Elsted and Wild Combe Camping
Children will enjoy the chance to combine this walk with a wild camping stay where there is a reservoir they can paddle board on!
The South Downs Way above Elsted
The Basics
Time: Up to an hour, depending on fitness for the hill and if starting from the village, a little more from the campsite
Distance: 3.7 km to start from the village centre, a little more from the campsite
Terrain: Very steep sections, woodland, field and downland paths, quiet country lane
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes, but they must be on leads around the campsite and at the pub
Refreshments: The Three Horseshoes in Elsted
Toilets: None unless using the pub or the campsite
Public Transport: The Stagecoach route 91 between Midhurst and Petersfield stops once a day at The Three Horseshoes public house
Parking: If staying at the campsite or using the pub, parking will be sorted. Otherwise, there is a car park beside the village hall (Postcode: GU29 0JY - W3W: degrading/bloom/pace)
Views from the South Downs Way
Elsted is a tiny, traditional village on the South Downs near Midhurst. Our walk takes you up from the village up to a ridge of the South Downs where there are marvellous views of the Weald. The return pathway takes you directly into the beautiful garden of the Three Horseshoes, which has some of the best views from a pub garden we know of. If you want to make a weekend of it, then we highly recommend a stay at Wild Combe Camping, an off-grid site in peaceful countryside with fabulous views and a reservoir where you can swim and paddleboard!
How you start this route will depend on if you are just visiting for the walk, visiting the pub or where on the farm you are camping.
To start from the pub, leave via the gap in the fence at the bottom of the garden, turn right and follow the path around the top of the field until you reach a pretty greenhouse. Go down the steps and turn left at the road.
To start from the village hall, walk to the road and turn right. Turn left at the sign for Treyford, beside The Old Parsonage and head down the lane.
To start from The Roughs at Wild Combe, Stand facing the reservoir and turn left past the water bowser. Go through the gap in the corner of the field and turn left. Follow the path as it goes up the left side of the next field and then rounds the corner to go along the top side. Turn left at the church and take the access lane out towards the road. Cross the road and take the road opposite, signposted Treyford, with The Old Parsonage on your left.
To start from Tennis Wells at Wild Combe, Take the path in the camping field marked ‘The Pub’ and follow it up to the road. Go down the road signed for Treyford by The Old Parsonage.
Wherever you started from, you should now be walking down the quiet country lane, heading towards Treyford and The South Downs. Continue down the road, passing some houses and a farm. When the road takes a large bend to the left, you should keep going forward onto an unpaved farm track. Go straight ahead at the cross paths.
Continue until you reach a junction, just as you enter the woodland. Turn right and walk along the foot of the wooded ridge until you see a bridleway going up to your left. This is where the path climbs steeply up to the downs. Ignore paths to the left and right and keep going straight up to the gate at the top. Although this section is steep, it does not take long to get to the top and the views and pub on the return will be reward!
Beyond the gate, you will be upon the downs, and at the time of writing in July, there are copious amounts of wildflowers in the grasslands. Turn left when you reach the chalky ridge path and head upwards for one last quick climb! The path will descend on the other side and when you reach a fork, go right.
Soon, you will reach a cross path and you should head left down the restricted byway. This will take you back down to the point where you entered the woods. Turn right and follow the farm track back out to the lane.
As you near Elsted village once again, look out for the stone steps going up to your right. These will lead you up, past a garden with a greenhouse to a field. Follow the top edge of the field as it rounds a garden fence and you will come to the pub garden. You can enter through the gap in the fence. The pub has a beautiful garden with far reaching views and lots of outdoor seating. Dogs must be on a lead because there are free-roaming chickens. The pub is friendly and charming, but it is run on traditional principles. They serve a simple, tasty menu mostly based around meat and fish and do not do chips or have a children’s menu (they will do half portions for children). Far from being an inconvenience, we found these factors added to its old world, country charm.
Our trip ‘up the downs’ was brief. If you want to extend your walk up there to enjoy the views, then you could continue at the cross path in section 5 and keep going along The South Downs Way. You could descend into Treyford where there is an intriguing ruined church. Alternatively, when you get to the downs at the start of section 4, you could turn right along The South Downs Way up the chalky hill that is Beacon Hill. The views from the top are marvellous and you could then extend your walk by exploring Harting Down.
Link this walk to Harting Down
If you chose to extend the walk by going over Beacon Hill, you can connect it to this walk when you meet this bench on the other side.
Wild Combe Camping
If you would like to spend more time in the area, then we highly recommend a stay at Wild Combe Camping. This welcoming site is an off-grid experience allowing you and the family to completely switch off in a peaceful part of the countryside.
The highlights of our stay included:
Views of the South Downs and the Western Weald
A reservoir where you could wild swim or paddleboard (strong swimmers only)
A relaxed feel where children are welcome to play and explore
The Tea Barn on the Go offering hot drinks and snacks from their trailer at weekends
An easy walk to The Three Horsehoes
Plenty of open space so no feeling of being crowded in
Glamping bell tents for those who prefer not to put up their own tent
Fire-pits and wood available to rent for every pitch
Blissfully quiet for mid-week stays
Welcoming owners whose family have been on the farm for almost a century
