Holidays
7 Night Discover More of the South Downs

7 Night Discover More of the South Downs

Small group holidays in South Downs

7 nights

Jul, Oct

135kg CO2

7 nights from

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Members

From

£1,439

Non-members

From

£1,469

Groups of 10+

or call

020 3974 8865

Explore Sussex and the South Downs like a local with this fascinating small-group tour. From visiting the legendary Devil’s Dyke and discovering its rich folklore to delving into the Arts and Crafts heritage of Ditchling, your adventure begins in spectacular fashion. Over the course of 5 days, you’ll get to taste award-winning wines at the Wiston Estate, walk through the wildlife haven of Pulborough Brooks, and uncover Roman history at Bignor Villa. There’ll also be a trip to historic Hever Castle, a chance to watch traditional crafts in action at Amberley Museum, plus a scenic ride on the Bluebell Railway.

What You’ll Love

Exclusive small-group tours with expert guides
Exploring Pulborough Brooks and Devil’s Dyke on foot
Discovering the area’s rich heritage
Wine tasting and tour at the Wiston Estate
Soaking up views of the High Weald from the Bluebell Railway
A more personalised experience thanks to small group sizes (maximum 15 people)

What's Included

Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
Cream tea on arrival day
Cooked and continental breakfast every morning
Daily packed lunches
Three-course evening meals, plus tea & coffee
Guided sightseeing with an experienced HF Holidays leader
All transport included in the itinerary
All entrance fees (other than National Trust & English Heritage properties)
Easy-to-follow routes, maps and information in our Discovery Point if you want to explore independently

Trip Suitability

This holiday is active and busy with visits throughout the day. You will need to be able to get on and off minibuses with ease, and be able to walk up to 2 miles, across uneven, grassy terrain where the ground can be slippery underfoot. It is important for your own and your fellow guests’ enjoyment that you can maintain the pace. We’ve provided a simple fitness test below, which will help you assess whether this holiday is for you:

You should be able to do the following:

Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace (2 miles per hour) without needing to take a break to rest
Climb two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
Stand unaided for an hour
Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
Please ensure you able to fulfil these fitness requirements, to ensure you get the very best from your holiday.

Itinerary

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Check-in at the hotel is available from 16:00. If you are a member you can arrive at the house from 14:00. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea at 16:30 and meet other guests.

Our holiday begins with a stop at Devil’s Dyke, a site steeped in folklore and whose known history stretches back to the Iron Age. We will take a short walk along the valley to stretch our legs and gain an appreciation of the fabulous Sussex downland. Later, we shall continue on to Ditchling and join a village expert on a walking tour, highlighting the Arts and Crafts heritage of the area which continues to impact local life in the present day.

Our first visit today takes us to WWT Arundel, a wetlands reserve home to a wide variety of flora and fauna species. We’ll take a guided tour with a site expert before enjoying some free time to explore further. Later in the day, we will visit the Wiston Estate. Spread over 6000 acres of downland, the estate covers a huge landscape of protected woods and farmland. Once there, we will visit the Wiston winery on an award-winning tour with an expert guide. The South Downs are known for their chalky terroir; one which produces exceptional English wines. So, after our tour, there will be a tutored tasting of a selection of Wiston wines before we return to Abingworth Hall.

Discover more about Abingworth Hall and the local area for ideas on how to make the most of your free day.

Today’s trip takes us just over the Kentish border to Hever Castle, once home to the Boleyn family and its most infamous member, Anne. A site expert will join our group here for a private tour of the castle to learn about its storied past and how the team aim to conserve the site today. There will be free time at Hever to enjoy the gardens before we hop aboard the Bluebell Railway to break up our return journey to Abingworth.

This morning, we’ll pay a visit to RSPB Pulborough Brooks, a true haven for wildlife found only a stone’s throw from our base in Abingworth. Here, we will join a nature expert on a guided walk of the reserve to learn more about the conservation work undertaken by the RSPB team to preserve this special landscape. In the afternoon, we will continue to Parham House. Built in 1557 and lived in as a family home to this day, Parham is one of the area’s finest Elizabethan mansions. We will have some free time to explore the house, gardens, and grounds before making our way back to Abingworth Hall.

Housing some of the most detailed and complete Roman mosaics in the UK, the exhibition and museum at Bignor shine a light on Sussex’s ancient past. We’ll explore the site with a specialist guide to delve into the history of the Villa and the area’s Roman heritage. In the afternoon, we will leap forward over several centuries to find out more about the region’s past at Amberley Museum. The site brings together a range of traditional craftspeople, heritage exhibitions, and more, so there will be plenty to explore on both a guided visit and during some free time.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.

Download trip notes

Accommodation

Abingworth Hall

Country living just got cosier at this former farmhouse. Abingworth Hall is just a skip away from the village of Thakeham at the foot of the South Downs – a landscape of ancient woodland, hidden valleys, chalky cliffs, and high-backed hills so deserving of its national park status finally bestowed in 2010. While the views from the doorstep are as wow-worthy as you’d expect, the walking opportunities around the sightseeing greats such as Devil’s Dyke, Seven Sisters Country Park, Kingley Vale, Parham House, and the Clayton Windmills (known locally as Jack and Jill) are equally standout. You’ll also be within easy driving distance of several historic towns and cities, most fabulously Arundel, Chichester, and Brighton.

A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out).

Evening entertainment

While evening entertainment varies from house to house, HF Holidays Inter-House Quiz night held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided waking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.

Walks talks
Our HF Holidays walk leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on guided walking holiday arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s guided walks (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.

The walking day
Prior to setting off on guided walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house.

• 27 well-appointed guest rooms • Exclusive occupancy: 35 guests minimum • Check in from 4:00pm • For members check in from 2:00pm • Full-board (including cream tea on arrival) • Free Wi-Fi • Free on-site parking • Boot room and drying room • Travel cot & high chair • Discovery Point offering a wide range of local area maps, route guides, and information for self-guided walks • Books and games to borrow • Licensed bar • Three lounges • Heated outdoor pool (open May to September*) • Electric vehicle charging point - Please note, you will need to bring your own cables to use this EV charging point

Check in & check out

You are welcome to check in from 4pm at the earliest. HF Members can check in earlier, from 2pm. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a complimentary cream tea and get to meet your fellow guests, our HF Holidays Leaders, and the rest of the friendly team. Check out 10am.

Seasonal dining, tailored for you

Our team of skilled chefs design our dinner menus to showcase the best of each season, from warming winter comfort food to vibrant summer dishes, including vegetarian, vegan and high-protein options. We also source fruit and vegetables within a 40-mile radius of each house, open every break with a Chef’s Special menu inspired by dishes and flavours of the local area, and are able to adapt dishes to suit special dietary requirements.

Welcome Cream Tea

What better way to start your stay than with a cream tea, served fresh on arrival to make you feel instantly at home. A quintessentially English tradition, our scones are baked in-house and served with preserves and clotted cream, providing the perfect opportunity to meet fellow walkers.

A hearty breakfast to start the day

Start the day with a freshly-prepared cooked breakfast and a wide choice from our continental buffet, including hot drinks, juices and fresh fruit. Our team offer a quick and friendly service, leaving you fuelled and ready for your day’s adventures.

Our famous picnic lunch

Our personalised picnic lunches are perfect for a day out walking, ready to enjoy when hunger strikes. Choose from a large selection of fresh sandwiches and salads, freshly baked cakes and snacks, including the ever-popular Freddos chocolate bar! Everything is designed to fit neatly into your rucksack, and all of the packaging we provide is recyclable or compostable.

3-course evening meals

Our à la carte evening menus feature a wide choice of starters, mains, and desserts, made with seasonal ingredients and, wherever possible, herbs and vegetables from our own gardens. Shared around sociable tables, dinners are relaxed occasions, with drinks available to order at the table or from the bar, and a traditional Sunday roast to round off the week.

Designed with your comfort in mind, Abingworth Hall has 27 well-appointed guest rooms available in two categories: Classic and Premium.

Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV.

Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers.

We love: The Premium Rooms for views of the impossibly pretty surroundings.

The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply.

Room supplements

Premium single	Premium double/twin	Choose your room
£20 pppn	£20 pppn	£30 per room

*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location

*Please note, pool opening hours are: 07:00am – 09:00am and 16:00pm – 18:30pm

For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Abingworth Hall

View more details View holidays here

More Information

Carbon Footprint - 135kg CO2

We see it as our responsibility to minimise our emissions, not just for this year but every year to come. Our work with sustainability experts, ecollective, has enabled us to measure our carbon footprint and create a strategy to reduce the carbon intensity of our product by 5% each year. Our ambition is to be net zero by 2040 – earlier if we can.

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Reviews

Code: ABW07-HCH05

2026

Back to dates

Fri 17 Jul – Fri 24 Jul 2026

Trip Note Download

Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Price - Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Supplement

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Itinerary: 7 Nights - Itinerary

Trip Type: Small group holidays

All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take an alternative route, or vary the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.

All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.

Fri 9 Oct – Fri 16 Oct 2026

Trip Note Download

Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Price - Land Only

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Single Supplement

Members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Non-members

Call to Enquire

020 3974 8865

Itinerary: 7 Nights - Itinerary

Trip Type: Small group holidays

All holidays are subject to availability. Supplements may apply.

7 Night Discover More of the South Downs

What You’ll Love

What's Included

Trip Suitability

Itinerary