Devil’s Dyke

Devil’s Dyke is a dry valley almost 1.6 km (nearly a mile) long in the South Downs, about 8 km (five miles) north-west of Brighton. According to the National Trust, it is the longest, deepest and widest dry valley in Britain. John Constable called the view “the grandest view in the world”. On a walk around the hill you can see the ramparts of an Iron Age hill fort, and the remains of a Victorian funfair lie a few minutes’ walk from the car park. The South Downs Way, a long-distance path of about 160 km from Winchester to Eastbourne, passes the site.

The slope is also used by hang-gliders and paragliders; the take-off point is at about 215 m and suits winds from west-north-west to north. By car, leave the A27 Brighton bypass at the Hove junction and follow the signs north; the car park is pay-and-display. There is a little free parking on Summer Down Road. The number 77 bus also runs from Brighton, with a reduced service outside the summer.