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{{short description|Range of chalk hills in southeast England}}
{{for|the 2011 play of this title|South Downs (play)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = South Downs
| other_name = 
| etymology = Old English dūn, meaning 'hill'
| photo = Seven_Sisters_cliffs_and_the_coastguard_cottages,_from_Seaford_Head_showing_Cuckmere_Haven_(looking_east_-_2003-05-26).jpg
| photo_caption = The [[Seven Sisters, Sussex|Seven Sisters]], near [[Eastbourne]], viewed from Seaford Head
| country = England (United Kingdom)
| geology = [[Chalk]]
| period = [[Cretaceous]]
| orogeny = [[Alpine orogeny]]
| area_km2 = 670
| length_km = 
| length_orientation = WE
| width_km = 
| width_orientation = 
| highest = [[Butser Hill, Hampshire|Butser Hill]]
| elevation_m = 271
| range_coordinates = {{coord|50.9|N|0.5|W|type:mountain_region:GB|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|50|58|40|N|0|58|49|W|type:mountain_region:GB|display=inline}}
| map = 
| map_image = South Downs National Park UK relief location map.png
| map_image_caption = Location of the [[South Downs National Park]], which predominantly covers the South Downs and some adjacent areas
| map_caption = 
| region = Hampshire, East Sussex, West Sussex
| parent = Southern England Chalk Formation
}}

The '''South Downs''' are a range of [[chalk]] hills that extends for about {{cvt|260|sqmi|sqkm}}<ref>The land area figure cited here relates to the ''South Downs Environmentally Sensitive Area'', as defined by [[Natural England]] for its Environmentally Sensitive Area scheme (launched 1987, but now closed to new applicants, having been replaced by the Environmental Stewardship scheme). The South Downs ESA is referred to by Peter Brandon when he defines the extent of the South Downs; see Brandon (1998), p.1.</ref> across the south-eastern coastal counties of England. This area of [[downland]] extends from the [[River Itchen, Hampshire|Itchen Valley]] of [[Hampshire]] in the west to [[Beachy Head]], in the [[Eastbourne Downland Estate]] of East Sussex, in the east. The Downs are bounded on the northern side by a steep [[escarpment]], from whose crest there are extensive views northwards across the [[Weald]]. The [[South Downs National Park]] forms a much larger area than the chalk range of the South Downs, and includes large parts of the Weald. The national park is the UK's most visited, attracting an estimated 39 million visitor-days annually.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Middleton |first1=Jo |last2=Cooper |first2=Ian |last3=Rott |first3=Anja S. |date=2024-06-12 |title=Tick hazard in the South Downs National Park (UK): species, distribution, key locations for future interventions, site density, habitats |journal=PeerJ |language=en |volume=12 |article-number=e17483 |doi=10.7717/peerj.17483 |doi-access=free |pmid=38881864 |pmc=11179636 |issn=2167-8359}}</ref>

The South Downs are characterised by rolling chalk downland with close-cropped turf and [[dry valley]]s, and are recognised as one of the most important chalk [[landscape]]s in England.<ref>Source: Natural England, ''South Downs ESA''.</ref> The range is one of the four main areas of chalk [[downland]] in southern [[England]].<ref>The others being the [[North Downs]] of Kent and Surrey; the [[Chilterns]] to the north-west of London; and the [[North Wessex Downs]] of [[Wiltshire]], [[Dorset]], Hampshire and [[Berkshire]].</ref>

The South Downs are relatively less populated compared to [[South East England]] as a whole, although there has been large-scale urban encroachment onto the chalk downland by major seaside resorts, including most notably [[Brighton and Hove]]. The South Downs have been inhabited since ancient times and at periods the area has supported a large population, particularly during Romano-British times. There is a rich heritage of historical features and archaeological remains, including defensive sites, burial mounds and field boundaries. Within the South Downs Environmentally Sensitive Area there are thirty-seven [[Sites of Special Scientific Interest]], including large areas of chalk grassland.<ref>Source: Natural England.</ref>

The grazing of sheep on the thin, well-drained chalk soils of the Downs over many centuries, and browsing by rabbits, resulted in the fine, short, springy turf, known as ''old chalk grassland'', that has come to epitomise the South Downs today. Until the middle of the 20th century, an agricultural system operated by downland farmers known as 'sheep-and-corn farming' underpinned this: the sheep (most famously the [[Southdown (sheep)|Southdown]] breed) of villagers would be systematically confined to certain corn fields to improve their fertility with their droppings and then they would be let out onto the downland to graze. However, starting in 1940 with government measures during the [[Second World War]] to increase domestic food production – which continued into the 1950s - much grassland was ploughed up for arable farming, fundamentally changing the landscape and ecology, with the loss of much biodiversity. As a result, while old chalk grassland accounted for 40-50% of the eastern Downs before the war, only 3-4% survives.<ref>Peter Brandon, ''The South Downs'' (Halsgrove, Tiverton, 2003), p. 51.</ref> This and development pressures from the surrounding population centres ultimately led to the decision to create the [[South Downs National Park]], which came into full operation on 1 April 2011, to protect and restore the Downs.

The South Downs have also been designated as a [[National Character Area]] (NCA 125) by [[Natural England]]. It is bordered by the [[Hampshire Downs]], the [[Wealden Greensand]], the [[Low Weald]] and the [[Pevensey Levels]] to the north and the [[South Hampshire Lowlands]] and [[South Coast Plain]] to the south.<ref>[http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/publications/nca/southeast.aspx ''South East and London National Character Area map''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424021938/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/publications/nca/southeast.aspx |date=24 April 2013}} at www.naturalengland.org.uk. Accessed on 3 April 2013.</ref>

The downland is a highly popular recreational destination, particularly for walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers. A [[long distance footpath]] and [[bridleway]], the [[South Downs Way]], follows the entire length of the chalk ridge from Winchester to Eastbourne, complemented by many interconnecting public footpaths and bridleways.

[[Image:south downs.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The dip slope of the South Downs, as seen from [[Angmering]] Park Estate near [[Arundel]] (panoramic view)]]

==Toponymy==
This term is used to describe the characteristic landscape of 'elevated rolling grassy hills' in southern [[England]], where chalk and [[limestone]] is exposed at the surface, acquiring this sense around the 14th century.<ref name="Bettey_2002">{{Cite book |last=Bettey |first=J. |title=Rural England: An Illustrated History of the Landscape |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-19-860619-2 |editor-last=Thirsk |editor-first=J. |chapter=1. Downlands |pages = 27–49|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6qd2eORvEB4C&q=downland&pg=PA36}}</ref> The name "downs" is derived from the Celtic word "dun", meaning "[[hill fort|fort]]" or "[[fastness]]" (and by extension "fortified settlement", from which it entered English as "town", similar to Germanic [[Burh|"burg"]]/[[Borough#Etymology|"burough"]]), though the original meaning would have been "hill", as early forts were commonly [[Hillfort|hillforts]] - compare Germanic "burg" (fort) and "berg" (mountain).<ref>{{cite web |title=down |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/down |access-date=9 October 2020 |website=Online Etymology Dictionary}}</ref> These hills are prefixed 'south' to distinguish them from another chalk [[escarpment]], the [[North Downs]], which runs roughly parallel to them about {{cvt|30|mi|km|0}} away on the northern edge of the Weald that divides the two ranges of hills.

==Geology==
{{main|Geology of the South Downs National Park}}

[[File:S East Geology.jpg|thumb|alt=Refer to caption|Geological map of south-east England, with areas that have chalk bedrock shown in light-green.]]
[[File:KentGeologyWealdenDomeSimple.svg|thumb|alt=Cross-sectional diagram of eroded layers of geological anticline with locations of towns indicated|A north-south cross-section through the Weald-Artois Anticline, East Sussex.]]

The South Downs are formed from a thick band of chalk which was deposited during the [[Cretaceous Period]] between 100 and 66 million years ago within a [[shallow sea]] which extended across much of northwest Europe. The [[Rock (geology)|rock]] is composed of the microscopic skeletons of [[plankton]] which lived in the sea, hence its colour. The chalk has many [[fossil]]s, and bands of [[flint]] occur throughout the formation.<ref>{{citation |last=Shepherd |first=Roy |url=http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/chalk_formation_fossils.htm |title=Chalk formation fossils |publisher=Discovering fossils |access-date=5 April 2011 |archive-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719004459/http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/chalk_formation_fossils.htm |url-status=live}}.</ref> The Chalk is divided into the Lower, Middle and Upper Chalk, a thin band of cream-coloured nodular chalk known as the Melbourn Rock marking the boundary between the Lower and Middle units.

The strata of southeast England, including the Chalk, were gently folded during a phase of the [[Alpine Orogeny]] to produce the [[Weald-Artois Anticline]], a dome-like structure with a long east-west axis. [[Erosion]] has removed the central part of the dome, leaving the north-facing escarpment of the South Downs along its southern margin with the south-facing chalk escarpment of the [[North Downs]] as its counterpart on the northern side, as shown on the diagram. Between these two escarpments the anticline has been subject to differential erosion so that geologically distinct areas of hills and vales lie in roughly concentric circles towards the centre; these comprise the [[Greensand Ridge]], most prominent on the north side of the Weald, where it includes [[Leith Hill]], the highest hill in south-east England, the low-lying clay vales of the Low Weald, formed of less resistant [[Weald Clay]], and finally the more highly resistant sandstones of the [[High Weald]] at the centre of the anticline, whose elevated forest ridge includes most notably [[Ashdown Forest]].<ref>British Geological Survey 1:50K map sheet 318/333 Brighton & Worthing.</ref>

The chalk, being porous, allows water to soak through; as a result, there are many [[Winterbourne (stream)|winterbourne]]s along the northern edge.

==Geography==
The South Downs are a long chalk escarpment that stretches for over {{cvt|110|km|mi}}, rising from the valley of the [[River Itchen, Hampshire|River Itchen]] near Winchester, [[Hampshire]], in the west to [[Beachy Head]] near [[Eastbourne]], [[East Sussex]], in the east.<ref>There are various definitions of where in the west the South Downs really begin. The South Downs National Park boundary reaches to the eastern edge of Winchester, whereas for Brandon (1998), the South Downs begin east of the valley of the [[River Meon]], with [[Old Winchester Hill]] marking the beginning of the chalk ridge.</ref> Behind the steep north-facing scarp slope, the gently inclined [[dip slope]] of undulating chalk downland extends for a distance of up to {{cvt|7|mi|km}} southwards. Viewed from high points further north in the [[High Weald]] and on the North Downs, the scarp of the South Downs presents itself as a steep wall that bounds the horizon, with its grassland heights punctuated with clumps of trees (such as [[Chanctonbury Ring]]).

In the west, the chalk ridge of the South Downs merges with the [[North Downs]] to form the [[Hampshire Downs]]. In the east, the escarpment terminates at the [[English Channel]] coast between [[Seaford, East Sussex|Seaford]] and [[Eastbourne]], where it produces the spectacular white cliffs of [[Seaford Head]], the cross-section of dry valleys known as the [[Seven Sisters, Sussex|Seven Sisters]] and [[Beachy Head]], the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain at {{cvt|162|m|ft}} above sea level.

The South Downs may be said to have three main component parts: the East Hampshire Downs, the Western Downs and the Eastern Downs, together with the river valleys that cut across them and the land immediately below them, the ''scarpfoot''.{{sfn|Brandon|1998|pp=1-3}} The Western and Eastern Downs are often collectively referred to as the ''Sussex Downs''. The Western Downs, lying west of the [[River Arun]], are much more wooded, particularly on the scarp face, than the Eastern Downs. The bare Eastern Downs – the only part of the chalk escarpment to which, until the late 19th century, the term "South Downs" was usually applied – have come to epitomise, in literature and art, the South Downs as a whole and which have been the subject matter of such celebrated writers and artists as [[Rudyard Kipling]] (the "blunt, bow-headed, whale-backed downs") and [[Eric Ravilious]].{{sfn|Brandon|1998|p=3}}

Four river valleys cut through the South Downs, namely those of the rivers Arun, [[River Adur|Adur]], [[River Ouse, Sussex|Ouse]] and [[River Cuckmere|Cuckmere]], providing a contrasting landscape. Chalk [[aquifer]]s and to a lesser extent [[Winterbourne (stream)|winterbourne streams]] supply much of the water required by the surrounding settlements. [[Dew pond]]s, artificial ponds for watering livestock, are a characteristic feature on the downland.

The highest point on the South Downs is [[Butser Hill]], whose summit is {{cvt|271|m}} above sea level. The plateau-like top of this irregularly shaped hill, which lies just south of [[Petersfield, Hampshire]], was in regular use through prehistory. It has been designated as a [[national nature reserves in England|national nature reserve]].

Within the boundary of the South Downs National Park, which includes parts of the western Weald to the north of the South Downs, the highest point is [[Blackdown, West Sussex|Blackdown]], West Sussex, which rises to {{cvt|280|m|ft|0}} above sea level. However, Blackdown geologically is not part of the South Downs but instead forms part of the [[Greensand Ridge]] on the [[Weald]]'s western margins.

A list of those points on the South Downs above {{cvt|700|ft}}, going from west to east, is given below.
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
|-
!Name of hill
!Nearest settlement
! Height
!Notes
|-
|[[Butser Hill]]
|[[Petersfield]]
|270&nbsp;m&nbsp;(886&nbsp;ft)
|Highest point in the South Downs proper.

|-
|West Harting Down
|[[South Harting]]
|229&nbsp;m (751&nbsp;ft)
|
|-
|[[Beacon Hill, West Sussex|Beacon Hill]]
|South Harting
|242&nbsp;m (793&nbsp;ft)
|
|-
|Linch Down
|[[Bepton]]
|248&nbsp;m (814&nbsp;ft)
|
|-
|Littleton Down
|[[East Lavington]]
|255&nbsp;m (836&nbsp;ft)
|The summit, ''Crown Teglease'', is the highest point on the Sussex Downs. 
|-
|Glatting Beacon
|[[Sutton, West Sussex|Sutton]]
|245&nbsp;m (803&nbsp;ft)
|
|-
|[[Chanctonbury Hill]]
|[[Washington, West Sussex|Washington]]
|238&nbsp;m (782&nbsp;ft)
|Site of [[Chanctonbury Ring]] hill fort
|-
|Truleigh Hill
|[[Upper Beeding]]
|216&nbsp;m (708&nbsp;ft)
|
|-
|[[Ditchling Beacon]]
|[[Ditchling]]
|248&nbsp;m (814&nbsp;ft)
|
|-
|[[Firle Beacon]]
|[[Firle]]
|217&nbsp;m (713&nbsp;ft)
|-
|}

==History==

[[Image:Cissbury1.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Plan of Cissbury fort showing shafts]]
Archaeological evidence has revealed that the Downs have been inhabited and utilised for thousands of years. [[Neolithic]] flint mines such as [[Cissbury]], [[burial mounds]] such as the [[Devil's Jumps, Treyford|Devil's Jumps]] and [[Devil's Humps, Stoughton|Devil's Humps]], and [[hill forts]] like [[Chanctonbury Ring]] are strong features in the landscape.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001002003005001006 |publisher=English Heritage |title=South Downs |access-date=5 April 2011 |archive-date=27 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527191822/http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.001002003005001006 |url-status=live}}.</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/southdowns/text.asp?PageId=30 |title=South Downs Way |publisher=nationaltrail.co.uk |access-date=5 April 2011 |archive-date=14 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514130818/http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/Southdowns/text.asp?PageId=30 |url-status=live}}.</ref>

It has been estimated that the tree cover of the Downs was cleared over 3000 years ago, and the present closely grazed turf is the result of continual [[grazing]] by sheep.

==National park==
{{main|South Downs National Park}}

Proposals to create a national park for the South Downs date back to the 1940s. However, it was not until 1999 that the idea received firm government support. After a public enquiry that took place between 2003 and 2009, the government announced its decision to make the South Downs a national park on 31 March 2009. The [[South Downs National Park]] finally came into operation on 1 April 2011. Within its boundary are included not only the South Downs proper but also part of the [[western Weald]], a geologically and ecologically quite different district.

The South Downs National Park has replaced two [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)]]s: [[East Hampshire AONB]] and [[Sussex Downs AONB]]. During the enquiry process a number of boundary questions were considered, so that the National Park contains areas not in the former AONBs, and vice versa.

==National nature reserves==
The South Downs contain a number of [[national nature reserves in England|national nature reserves]] (NNRs).<ref>See [http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/nnr/default.aspx Natural England website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607063238/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/nnr/default.aspx |date=7 June 2012}} for more details of all the national nature reserves mentioned in this section.</ref>

The NNRs on the Sussex Downs comprise [[Kingley Vale]], near [[Chichester]], said by [[Natural England]] to contain one of the finest yew forests in Europe, including a grove of ancient trees which are among the oldest living things in Britain (the reserve is also one of the most important archaeological sites in southern England, with 14 [[scheduled monument]]s); [[Castle Hill, Brighton|Castle Hill]], between Brighton and Lewes, an important example of ancient, traditionally managed grassland; Lewes Downs ([[Mount Caburn]]), a traditionally managed chalk downland (and also an important archaeological site); and [[Lullington Heath]], on the northern fringe of Friston Forest north-west of Eastbourne, one of the largest areas of chalk heath in Britain.

The NNRs on the East Hampshire Downs comprise [[Butser Hill]], near Petersfield, a large area of chalk grassland on the highest point in the South Downs (a large area is also designated as a scheduled monument reflecting its historical significance, particularly in the Bronze and Iron Ages); [[Old Winchester Hill]], a lowland grassland on the west and south facing scarp slopes of the Meon valley; and Beacon Hill, a high quality chalk grassland 5&nbsp;km west of Old Winchester Hill.

==Tourism, leisure and sport==
In 1923 the Society of Sussex Downsmen (now the South Downs Society) was formed with the aim of protecting the area's unique landscape.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.southdownssociety.org.uk/index.html |title=South Downs Society website |access-date=5 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322152358/http://www.southdownssociety.org.uk/index.html |archive-date=22 March 2011}}.</ref>

The South Downs are a popular area for ramblers with a network of over {{cvt|2000|mi|km}} of well-managed, well-signed and easily accessible trails. The principal bridleway, and longest of them, is the [[South Downs Way]].<ref>[http://www.inspiringholidays.com/details.enhanced.php?l=262 South Downs Way: description of the route] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605163213/http://www.inspiringholidays.com/details.enhanced.php?l=262 |date=5 June 2009 }}.</ref> The [[Monarch's Way]], having originated at [[Worcester, England|Worcester]], crosses the South Downs and ends at [[Shoreham-by-Sea]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/southdowns.html |title=South Downs Way National Trail |publisher=Ramblers Association |access-date=5 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120220801/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/INFO/paths/southdowns.html |archive-date=20 November 2008}}.</ref>

Sports undertaken on the Downs include [[paragliding]], [[mountain-biking]], [[horse riding]] and [[walking]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.southdowns.gov.uk/enjoying/outdoor-activities/ |title=Outdoor activities |publisher=South Downs National Park Authority |access-date=5 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406161135/http://www.southdowns.gov.uk/enjoying/outdoor-activities/ |archive-date=6 April 2011}}.</ref> The popular ''Beachy Head Marathon'' (formerly ''Seven Sisters Marathon''), a hilly cross-country marathon, takes place each autumn on the eastern Downs, starting and finishing in Eastbourne. The South Downs Trail Marathon starts in the village of Slindon (near Arundel) and ends at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park (to the south of Petersfield.)

Longer events that take place in the South Downs Way include a 100-mile running 'ultramarathon' and a 75-mile mountain biking night time race from Beachy Head to Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

==Landmarks==
[[Image:Long Man of Wilmington.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Long Man of Wilmington]], inscribed into the scarp face of the South Downs in [[East Sussex]]]]

Three of the landmarks on the Downs are the [[Long Man of Wilmington]] and the [[Litlington White Horse]] being chalk carved [[hill figure]]s, and [[Clayton Windmills]]. There is also a [[war memorial]], [[Chattri, Brighton|The Chattri]], dedicated to [[Indian soldiers]] who died in the [[Brighton]] area, having been brought there for treatment after being injured fighting on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] in the [[First World War]].
[[File:Litlington White Horse.jpg|thumb|The [[Litlington White Horse]] in the village of [[Litlington, East Sussex|Litlington]]]]

==South Downs in literature==
[[Rudyard Kipling]], who lived at [[Bateman's]], described the South Downs as "Our blunt, bow-headed whale-backed Downs".<ref>{{cite book |last=Kipling |first=Rudyard |year=1907 |title=Collected Verse of Rudyard Kipling |publisher=Doubleday, Page and Co. |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/stream/collectedverseof00kiplrich#page/123/mode/1up |page=123}}.</ref> Writing in 1920 in his poem ''The South Country'', poet [[Hilaire Belloc]] describes the South Downs as "the great hills of the South Country".<ref>{{citation |editor-last=Walters |editor-first=L. D'O. |year=1920 |title=An anthology of recent poetry |publisher=Dodd and Mead |place=New York |url=https://archive.org/stream/anthologyofrecen00walt#page/9/mode/1up |page=9}}.</ref> In ''On The South Coast'', poet [[Algernon Charles Swinburne]] describes the South Downs as "the green smooth-swelling unending downs".<ref>{{citation |last=Swinburne |first=Algernon Charles |year=1911 |title=Poems of Algernon Charles Swinburne. Volume VI |publisher=Chatto and Windus |place=London |page=147 |url=https://archive.org/stream/poemsofalgernonc06swiniala#page/147/mode/1up}}.</ref>

The naturalist-writer [[William Henry Hudson]] wrote that "during the whole fifty-three mile length from Beachy Head to Harting the ground never rises above a height of 850 feet, but we feel on top of the world".<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-wild-serene-downs-fight-against-protection-735190.html |location=London |newspaper=The Independent |title=The wild, serene Downs fight against protection |first=Michael |last=McCarthy |date=10 November 2003 |access-date=14 September 2017 |archive-date=28 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528012940/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-wild-serene-downs-fight-against-protection-735190.html }}.</ref>

Poet [[Francis William Bourdillon]] also wrote a poem "On the South Downs".<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/on-the-south-downs/ |title= On the South Downs |first1=Francis William |last1=Bourdillon |date=3 January 2003 |publisher=Poem Hunter |access-date=5 April 2011 |archive-date=3 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003055544/http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/on-the-south-downs/ |url-status=live}}.</ref> The South Downs have been home to several writers, including [[Jane Austen]] who lived at [[Chawton]] on the edge of the Downs in Hampshire. The [[Bloomsbury Group]] often visited [[Monk's House]] in [[Rodmell]], the home of [[Virginia Woolf]] in the Ouse valley. Alfred, [[Lord Tennyson]], had a second home at Aldworth, on [[Blackdown, Sussex|Blackdown]]; geologically part of the [[Weald]], Blackdown lies north of the South Downs but is included in the South Downs National Park.

In the introduction to [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]'s short story collection ''His Last Bow'', Dr. Watson states that [[Sherlock Holmes]] has retired to a small farm upon the Downs near Eastbourne. In the story "His Last Bow" itself, Holmes states that he "lives and keeps bees upon the South Downs". Furthermore, the short story "[[The Lion's Mane]]" is about a case that Holmes solves whilst living there.

The author [[Graham Greene]]'s first published novel, ''[[The Man Within]]'' (1929), is set largely on and around the South Downs. The book's principal character, Andrews, travels by foot across the Downs to reach [[Lewes]] and attend the Assizes. Greene provides a detailed description of both the landscape and its 'feel'.

The author [[H. G. Wells]] published a book called ''The Invisible Man'' in 1898, and in it says "He fled to South Down".

==Gallery==
<gallery heights="165" mode="packed">
File:Devil's Dyke with storm clouds and rainbow.JPG|Looking east along the Downs towards the [[Devil's Dyke, Sussex]]
File:Seven Sisters 8.jpg|[[Seven Sisters, Sussex|The Seven Sisters]] from [[Birling Gap]] chalk cliffs on the [[English Channel]] coast
File:Butser_Hill.jpg|The highest point of the South Downs, {{convert| 270|metre}}, Butser Hill [[national nature reserve (United Kingdom)|National Nature Reserve]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=1007231&SiteName=butser&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=  |title=Designated Sites View: Butser Hill NNR  | series= National Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 24 April 2020}}</ref> south-west of [[Petersfield]],  {{convert| 240 |ha|acre|abbr=off |adj=on }} biological and geological [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]]<ref name=dsv>{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1004498&SiteName=&countyCode=19&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=  |title=Designated Sites View: Butser Hill | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 8 May 2020}}</ref><ref name=map>{{cite web|url=https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271004498%27 |title=Map of Butser Hill|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=  8 May 2020}}</ref> and [[Special Area of Conservation]]<ref>{{cite web|url=   https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteGeneralDetail.aspx?SiteCode=UK0030103&SiteName=butser&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=|title=Designated Sites View: Butser Hill SAC | series= Special Areas of Conservation|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 24 April 2020}}</ref> 
File:Trig Point Kithurst Hill.jpg|Trig Point on Kithurst Hill West Sussex located on the South Downs Way above the village of [[Storrington]], {{convert| 213|metre}} high at the summit.
File:Treyford Hill South Downs.jpg|Treyford Hill showing typical Downs topography of steep wooded northern slope (left), gently sloping southern slope of pasture and woodland.
File:The South Downs from Lewes.jpg|Landscape near Lewes, East Sussex
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{citation |last=Brandon |first=Peter |year=1998 |title=The South Downs |publisher=Phillimore |place=Chichester, UK |isbn=1-86077-069-X}}.

==Further reading==
*{{citation |last=Hudson |first=W. H. |year=1901 |title=Nature in Downland |publisher=Longmans and Green |place=London |url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924022545093#page/n15/mode/2up |ref=none}}.

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|South Downs}}
*[http://www.sussex-southdowns-guide.com/ Sussex South Downs Guide]
*[https://visitsouthdowns.com/ Visit South Downs tourism website]
*[https://southdownstrust.org.uk/ South Downs National Park Trust website]
*[https://southdownsdiscovery.com/ South Downs Discovery walks and tours website]

{{National_parks_in_the_UK}}
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{{West Sussex}}
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[[Category:Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England]]
[[Category:Geology of England]]
[[Category:Hills of East Sussex]]
[[Category:Hills of Hampshire]]
[[Category:Hills of West Sussex]]
[[Category:Natural regions of England]]
[[Category:Protected areas of East Sussex]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Hampshire]]
[[Category:Protected areas of West Sussex]]