The King’s Escape: Devil’s Dyke to Bramber Castle and the Sea 🌊| Free Hike 30km

Grade 🥾🥾🥾🥾 Level 4/5

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📕ABOUT
A proper big day out on the South Downs. 30km (18.6mi) of chalk ridge, rolling downland, a Norman castle and the slow, satisfying descent to the sea.

We start at Hassocks station, climb up onto the Downs and drop into Pyecombe, then up again to the iconic Devil’s Dyke, the longest, deepest and widest dry valley in the UK. This is our lunch stop, with the whole Weald laid out below us and paragliders overhead on a good day (there’s a pub and café at the top too, if you’d rather not picnic).

From the Dyke we carry on west along the South Downs Way over Truleigh Hill, then drop off the ridge into the Adur Valley to Bramber Castle, an 11th-century Norman ruin perched above the river, with one great wall of its gatehouse tower still standing. From there we pick up the Monarch’s Way, the trail that follows Charles II’s 1651 flight to the Sussex coast, and make our way down to finish with boots in the salt air at Lancing Beach, ready for an optional swim 🏊🏼‍♂️ and a drink on the beach! ⛱️
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🌟HIGHLIGHTS

• Saddlescombe Farm (National Trust), an ancient farmstead with over 1,000 years of history, sheep, and a tucked-away
• Devil’s Dyke, Britain’s largest dry valley and our lunch stop, with paragliders soaring overhead on a good day
• Truleigh Hill, the South Downs Way at its most expansive, with big skies and the communication towers on the ridge
• Bramber Castle, a free-to-wander Norman ruin above the River Adur, once the seat of the de Braose family, where Charles II is said to have sheltered on his escape to the coast
• The Monarch’s Way, walking in the footsteps of the fleeing king as the chalk gives way to river meadows and reedbeds
• Lancing Beach, a wide pebble shore, perfect for unlacing boots and letting the sea do its work
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  📖SUMMARY
  30km (18.6mi) | Ascent 770m | Descent 825m | Max Elevation 213m
  🚆Train: Return ticket London Victoria ⇆ Lancing
  1- Outbound: London Victoria ➡️ Hassock
  2- Inbound: Lancing ➡️ London
  ⛳️ Meeting Point: 2 Options
  1- London Victoria station- Ticket Office | 08:20 (Train is at 08:46)
  2- Hassocks- Outside train station | 09:45
  ⚠️This is a Point-to-Point (not circular) Hike
  📍 Hike start: Hassocks train station | 09:50
  🔚 Hike finish: Lancing | approx. 18:00
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  🚊 TRAIN TICKET INFORMATION
  I would recommend you get
  🎟️Off-Peak Day Return ticket London Victoria ⇆ Lancing with a Network Railcard is £26.70 (instead of £40.10).
• ➡️ Outbound: London Victoria 08:46 → 09:43 Hassocks
• ⬅️ Inbound: Lancing (Any Off-Peak Return) → London

💡If you’d like to join other hikers using a Network Railcard, please arrive earlier so we can organise small groups. Note that each card can cover up to 4 people.
🚦Visit National Rail for details
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💷 COST: Free
This hike is completely free to join but participants need to purchase their own transport tickets.
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🎒WHAT TO BRING

• 2L Water
• Packed lunch and snacks
• Comfortable walking/hiking shoes
• Weather-appropriate clothing (layers, waterproofs, hat, sunscreen)
• Optional: trekking poles, camera
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  ✅WHO CAN JOIN:
• Our hikes are open to adults aged 21 and over.
• For safety reasons, we’re not able to include children.
• We love animals, but pets (including dogs) can’t join our hikes.
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  🚨RSVP & ATTENDANCE:
  RSVP only if you plan to attend. Please cancel as early as possible if you can no longer make it so others can join. A no-show means you RSVPed but did not attend or cancelled just before or after the start time. Repeated no-shows or late cancellations without a valid reason may lead to removal. Reliable regulars who end up on a waitlist may message the host for priority consideration.
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  ☯️STAYING TOGETHER:
  A dedicated back marker is not always present, so please keep others in sight and avoid moving too far ahead or falling too far behind. Faster walkers should wait at junctions. The hike leader will pause at key points to regroup and reduce the chance of anyone becoming separated from the group.
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  ⚠️ DISCLAIMER:
  By joining, you confirm that you have read and accepted the group policy on the About page. You are responsible for your own safety, and neither the host nor the group can be held liable for injury, loss, or damage.