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Richard Jefferies (1848–1887)

The very best of the Downs can only be enjoyed on foot, and the 40 walks described in this guide have been chosen to serve as an introduction to some of the finest countryside in southern England. Stretching throughout the National Park, each of the routes is circular, beginning and ending at the same place; wherever possible, these places can be accessed by public transport.

No walk is more than 11 miles/17.5km long – the shortest is just under 5 miles/8km – but there’s as much enjoyment to be had in a ramble of modest length, as may be found in a march that covers 20 miles or more. Size and distance have no meaning here: it’s what you experience as you wander, and what you remember afterwards, that count.

Enthusiasts know full well that walking should not be confined to the summer months, for every season has its own unique brand of beauty, its own rewards, and a frosty winter’s day can hold as much magic for the walker as any in balmy July. Nature serves each season well: spring’s vibrant eruption of flowers and jubilant birdsong; summer’s warmth and long hours of daylight encouraging full growth in field, meadow and woodland; autumn’s touch of Midas, its mists, migrations and mushrooms; and winter’s stark outlines of naked trees, long shadows and harsh frosts.