It takes only 15 minutes to stroll across the fields to Alfriston for your daily newspaper and freshly baked bread. In under an hour you can walk to any of the six pubs for a delicious lunch or supper, five of them serving our famous Harvey's Ale from Lewes's Brewery. In two or three hours you can ascend to the top of the Downs and stand in awe, taking in the incredible views to the English Channel or inland across the wooded Weald of Sussex.

This walk can take you to the little village of Jevington, passing The Long Man of Wilmington on the way, or through the Lullington Heath Nature Reserve and down into Friston Forest, coming out at the ancient hamlet of Westdean and on to the crest of the hill where the view across the Cuckmere River, as it meanders to the sea, will take your breath away.

A favourite walk leads from the cottage along The South Downs Way to Firle, a tranquil village where it seems time has stood still, with an imposing stately home still lived in by the Squire and his family. The real reason for this fabulous walk is to have a memorable lunch at the village pub, The Ram, which of course serves Harvey's beer!

The South Downs are specially kind to walkers because they have a unique springy turf due to being grazed very tight by Southdown sheep for centuries. They say one can walk great distances without tiring. The Downs are fit for walking all year round because the hills fall steeply to the valley floor and the chalky ground does not retain water for long, so the paths are dry even in Winter. Our friends living on the clay soil of The Weald to the north come down here to walk their dog from Autumn through to Spring as they don't need to wear their wellies.

For these reasons the Downs provide the perfect place for the whole family to go on walks together. They are a safe training ground for the children to enjoy walking and appreciate the great outdoors.

Hardly believable but true, on so many Downland walks you cannot hear any disturbing noise of modern life; no car engines to disturb the peace just the breeze on your cheek and the song of the skylark.

You can walk for days on three long distance national trails: the 90 mile South Downs Way from Eastbourne to Winchester, the Vanguard Way from Croydon to Newhaven and the Wealden Way from Gravesend to Eastbourne. All these pass within half a mile of Danny Cottage so you can dip in and out and enjoy the trails for as long as you want.

We have a good collection of books on Downland Walks on the Danny Cottage bookshelves, but visit Much Ado Bookshop in Alfriston and choose one or two to keep at home.

The map above is taken from Patrick Coulcher's excellent book 'Wildlife Walks Around The Cuckmere Valley' and can be found at: Much Ado Bookshop in Alfriston,
or from S.B. Publications, 14 Blatchington Road, Seaford BN25 2UB. Telephone 01323 893 498.

We wish you happy hiking.