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Long Man of Wilmington

5.3 miles (8.5 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap Climb to this iconic hill figure on Windover Hill on this splendid circular walk in the South Downs. The walk begins in the village of Alfriston on the Cuckmere River and follows the South Downs Way to the Long Man. It's a fairly easy climb on a good path with splendid views of the South Downs and the coast to enjoy. From the high point you descend to Litlington passing the delightful Lullington Heath Nature Reserve on the way. It's a lovely area made up of chalk heath with heather, bell heather and gorse bushes. At Litlington you pick up the Vanguard Way and enjoy a lovely waterside section along the Cuckmere River which takes you back to Alfriston.
If you enjoy this walk then you could try the Cuckmere River and Cuckmere Haven walk which also starts from Alfriston.

Postcode

BN26 5TL - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Long Man of Wilmington OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Long Man of Wilmington Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

Back in Alfriston you could try the The George Inn. The historic pub dates all the way back to the 14th century and has a charming interior with low beams and a roaring fire. Outside there's a lovely beer garden to relax in on warmer days. You can find the pub on the High Street at a postcode of BN26 5SY for your sat navs. The pub is also dog friendly if you have your canine friend with you.
If you're doing the walk from Wilmington you could head to The Giant’s Rest in the village. The country pub does good food, is dog friendly and also has a beer garden. You can find it at postcode BN26 5SQ.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

For a shorter walk you can climb to the hill from Wilmington. The little village is located less than a mile from the figure and has a public car park next to Wilmington Priory.

Photos

Long Man of Wilmington (8023873524)

Good view of Long Man on a sunny summer day

Long Man of Wilmington from Milton Street - geograph.org.uk - 866656

The ancient hill figure viewed from Milton Street in the village of Wilmington

Long Man of Wilmington - geograph.org.uk - 936784

Viewed from the footpath from Wilmington at sunset. The first record of a chalk figure dates from 1710 and the 226 foot figure has been scaled in a way so as not to look short and stumpy from below. Whether the figure dates back to antiquity has been much debated but is generally believed not to. The figure is in the current ownership of the Sussex Archeological Society who received it from the Duke of Devonshire along with nearby Wilmington Priory in 1926.

Ruins of Wilmington Priory - geograph.org.uk - 45406

Ruins of Wilmington Priory. Founded for the abbey of Grestain in Normandy before 1100, a large proportion of the present building dates from the fourteenth century. The village makes and alternative start point for a shorter route to the summit

The Street, Wilmington - geograph.org.uk - 1033301

Wilmington Village. The village is located just north of the Long Man.

Footpath, Wilmington Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1135409

Footpath, Wilmington Hill. Making its way through the remains of Neolithic flint mines before descending the hill in a north easterly direction. The village of Wilmington can be seen in the top right of the picture.

Wilmington Chalk Pit - geograph.org.uk - 2441146

Wilmington Chalk Pit

The South Downs Way, Windover Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1818848

The South Downs Way, Windover Hill

Elevation Profile

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Long Man of Wilmington.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Long Man of Wilmington.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)