Day Trips and Hikes from Brighton, UK via Public Transportation

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For the last few weeks I’ve based myself in Brighton on the southeast coast of England. My aim has been to take as many day trips and complete as many day hikes as possible, either on foot or using only public transportation. Obviously it’s quite easy to reach London on public transportation from Brighton, but the Sussex region itself has a lot to offer, including beautiful South Downs National Park and multiple castles and archaeological museums. 

The South Downs Way runs across South Downs National Park from west to east, parallel to the coastline. Multi-day trekkers take on this 100 mile path over the course of 8 or 9 days, but many sections of the trail can be accessed by day hikers too! My initial inspiration for this trip was to see how much of the Way I could achieve via public transportation if I use Brighton as a base camp, but I quickly discovered that the sections of the trail that are farthest west are really too difficult to reach by bus or train if I also want to return back to Brighton in the evening. It could take about 3 hours each way and multiple transfers – doable, but a bit much. This post is keeping travel times to 2 hours or less.

(If you are not beholden to Brighton as a basecamp and want to figure out how to do more sections of the South Downs Way via public transportation, South Downs National Park has published a great brochure about your options).

Be sure to check the most recent timetables and prices for public transportation; they will vary greatly depending on season and day of the week. That said, bus fares will never cost more than £2. You can pay for Brighton & Hove buses in cash or by tapping your contactless card when you enter and exit the bus. For trains, destinations on this list are serviced by the Southern Railway. You can buy train tickets online in advance or at ticket machines at each station.

Seven Sisters Cliffs day hike from Brighton

Distance: 13 miles point-to-point one-way / 21 km (shorter options available; you could end at Birling Gap, for instance)
Public Transport: 45-60 min. Take the 12, 12A, or 12X Coaster bus to reach Seaford. I boarded at the Clock Tower Stop N in Brighton, but there are other stops that might be closer to your accommodation. It will drop you at either Seaford Library or the Railway Station in Seaford. After hiking, get back on the Coaster bus at Eastbourne to return. If you want to end at Birling Gap instead of Eastbourne, the 13X bus picks up there on Sundays and holidays. 
GPX: AllTrails 

Seven Sisters is the most famous and popular day hike in South Downs National Park. Even if you haven’t heard the name, you’ve likely seen photographs of the dramatic white chalky cliffs being lapped by the ocean. From afar, the sheer cliff faces allow you to easily make out the rolling shape of the seven serpentine hills you’ll be ascending and descending over the course of the hike.

You’ll be walking along the coastline from the city of Seaford to the city of Eastbourne. For walkers on the South Downs Way, this is their very last day as they complete their trek. They approach the cliffs from Alfriston instead of Seaford, joining up with us day hikers in Exceat. I found the trail quite strenuous because of the relentless ascents and descents, although there’s nothing technical about the trail and as long as you stay the recommended 5 meters from the cliff edge, nothing dangerous either. 

If I was a wiser person I may have chosen to end my hike at Birling Gap to save my knees some strife after a few days of inactivity (long flights and lots of sitting), but I am too stubborn and wanted to be able to say I did the entire distance. If you do the entire distance, you will get to see the second lighthouse at Beachy Head (the first Belle Tout lighthouse is at Birling Gap) and walk the pier at Eastbourne.

There is a very busy cafe at Birling Gap right next to a car park. The Belle Tout lighthouse has snacks and drinks, and there is a pub at Beachy Head. There’s also a cafe at Cuckmere Haven, but this is so close to Seaford that it’s not the ideal place to stop. If you need to stock up on supplies before your walk, there are grocery stores in Seaford; depending on where the bus dropped you, you’ll probably be walking past the Morrison’s.

Scenes from the movie Quadrophenia take place along the chalky cliffs outside of Brighton, as well as on the beach and in a famous city alleyway pilgrims have dubbed “Quadrophenia Alley”.

Arundel Castle day trip from Brighton

Public Transport: 1 hr 15 min. Take the Portsmouth & Southsea-bound Southern Railway train service from Brighton Station to Ford, then transfer to the London Victoria-bound Southern train for just one stop from Ford to Arundel. Same route back; can buy a roundtrip ticket for about £13.
Entrance Fee: Castle, Gardens, and Bedrooms ticket at Arundel Castle is £29 per adult.

Arundel and Amberley are both cute little villages with castles central to their identity, and both are accessible on a day trip from Brighton via public transportation, but the Amberley castle is used as a hotel. You can buy tickets to actually tour the Arundel castle, so if you can only prioritize one, choose Arundel. 

You can buy a Castle & Gardens ticket for £27, or for an additional £2 you can get the full Castle, Gardens, & Rooms ticket. The castle grounds and keep are open from 10am and the interior rooms open at noon. If attending during a special event, you will probably need to buy the full Castle, Gardens, & Rooms ticket. When I went on Easter, they were having a medieval festival with archery, ax-throwing, and a tent village with old-timey food and wares for sale!

The oldest parts of the castle were built from 1068-1155. “It has been the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for over 850 years,” with the current Duke of Norfolk still living in the non-touristed wings of the castle up until just a couple years ago when he moved to a nearby farmhouse. The Duke of Norfolk is also the Earl Marshal of England, meaning he organizes important ceremonial events like coronations and royal funerals.

There is also a small museum in Arundel with a £5 admission price that traces local prehistory through to modern times. There are many well-rated restaurants in the village beneath the castle, but if you’re looking for something affordable and cozy I recommend Partners Cafe. 

If you head over to Amberley too (by taking the train or doing a 4 mile walk), you may be able to check out the castle even if you’re not booked to stay in the hotel, but depending on how busy they are you may not be able to order at the restaurant. To guarantee that you can get in, make a reservation for a meal or afternoon tea. 

There is an adorable tea house in Amberley called Amberley Tea Room. The £17 ticket to Amberley Museum might be fun if you’re traveling with children, but I thought the assortment of exhibitions looked a little disjointed and random, so I didn’t prioritize this museum. There’s not a whole lot else to do in Amberley.

Brighton to Lewes day hike with Lewes Castle and Anne of Cleves House

Distance: 7 miles point-to-point one-way / 11.26 km
Public Transport: None, walk directly from Brighton to Lewes. You could retrace your steps back, or take the 28, 29, or 29A bus for 35 minutes to get back to Brighton from Lewes.
GPX: AllTrails
Entrance Fee: A combination ticket for both Anne of Cleves House and the Lewes Castle and Museum is £15. Otherwise, Anne of Cleves House is £6.60 per adult, and the Lewes Castle and Museum is £10.

I knew I wanted to visit Lewes Castle and Museum, Anne of Cleves House, and Lewes Priory, so initially I looked at taking the bus to Lewes from Brighton, but it turns out you can actually walk all the way there! I killed two birds with one stone by getting a day hike in alongside my cultural site visits. 

The walk is pretty straightforward and easy to follow. There are even stickers slapped onto posts that serve as trail markers pointing you along towards Lewes, although you may still want to download the gpx tracks to make sure you’re choosing the right direction at a few forks in the road that don’t have stickers. The trail begins at Brighton Station. As you follow the path out of the city via Elm Grove, you’ll pass quaint streets lined with colorful houses reminiscent of Rue Crémieux in Paris. It also reminded me of San Francisco because this street is all uphill! 

The path begins to enter the countryside at Drove Road and becomes especially pretty as you approach Castle Hill. To the north you’ll look out over rolling farmlands dotted with horses and patchworked with bright shades of green and yellow. To the south is the ocean.

This section of the trail can be particularly muddy and slippery after recent rains; you may want to bring trekking poles to steady yourself. I briefly chatted with a local woman who told me there had been a “tractor festival” the prior weekend which churned up all the dirt on the path. It suddenly made sense why the trail was so deeply rutted here but not on the sections closer to Brighton. 

There is a descent down from Castle Hill to Kingston near Lewes, and then the trail remains quite flat all the way to Lewes. Entering Lewes, the trail takes you directly past the Anne of Cleves House Museum. You will need to navigate to Lewes Castle separately as it’s not marked on the gpx file, but it’s only a ten minute walk from Anne of Cleves House. I particularly loved the archaeological finds from throughout Sussex that were on display at the Castle’s museum; many of them were found near the hiking locations that I’m suggesting on this list.

Exploring the ruins of Lewes Priory is free; you would simply wander the park to check out what remains of the old stone buildings.

I really loved Cafe Vegu right across the street from the castle! It’s affordable but has unique Korean-inspired vegan dishes. It’s rated 5 stars with tons of Google reviews and I overheard locals talking about how it’s always consistently busy and popular. If you’re looking for pub fare, the Kings Head is right in between Anne of Cleves House and Lewes Castle. If you want a light, easy snack, Anne of Cleves House has an in-house cafe. 

Weald & Downland Living Museum day trip from Brighton

Public Transport: 1 hr 20 min. Take the Portsmouth & Southsea-bound Southern train service from Brighton Station to Chichester, then hop on the 60 Stagecoach bus bound for Midland. Board the bus at the South Street stop and get off at Groom’s Yard. Same route back (except the return bus may drop you at Westgate instead of South Street). Can buy a roundtrip Southern train ticket for about £21.20.
Entrance Fee: £17 per adult to get into Weald & Downland Living Museum.

Historic buildings that were threatened with demolition have been moved from their original locations throughout southeast England to this 40-acre open-air museum in Singleton. Some of the preserved and restored structures date as far back as the 14th century, others as recent as the 19th century. Buildings representing Anglo-Saxon times are recreations. Visitors can actually go inside most of the buildings and explore the rooms to get a hands-on experience of medieval or Tudor-era life. Most of them have period-accurate furniture or tools inside, and volunteers are available to expound on the history or carry out demonstrations. When I was there, a woman explained how ink was made and then let visitors try their hand at writing with a quill. There was also a blacksmith and an old school plow being pulled by horses. 

I was thoroughly impressed by the museum. So many of the buildings look straight out of storybooks or movies, but because visitors are allowed to go inside, you can really imagine yourself living in another time. 

A BBC show called The Repair Shop is filmed onsite in the Court Barn. The barn is closed to the public when filming is taking place and photographs are not allowed, but you can still peek over and watch the production. Filming was in progress the day I was there, which was fun to stumble upon! 

The Weald and Downland Living Museum is a great day trip from Brighton for all ages; it seems to be a popular stop for families with children. Some of the dwellings have steep stairs you’d need to climb if you want to check out the upper floors, so this is something to be aware of for those with mobility constraints, but you don’t have to go upstairs. Walking the grounds, plus walking to/from the train station and bus stops, ended up being about a 5.5 mile day according to my tracker.

There is a good cafe at the museum if you’d like to grab a bite before heading back to Brighton.

Butser Ancient Farm is another similar site in Chalton, just south of Petersfield. It focuses more on prehistoric and Anglo-Saxon reconstructions.

Add-on: From Singleton you can also do a day hike to The Trundle, an Iron Age hillfort. If you’re into archaeology you’ll love reading up on The Trundle. Another idea is to stay on the 60 bus for an additional 20 minutes past the Weald and Downland Museum in order to visit Cowdray Ruins in Midhurst. It looks like a gorgeous photography spot and I really wanted to go, but it was “currently closed to general visits” at the time. Although, while the ruins are fenced off, you should still be able to walk the perimeter and see them from afar. Finally, while in Chichester you might check out Fishbourne Roman Palace or Novium Museum.

Long Man of Wilmington day hike from Brighton

Distance: I did 7.7 miles (12 km) point-to-point but there are many variations from 4 to 13 miles.
Public Transport: 1 hr 15 min. Take Southern Railway from Brighton to Polegate, then the 125 bus from St George’s Church to Thornwell Road. If you end your hike at Eastbourne Downs Golf Club, take the 12, 12A, 12X Coaster bus from the South Downs Way bus stop back to Brighton.
GPX: Komoot. Shout out to Travel & Shit for recommending this route. Otherwise I probably would have done some kind of loop.

The Long Man of Wilmington is Sussex’s greatest mystery! Was the 231-foot effigy created by Anglo-Saxons? Romans? An artistic monk from Wilmington Priory? Archaeological evidence suggests he may be from the 16th or 17th century. What was his original purpose and why was he outlined on this particular hill?

You could start this hike in Berwick like the Komoot gpx track advises, and in this case the Southern train drops off directly at the trailhead. I cut some mileage off of my hike by starting in Wilmington. However, that 125 bus doesn’t run very often, which is a reason to potentially start in Berwick instead.

If you take the 125 bus like me, then when you get off at Thornwell Road, you’ll road walk through Wilmington for about a mile to reach the public footpath. It’s a pleasant walk because of the adorable cottages, and don’t forget to take a detour to St. Mary and St. Peter’s Churchyard where you can admire the 1600 year old Wilmington Yew Tree! They’ve installed posts to help keep the ancient tree’s branches up. (You could check out the Long Man as a short day trip if you just walk from the church and back).

Quickly after leaving the church behind, you can already see the Long Man up ahead. The footpath to the left will lead you off the road. As he grows taller on your approach, the anticipation grows too! When you finally reach the gate, a sign warns you not to bother or feed the wild Exmoor ponies, which are there to help manage the heathland. An informational sign just below the Long Man of Wilmington explains how volunteers have helped to keep him looking bright and pristine over the years. 

Most walkers go west towards Alfriston from here, but our trail bends to the east. The landscape views in this section were some of my favorite out of all the hikes on this list! I loved the undulating hills splashed with every shade of green. Soon you’ll be under tree cover, where ramsons, or wild garlic, will greet you with their delicious aroma. You’ll also be greeted by mosquitoes and probably a ton of mud, but c’est la via. Holloways will guide you all the way to Jevington, where you can pause for lunch at Eight Bells (the Best Sussex Pub 2024) any day of the week except the day I went, Monday 🙁 Apparently banoffee pie was invented in Jevington!

From Jevington you’ll begin the ascent up Combe Hill, where the terrain is open and windswept. Sheep will accompany you and the ocean will start to come into view. The top of the hill provides an awesome 360 degree vantage point.

The rest of the walk towards Eastbourne is on an alternate South Downs Way inland variation that’s mostly flat but continues to provide expansive views in every direction. I could even spot Belle Tout Lighthouse from the Seven Sisters hike in the distance. Keep your eyes peeled so you can bag the trig point at Willingdon Hill.

I ended my hike just after Eastbourne Downs Golf Club, where the Coaster bus picks up at the South Downs Way stop. I had already hiked into the city of Eastbourne before when I did the Seven Sisters walk and didn’t feel like I needed to see it again, but if you continue all the way there, the Coaster bus also picks up closer to the city and the shore. 

This was one of my favorite day hikes near Brighton because it had so much variation and was particularly unique. There are not many other hikes in the world that feature a giant weird chalk guy (although there is, shockingly, one other).

Ditchling Beacon to Devil’s Dyke day hike from Brighton

Distance: 5.5 miles point-to-point one-way / 8.85 km (AllTrails says 6.4 miles; my tracker disagreed)
Public Transport: 22 min. Take the 79 bus from Brighton to Ditchling Beacon. The earliest pickup is between 9:45-10:00am depending on which Brighton stop you’re boarding at. At the end of the hike, take the 77 bus from Devil’s Dyke back to Brighton (it will say the destination is “Palace Pier” on the front of the bus). It only picks up about once an hour. If you take the 9:45am bus to Ditchling Beacon you should be able to catch the 1:15pm return bus from Devil’s Dyke if you hike at a pace of 2 miles per hour or faster. These buses only run on weekends and holidays.
GPX: AllTrails

For those excited about doing day hikes along the South Downs Way, the Ditchling Beacon to Devil’s Dyke day hike will be rewarding because you stay on the Way pretty much the entire time. There are also plenty of other walks that involve each of these features, but I wanted to knock both out in one day.

Ditchling Beacon is the site of an Iron Age hillfort and is one of the highest points in South Downs, providing a great panorama of the surrounding landscape. It is supposedly the highest point in East Sussex (but not the highest in South Downs National Park – Black Down and Butser Hill are slightly higher). The bus drops you off directly on the site, so before you even begin hiking you’ll already want to whip your camera out to snap a few pictures.

The hike begins with a long ridgeline walk with views of the ocean on your left and rolling hills in every direction. It was particularly windy here the day I did the hike; I was glad for my coat and enjoyed watching the ritualistic patterns the wind created across acres of grass. There were a lot of people on this portion of the hike. Once you reach Pyecombe you will begin to leave them behind. From Pyecombe I followed the gpx track from AllTrails which led me across someone’s farm and up towards Newtimber Hill, but looking at the map it seems like I could just as easily have stayed on the South Downs Way. You eventually rejoin with it anyway. 

After the hill you’ll descend down to Saddlescombe Farm, where some walkers stop for the campsite and others for the Wildflour Cafe. According to the National Trust, the hamlet of Saddlescombe “has seen hundreds of years of occupation since it was first recorded in the Domesday Book and once home to the Knights Templar. The oldest part of the present day farmhouse dates from around 1630.” 

Not long after Saddlescombe comes Devil’s Dyke, the longest, deepest, and widest “dry valley” in the UK. It’s basically a V-shaped gorge with dramatically concave slopes on each side, like a canyon. Legend says that the Devil carved out the gorge in an effort to flood the villages of newly converted Christians in the Weald, but it was probably formed over 10,000 years ago by erosion and meltoff from the last Ice Age. Like at Ditchling Beacon, there is plenty of archaeology to be found in and around Devil’s Dyke. 

The trail ends with a view looking right down the gorge. If you have extra time, it would be fun to take one of the many criss-crossing trails down into the Dyke itself and perhaps walk along its floor so that the walls are surrounding you. You could also think about walking to Poynings and grabbing a bite at the Royal Oak, which one reviewer said was better than the cafe at Devil’s Dyke. Or if you’re ready to end where the gpx track ends, the bus stop will be right in front of your face – it’s hard to miss. 

Cissbury Ring and Chanctonbury Ring day hike from Brighton

Distance: 8.5 miles / 13.7 km lollipop, or about 7 miles point-to-point if you bail at Findon.
Public Transport: Southern train to Worthing, then take the 23 Metrobus from Broadwater Bridge to Bost Hill. From the Bost Hill bus stop it’s only a 5 minute walk to the trailhead. Or, take the 700 Coastliner bus to Marine Parade Stop C in Worthing and board the 23 bus at Marine Parade Stop E.
GPX: AllTrails

Cissbury Ring and Chanctonbury Ring are two Iron Age hillforts near enough to each other that you can create a day hike route to visit both. Archaeological evidence of Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Roman activity has also been discovered at both locations, including Bronze Age burial mounds and a Neolithic flint mine at Cissbury. Did you know Sussex has some of the oldest flint mines in the country? Cissbury is also the largest hillfort in Sussex and the second largest in England. Both sites were significant during WWII.

Summiting Cissbury Ring is first on the itinerary, so this hike begins with an uphill ascent. Luckily the views of the countryside from this angle are spectacular and distract you from the incline. I got to watch paragliders sweeping over the horizon on the day I was there! You’re likely to spot wild horses grazing, too. On top of Cissbury Ring be sure to bag the trig point, and I would recommend going off of the gpx track a bit for the best views. Take your time and explore before descending.

Next we will head back down the hill and begin a long, gravely, straight walk along a country road to reach Chanctonbury Ring. This part gets monotonous, though pretty farmland surrounds it. When you finally start to bear left, you’ll ascend the next hill, very quickly reaching the smattering of trees that marks the summit of Chanctonbury. These trees were planted in 1760 by Charles Goring and caused an uproar with locals at the time, though in subsequent years the trees became beloved. They were replanted after a hurricane destroyed them in 1987 and they’ve not yet regrown to their former prominence.

After emerging from the trees but before following the horseshoe bend of the gpx track back towards the south, there should be an awesome view of Sussex to the north. The day I was there a thick, spooky fog had rolled in and I couldn’t see a thing. It’s not hard to understand why people say Chanctonbury Ring is haunted.

As you curve around the horseshoe, the Chanctonbury trig point will be on your right and a bit off-trail. It was close enough that I could still pick it out of the fog.

I wasn’t keen on repeating the long straight road back to Cissbury, so when the loop neared Findon, I bailed off of the main trail and followed public footpaths into the village. I had lunch at Dee Dee’s Family Cafe, which is adorable. It has an American diner vibe. The Findon Village Store on the corner also has nice offerings if you’d rather stock up on snacks to-go. The 23 bus picks up just a 6 minute walk away at the Findon Place stop.

When you get to Worthing, pop into the Worthing Museum and Gallery where archaeological finds uncovered at the Rings are on display!

Mile Oak and Edburton Circular day hike from Brighton

Distance: 5.5 mile loop / 8.85 km
Public Transport: 1 hour. Take the 1A bus west from Brighton to Hole in the Wall. You’ll need to walk about 1 mile through a neighborhood to get to the trailhead from the Hole in the Wall bus stop, but it’s a completely straight walk down Mile Oak Road. When trying to navigate, put Mile Oak Farm in your map as your destination.
GPX: AllTrails

This was a nice little loop that surprised me since I hadn’t heard of it before. Seven Sisters, Ditchling Beacon, and Devil’s Dyke are all well known, but this underrated route at Mile Oak was delightful too. It only spends a short amount of time on the South Downs Way, but it also crosses with the Monarch’s Way.

If you do the loop clockwise, you’ll start by ascending up a small hill, but it’s not particularly steep. Once you get up there, there is a confusing moment where many trails split off in multiple directions and it’s helpful to have the gpx map on your phone so you can pick the intended route, unless you’d rather choose your own adventure. The ocean will be on your left and slightly behind you; if I were to do this hike again, I might prefer to go counterclockwise so that the last couple miles provide beautiful front-facing views of the sea.

The section from Thundersbarrow Hill towards Truleigh Hill is a wide, vast, meadow-like expanse where you are completely exposed to the weather. A cute farmhouse beckons you on ahead while the city of Brighton waves goodbye from behind. You’ll join up with the South Downs Way near the YHA Truleigh Hill hostel and follow it east towards the Fulking Escarpment (lol), a great photo spot for admiring the hills. At the next gate after the escarpment you’ll turn back towards the ocean, already departing the South Downs Way. You’ll descend extremely gradually (it doesn’t even feel like a downhill) back to your starting point, pleasantly enfolded by the hills now instead of looking over them from any high point. This is farmland where you’ll want to keep an eye out for cows, and don’t forget to say “horses!” every time you see horses.

Alternatively, you could stay on the South Downs Way instead of looping back to Mile Oak and it won’t be long before you hit Devil’s Dyke. From there you could take the 77 bus back to Brighton, or keep hiking all the way to Ditchling Beacon where you can catch the 79 bus. Remember those bus lines only operate on weekends and public holidays.

Stanmer Park and Falmer Circular day hike from Brighton

Distance: 8 mile loop / 12.87 km (AllTrails says 8.8 miles; my tracker disagreed)
Public Transport: 10 minutes. Take the Southern train one stop from Brighton Station to Falmer Station; it cost me £3.60 one-way. You can also take the 78 bus but it will drop you at Stanmer Village instead of Falmer; you can still begin and end the loop there instead.
GPX: AllTrails

This loop walk begins from Falmer Station at the University of Sussex. If you go counterclockwise, first up is some road walking. Near the university, they’ve built the trail into the forest next to the highway so that it’s still a pleasant walk despite the visibility of passing cars. After the university you’ll briefly walk through a neighborhood, and then you’ll emerge into the countryside. 

From here a very long, gravely trail eventually connects you to the South Downs Way. Views are of vast farmland, chalk paths, and gently sloping hills which are covered in yellow wildflowers in spring and summer. When you hit the Way you’ll head west, though on another day you could explore trails in Ashcombe Bottom and Blackcap to the east. From the Way you will spot Ditchling Beacon from a different perspective than you would have on the Ditchling Beacon to Devil’s Dyke route. Leaving the Way behind, you will cross an open cow and sheep pasture, then descend down a hill and through a forest to reach Stanmer Village. 

In Stanmer Village, walkers can eat at One Garden or the Stanmer Tea Rooms. One Garden is a literal garden where university students grow plants and food, and there is a restaurant onsite where the fruits of their labor are used for seasonal dishes. My butternut squash, gnocchi, and sprouting broccoli salad was delicious! 

From here you’ll walk through Stanmer Park, a pretty city park where people walk their dogs, before ending up back at Falmer Station.

To be honest I found this trail to be rather featureless; the landscape did not change much. It’s a relaxing way to log some longer mileage, but visiting One Garden is the most memorable highlight. Having seen artifacts at the Lewes Museum that were discovered at Falmer Hill, I also enjoyed imagining ancient times while walking this route.

Additional Brighton day trip and day hike ideas

Seaside towns

It is easy to reach other seaside towns like Hastings and Portsmouth from Brighton via public transportation. I didn’t prioritize these because it seemed like shopping and restaurants were the main attractions and I was finding enough of that in Brighton. However, these towns do have museums and other points of interest, so it depends on what you like to do. The castle ruins, True Crime Museum, and Smuggler’s Adventure could be interesting things to do in Hastings. In Portsmouth you might like the Southsea Castle, The Mary Rose and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, The D-Day Story museum, Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery, or the Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum.

Historic buildings

Hever Castle and Gardens would take about two hours to reach from Brighton via public transportation. So would the Home of Charles Darwin, although it requires a lot of transfers. I really wanted to visit the Jane Austen House, but I was not able to find a convenient way to reach it on public transportation from Brighton.

If you like stately homes, gardens, and ruins, there are many potential destinations throughout Sussex. Scotney Castle would take about 2.5 hours to reach. Nymans is 1.5 hours. Bodiam Castle is sadly about 3 hours from Brighton on public transportation, but the ruins sure look like a great photography subject.

Other walks

Winnie the Pooh fans might enjoy walks in Ashdown Forest in High Weald, the real Hundred Acre Wood. High Weald National Landscape also keeps a list of “Trails by Rail” that are accessible via public transportation.

The 5-mile (8 km) Chalk Stones Trail brings walkers to giant spherical boulders made out of South Downs chalk. They were created by artist Andy Goldsworthy as a sculptural project. Take the Southern train service to Chichester and then the 60 Stagecoach bus to Cocking Hill. You’ll board the 60 bus at West Dean Gardens for return.

In May, the Alton Walking Festival offers tons of fun group hikes in South Downs National Park; some may be more accessible on public transportation than others. The High Weald Walking Festival is in September. There are also several year-around walking groups including Sussex Ramblers, Petersfield Ramblers, Rural Strides, Friends of the South Downs, and Sussex Sunday Walkers. The Meetup App offers South Downs Midweek Walks via public transport.

I follow a UK-based travel blogger who used to live in Brighton and who has hiked the Vanguard Way. This trek begins in London and crosses North Downs, Ashdown Forest, and South Downs, ending in Newhaven which is on the south coast between Brighton and Eastbourne. This southern terminus should be easy to reach from Brighton. Check out her posts on the Vanguard Way as well as the Isle of Wight Coastal Path. She has been nice enough to recommend me some other day hikes around Upper Beeding along the River Adur which I will add to this post if I complete them.

Don’t forget Brighton Fringe takes place throughout the month of May – there will be plenty of walking tours available right in town, such as the “Subversive Sussex Walk”, plus hundreds of events including comedy shows, live music, art exhibits, and lectures.

Everyone I talk to about Brighton remarks on how laid back, slow-paced, and open-minded the culture is. I’ve found this assessment to be right on the money. Perhaps the ease of reaching South Downs National Park and various cultural sites via public transportation plays a part in reminding people to stop and smell the bedstraw, or the sea breeze. I love Brighton itself, but if I hadn’t made the effort to take day trips from Brighton to explore surrounding regions, I don’t think I would have gathered a full enough picture of life in Sussex. And why not venture forth when they make it so easy?

What have I missed? Do you have a favorite heritage site or hiking trail on England’s southeastern coast?

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