South Downs National Park

South Downs National Park

The South Downs National Park was designated in 2010 and covers 1,600 square kilometres of chalk downland, river valleys, ancient woodland, and farmland across Hampshire and West Sussex. The park stretches from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east and includes the downs that form the northern horizon for much of the Solent News area.

The national park is managed by the South Downs National Park Authority, which balances conservation, recreation, and the needs of the communities within the park boundary. The Authority has its headquarters in Midhurst and works with farmers, landowners, and local councils to maintain the landscape and improve public access.

For the towns and villages of the Solent News network, the South Downs are a daily backdrop and a weekend destination. The downs are accessible from Fareham via the Meon Valley, from Chichester via Lavant and Singleton, from Waterlooville via the Butser Hill area, and from Havant and Emsworth via the valleys of the western downs.

The park supports a distinctive ecology, with chalk grassland, ancient yew forests, beech hangers, and river systems including the Meon, the Itchen, and the Lavant. The chalk aquifer beneath the downs supplies much of the area's drinking water.

Key sites within easy reach of the network include Old Winchester Hill (Meon Valley), Butser Hill (highest point in Hampshire at 271m), the Trundle (above Goodwood), Kingley Vale (ancient yews near Chichester), and Queen Elizabeth Country Park (near Petersfield). The national park provides some of the finest outdoor recreation in southern England, all within a short drive of the coast.