Walking in Mid Sussex

• Winter Walks 2024/2025 Programme Version 1 now available.

Are you a walker? The South Downs National Park offers you beautiful scenery and a way to keep you healthy and fit.

Our rangers run free healthy walks across the district.

The walks will:

• Help you get fitter
• Show you new areas of the beautiful Mid Sussex countryside
• Help you to meet other like-minded people in a safe and supportive environment
• Improving mental health
• Reducing the stresses of everyday life

Download the latest healthy walks programme.

Winter Walks Programme - v1

If this is your first walk with us you will need to register your details below to be able to attend the healthy walks. You only need to do this once before you walk with our scheme. 

Register Your Details

Registration is NOT a booking form for the walks, it only needs to done once (unless your details change). If you have not provided your details via the website then the healthy walk leader will ask you for your name and a phone number. Spaces are limited to 30 people, on a first come first serve basis. 

Please note: Walkers walk at their own risk. If you have any health concerns, please seek medical advice prior to walking with us. A register will be taken on the day by your walk leader. The register is taken by healthy walk leader only, and not passed around.

Please wear walking boots or stout footwear for all countryside walks. Warm and waterproof clothing may also be needed.

Well behaved, sociable dogs are welcome on our walks. The walk leader is responsible for the safety of the walkers. They may offer you advice about your dog or request the removal of the dog from the walk if it is causing a problem.

Please respect the views of our unpaid leaders and those of other walkers. Our simple guidelines are:

• Please clean up after your dog
• Please put your dog on a lead when requested, for example, when walking near livestock and along or crossing roads
• If conditions are suitable for dogs to be off the lead, please ensure that they remain close to you and do not run back and forth through a line of walkers.

All our walks are led by trained walk leaders. We have a leader at the front and a marker at the back so we won't leave anyone behind!

• Level 1: 30 minutes on paved paths. No stiles
• Level 2: 30 minutes to one hour. No more than two and a half miles on non-paved paths. No stiles
• Level 3: Between one and one-and-a-half hours. No more than three miles on non-paved paths. Some stiles and hills
• Level 4: One-and-a-half to two hours at the most. No more than five miles. Stiles and hills
• Level 5: Two to three hours. No more than seven miles. Stiles, steep hills, faster pace

To become a walk leader or back marker you must attend a training course organised by our Rangers. This is free of charge. Please contact the Rangers using the contact details below for more information.

On-going training and support is given after attending the course.

What does being a Healthy Walk Leader involve?

• Walk Leaders may lead as many or as few walks as they wish. Some people choose to lead one walk a week. Some once every six months. It's up to you.
• Walk Leaders can set up their own walks and choose their own routes or we can supply routes for you.
• Each healthy walk has a leader and a back marker. You can choose to lead a route or stay at the back and make sure no-one gets left behind. Many people start off as back markers and then become leaders as their confidence improves.
• We have meetings twice a year to plan the next season's walk programme and we also hold an annual social event for volunteer leaders.

Walk Leader resources

• The Healthy Walks Register

The Countryside Code

Before walking in the countryside, please read the Countryside Code.

• About the Place - Walks in Mid Sussex
• Horsham Health Walks
• Crawley Health Walks
• Ashdown Forest Health Walks
• Mid Sussex Ramblers Association
• Sussex Pathfinders

Countryside Rangers
Tel: 01444-458166
Email: rangers.midsussex@glendale-services.co.uk