Attractions in The South Downs

Alfriston Clergy House

Thatched 14th-century Wealden hall house on The Tye; in 1896 it became the first building the National Trust bought.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Anne of Cleves House

Timber-framed 15th-century house given to Anne of Cleves after her marriage to Henry VIII ended; Tudor kitchen and garden.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Beachy Head

Britain's highest chalk sea cliff, 162 metres above the sea, with views along the coast towards the Isle of Wight.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Belle Tout Lighthouse

Decommissioned clifftop lighthouse near Beachy Head, moved back from the eroding edge in one piece in 1999.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Bignor Roman Villa

Large Roman courtyard villa near Stane Street, known for mosaic floors that are among the most complete in the country.

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs

Birling Gap

National Trust clifftop café and shop on the Seven Sisters, with 50 steps down to a shingle beach.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Charleston

Country home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, decorated by the Bloomsbury artists, with a garden, galleries and café.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Cowdray Ruins

Ruins of an early Tudor house visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, gutted by fire in 1793; open for events and tours.

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs

Cuckmere Haven

Shingle beach where the meandering River Cuckmere meets the sea, with the Coastguard Cottages and the view of the Seven Sisters.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Devil's Jumps

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs

Drusillas Park

Small zoo near Alfriston focused on conservation and children, with play areas and rides.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Glyndebourne

Opera house on a country estate near Lewes, known for its summer opera festival; there is also an autumn season.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Lewes Castle

Norman castle built after the Battle of Hastings; climb the keep for views, then visit the Museum of Sussex Archaeology next door.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Lewes Priory

Ruins of the Priory of St Pancras, founded in the 11th century by William de Warenne and dissolved in 1537, with a herb garden.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Long Man of Wilmington

Hill figure on Windover Hill, recorded since at least 1710 and Europe's largest portrayal of the human form; free to visit.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Monk's House

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Petworth House and Park

Late 17th-century house with Grinling Gibbons carvings and many Turner paintings, in a Capability Brown deer park with fallow deer.

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs

Seven Sisters Country Park

280 hectares of chalk grassland and the meandering Cuckmere valley, leading to the beach at Cuckmere Haven.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

South Downs Centre

The National Park Authority's visitor centre in Midhurst, with leaflets on walks, OS maps and South Downs gifts.

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs

Southover Grange Gardens

Public gardens of a house built in 1572, in the centre of Lewes; they host events from theatre to beer festivals.

• Lewes and the Seven Sisters, The South Downs

Uppark

National Trust house of about 1690 set high on the Downs; the garden is free and the house reopens for Christmas on 6 December.

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs

Weald & Downland Living Museum

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs

West Dean Gardens

Restored gardens at the foot of the Downs with Victorian glasshouses, a spring garden and a plant nursery.

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs

Woolbeding Gardens

National Trust gardens near Midhurst with the Tulip Folly; pre-booking required, reopening 15 April 2027.

• Midhurst and Petworth, The South Downs