England has 10 National Parks (if you include the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads). And the newest of them all is South Downs National Park, which was only turned into a National Park a few years back.
Follow the Countryside Code, to protect dogs and barnyard friends. Also read how to keep dogs safe by the seaside.
Covering East and West Sussex, South Downs National Parks ends (or begins, depending on which way you walk) in the county of Hampshire, near England’s old capital city of Winchester.
It’s known for its rolling chalk hills, especially the South Downs Way. You also (walking along the ridge) get sweeping views over the Weald, English Channel and patchwork fields below. The park has many outstanding landmarks including the Seven Sisters Cliffs.
Birds and wildlife love it here – from butterflies to skylarks and deer that hide away in ancient woodlands. Local nature reserves help protect rare orchids, bats and dormice. Birds of prey love it here, from barn owls at dusk, to kestrels that hover over the hills.
South Downs National Park is also an International Dark Sky Reserve, meaning it’s free from light pollution. Good star-gazing spots are Old Winchester Hill and Devil’s Dyke, which offer clear views of the Milky Way and shooting stars.
The (chalk) Long Man of Wilmington
One of the most famed chalk drawings in England is the Long Man of Wilmington, carved into the South Downs near Alfriston, a pretty village in East Sussex.
This 70 ft giant man has remained a puzzle for generations, as to who he is, and why he got there.
Believed to be from as early as the Iron Age or built by Romans, there is a sketch from 1710, so we know he is over 300 years old.
The white chalk had faded, but in 1920 local people and historians got out their chisel and paint, and gave him a makeover, and today it has some concrete blocks, so is easy to maintain.
The Long Man holds a stave in each hand, with some believing these to be either to symbolise his strength, or perhaps to measure the land or he perhaps was an astronomer? Or he is watching over the fields? Nobody knows.
One tale is that he marks the site of eternal rest, of two giant brothers who roamed the South Downs, and fell in battle. If you wish to visit the Long Man without a big hike, it’s good viewed from Wilmington Priory.
Not as well known but close-by is the Litlington Horse. This little beauty is much newer, carved into the hillside only in 1924, crafted with precision to be a local landmark.
The village is situated on the banks of the River Cuckmere, and dates back to Domesday times.
One of Litlington’s main claims to fame, is that it’s home to the smallest church in England. A charming architectural gem inspired by Gothic structure, it was built in the 13th century, so is much older than its horse friend – by several hundred years!
