I never realised how ‘addictive’ country or hill walking can be, once you start, there is no turning back! Now that I have been doing it for a few years, I simply cannot stop doing it. This is also partly due to my keenness to explore the picturesque British countryside and my love for nature ( perhaps I need to also thank my father for taking my brother and I to go hill walking every Sunday when we were kids).

The South Downs is beautiful area comprises of a range of chalk hills stretching across Sussex from Eastbourne to Winchester. And on the last day of August, I joined a walking group to explore this part of England.

One of the best thing about walking in the countryside is the abundance of wild fruits everywhere. While in Scotland, I scoffed down kilos ( no joke) of wild raspberries and cherries and now as we approach September, wild blackberries are ripening, it is hard to resist not picking them along the route. Once you have tasted the juicy and sweet berries ( when in season), it’s hard to go back to the overpriced and tasteless supermarket version, hence, I rarely buy them from supermarkets these days.

Bottom left: The bloodhound project: the supersonic car on display at the annual classic car and motorbike show in Burpham.

Property prices in many areas of the South Downs are high, and this was obvious when we passed through the village of Burpham, where all the houses look pretty and well maintained. There was even an annual classic car and motorbike show being held here, where we saw the Bloodhound supersonic car! And when we arrived at the historical town of Arundel, I was surprised to find it full of independent shops housed inside rows of carefully restored buildings ( I later found out that this town was awarded “Fair Trade town” in 2004). The contrast between this town and Hastings ( where I passed through a few months ago) couldn’t be more stark! With many flashy cars parked on the streets, the town seems to attract many well-to-do day visitors from other parts of the country.

The historical town of Arundel and Arundel Cathedral

Unfortunately there was only an hour left before the closing time of the historical Arundel Castle, so we decided to skip it and visited the impressive Arundel Cathedral instead.

As always, although we were feeling tired after the walk, we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery, sunshine, historical sights, wild blackberries and each other’s company.

These are the reasons why walking in Britain is so addictive!