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Three great reasons to visit the South Downs and West Sussex coast and countryside:
- Great views and walks at Devil's Dyke near Brighton
- The second largest Iron Age hill-fort in the country at Cissbury Ring near Worthing
- The highest point in Sussex at Black Down near Haslemere
The most prominent feature of the countryside in West Sussex is the dramatic chalk ridge of the South Downs that stretches east to west from Eastbourne to Winchester. In 1972 the Countryside Commission designated the South Downs Way as the first long distance bridleway in the country. This waymarked national trail runs the length of the Downs - over 100 miles. The trail is maintained by the County Councils with financial support from the Countryside Agency and is a superb route for horse-riding and cycling as there are relatively few gates. It lies mostly on chalk, so generally has a relatively firm, dry surface all year round.
The South Downs are characterised by rolling chalk downs, deep dry valleys, steep scarp slopes with wide views over wooded farmland of the Sussex Weald and glimpses of shimmering sea. The area has been inhabited by man since earliest times, as shown by hill-forts, tumuli and cross-dykes, while the South Downs Way itself was probably an important trade route in the Bronze Age.
The well-loved open chalk landscape, with its variety of wild flowers and butterflies, is a result of sheep and cattle grazing over the centuries. Sadly, much of the downland was extensively ploughed for food production during World War II. Encouragement is now being given to farmers on the Downs to return their arable land to more traditional forms of management. The Sussex Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and contains designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The National Trust owns and manages a number of places in the South Downs including:
Other Trust owned places in the West Sussex coast and countryside are:
- East Head
- Bosham Quay Meadow
- Bramber Castle
- Lavington Common
- Woolbeding Estate
- Durford Heath
- Terwick Church Field
- Selsfield Common
- Black Down
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