Devil's Dyke Discovery Trail
- Published:
- 30 June 2026
A circular walk around the Iron-Age Hillfort. Along the way, short videos reveal the stories of the landscape, its wildlife and the people connected to it.
Explore the Devil’s Dyke Discovery Trail
Did you know Devil’s Dyke is home to rare chalk grassland plants, and was once the site of one of the earliest roller coasters? Follow the trail to uncover these stories and more.
How to follow the trail
Look out for QR codes on posts and benches around the route. Scan them on your phone to watch short videos and find out what makes Devil’s Dyke so special.
Use the map to follow the full route, or explore the ramparts at your own pace. When you find a Discovery Trail plaque, scan the QR code with an internet-enabled device to watch the video.
You’ll also find sound boxes at the Victorian Playground, in the Devil’s Copse and on the South Downs Way at Saddlescombe Farm. Turn the handle to play and choose from eight tracks, including stories of the Downs, a guided meditation from Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, and a poem created by artists working with Writing Our Legacy.
Take part in a quick wildlife quiz or try the Discovery Trail challenge.
If you can’t visit in person, you can still follow the trail by watching the videos below.
Welcome to Devil's Dyke
Welcome to Devil’s Dyke. Find out about the longest dry valley in Britain and what the Discovery Trail is all about.
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An Iron Age Hill Fort
Find out what ancient Britons used this place for, what a hill fort is and why it was needed?
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Roll up! Roll Up! The Victorian fairground
What happened here during Queen Victoria’s reign? See some rare footage of people who enjoyed this landscape over 120 years ago!
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How Devil’s Dyke was formed
Did the Devil carve out the longest dry valley in Britain or did it form naturally?
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Devil’s Dyke at war
What happens to a place normally used for leisure and relaxation during times of conflict? Find out about how the 20th Century wars link to the Iron Age hill fort.
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Why grazing matters
Are cows and sheep the heroes of the South Downs? Uncover why how they eat really matters when it comes to biodiversity and how you can help look after this special place.
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Britain’s ‘mini rainforest’.
Why is the grassland on the South Downs so unique? Continue your journey around the hill fort and discover a hugely biodiverse world in miniature, right at your feet.
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Discovering dew ponds
Are these shallow pools made by nature or people and what could they possibly be used for? Venture to the Devil’s Dyke dew pond to find out.
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Poems of the Downs
In partnership with Writing Our Legacy @ Changing Chalk, local artists have created poems about the South Downs. They’ve recorded these for you to hear at the sound boxes around the trail and at Saddlescombe Farm.
Getting Out by Ronny Flynn.
Ronny joined Writing Our Legacy in 2024 and is of Anglo-Indian heritage. Writing privately but gaining confidence to share their/his/her work.
Walk to Saddlescombe Farm by Lu-Hai Liang.
Lu-Hai is a writer and journalist. He was born in Guilin, China and grew up in Hastings, England.
Daughter of the Devil by Jenny Arach and read by Femi Hughes.
Jenny is a Poet drawing on East-African and Sussex heritage.
Writing Our Legacy CIC is an arts and heritage organisation that enables Black, Asian and ethnically diverse/BPOC people to tell their stories through writing and the creative arts.
New art celebrates the people and landscape at Devil's Dyke.
At the start of the Discovery Trail look out for a new piece of art celebrating the landscape and people of the area. It was commissioned as part of the Changing Chalk Project and has been created by Bo, an exciting new local artist. Find out more in the article below.
Led by the National Trust, Changing Chalk brought together partners, communities, volunteers and creatives to restore rare chalk grassland, improve access to nature, and uncover and share the rich cultural heritage of the Downs. The four-year project was supported by a £2.23 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and made possible thanks to National Lottery players. The project was also supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, The Linbury Trust and other generous supporters.
Changing Chalk partnership
Changing Chalk aims to protect and restore the landscape of the South Downs - for people to enjoy, for health and wellbeing, for nature’s recovery and for climate resilience. Find out how.
Changing Chalk: From Vision to Fruition
An article looking at where the Changing Chalk project began, and where it is today.
New art celebrates the people and landscape at Devils Dyke
In 2026 visitors to Devil’s Dyke will be able to enjoy a new piece of art celebrating the landscape and people of the area. It has been commissioned as part of the Changing Chalk project and is being created by and up a coming local artist.
