rocks Wood Loop (1.4 mi), West Wittering via East Head (1.7 mi) and Angmering Park Short Loop (1.8 mi). Choose Under 4 mi and Back to start in the filters above to see them all.
Are there easy walks in West Sussex?
11 routes are graded easy so far, such as West Wittering via East Head (1.7 mi), Chichester City Walls Walk (1.8 mi) and Goodwood Loop (2.8 mi). We are still grading the rest, so many other short routes are gentle too.
Can I take my dog on West Sussex walks?
Yes, on most routes. Sheep and cattle graze much of the South Downs, so keep dogs on a lead near livestock 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.
Can I walk around Chichester Harbour at high tide?
Mostly, but some harbourside paths and lanes flood around high water. Shore Road at Bosham can be under water for about an hour either side of a big tide, so check tide times before you set out.
How old are the yews at Kingley Vale?
Many of the yews at Kingley Vale are over 500 years old, and the reserve holds the largest ancient yew forest in Britain. Several of our walks start from the Kingley Vale car park.
Which long-distance trails pass through West Sussex?
The South Downs Way and Monarch's Way both pass through West Sussex, and each has its own guide on Walking Rambler.