Stage 3 of 7 · South Downs Way
Queen Elizabeth Country Park → Heyshott
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Route briefing
What comes next
Climbs, descents, water and huts in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.
Start
0 m
Queen Elizabeth Country Park
Start
Route geometry · source 2026-04-02
About 0 min in
23.5 km remaining
+577 m remaining
Water
0 m
Drinking Water
Water
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-02
About 0 min in
23.5 km remaining
+577 m remaining
Water
9.0 km
Drinking Water
Water
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-02
About 2h 17m in
14.5 km remaining
+395 m remaining
Water
14.0 km
Drinking Water
Water
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-02
About 3h 34m in
9.5 km remaining
+259 m remaining
Climb
21.1 km
123 m climb
2.4 km at 5.2% average
OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-02
About 5h 22m in
2.5 km remaining
+130 m remaining
Water
21.7 km
Drinking Water
Water
OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-02
About 5h 31m in
1.8 km remaining
+95 m remaining
Finish
23.5 km
Heyshott
Finish
Route geometry · source 2026-04-02
About 5h 59m in
0 m remaining
Trail route lab
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Getting Here
Queen Elizabeth Country Park (bus stop)
357m from trailhead · ~5 min walk
End: Heyshott
No nearby transit stop at the end. Check the next stage's start stop.
Segment Breakdown
Auto-analyzed from the elevation profile. Each segment shows the dominant character for planning your effort.
| Segment | Dist | ↑ / ↓ | Time | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Queen Elizabeth Country Park → km 7.9 (143m) 117–190m | 7.9 km | +151m / -132m | 1h 56m | 🏃 Highly Runnable |
km 7.9 (143m) → km 15.7 (200m) 143–223m | 7.9 km | +211m / -154m | 2h 03m | 📈 Climbing |
km 15.7 (200m) → Heyshott 106–236m | 7.8 km | +183m / -154m | 1h 59m | 🏃 Highly Runnable |
| Total | 23.5 km | +577m / -479m | 5h 59m |
Pace & Fuel Calculator
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Terrain Analysis
Surface & Technicality
Gradient describes steepness, not exposure, scrambling, footing or current conditions. Technical difficulty is unknown where no mapped rating is available.
Surface
Estimated for the full route from the 74% with mapped surface data in OpenStreetMap.
Current Conditions
Based on 1991–2020 climate averages, the weather on South Downs Way Stage 3: Queen Elizabeth Country Park → Heyshott is usually best from March to November.
Weather this week
Loading the forecast for on the trail (172 m)…
Weather by month
Typical weather on this stage, around 105–238 m. Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
| Month | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | Mixed | Mixed | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Mixed |
| Day / night | 7°/2° | 7°/1° | 10°/3° | 13°/4° | 16°/7° | 19°/10° | 21°/12° | 21°/12° | 18°/10° | 14°/7° | 10°/4° | 8°/2° |
| Rain, mm | 106 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 57 | 64 | 70 | 75 | 74 | 117 | 119 | 112 |
| Snow at high point | Frost | Frost | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Daylight | 8 h 23 | 10 h | 11 h 47 | 13 h 46 | 15 h 29 | 16 h 30 | 16 h 08 | 14 h 38 | 12 h 44 | 10 h 49 | 9 h | 7 h 58 |
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Averages cannot establish current trail conditions. Check recent local reports, the forecast and restrictions before departure. Snow and ice can persist on shaded sections or arrive outside the usual season.
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Safety & Bailouts
We do not have a verified emergency exit plan for this route. A nearby settlement, hut or route endpoint is not necessarily reachable or open. Do not leave the trail based on a straight-line distance or compass direction.
Review possible exits against current local information before your trip. In an emergency, contact local rescue services; this page is not live rescue guidance.
Suggested Gear List
Auto-generated based on 23.5 km, 577m ascent, max altitude 238.2m, ~6h duration.
- 👟 Trail running shoes / hiking bootsRequired for any trail
- 📱 Phone (charged) + offline mapNavigation & emergency contact
- 💧 3L hydration vestEstimated 3.0L; verify refill availability
- 🍫 Trail mix, bars & sandwichEst. 2097 kcal burn
- 🧴 SunscreenBasic sun protection
- 🧥 Light rain jacketWeather changes fast in the mountains
- 🩹 Mini first aid kitBlister plasters, tape, antiseptic
Logistics
This route runs from Queen Elizabeth Country Park to Heyshott (23.5 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.
Nearby Points of Interest
🚏 Transit stops along this stage
- 🚌 Queen Elizabeth Country Park 54m off trail
- 🚌 Hogs Lodge Inn km 0.9 · 949m off trail
🛖 Shelters
- Shelter km 0.4 · 384m off trail
- Shelter km 1.6 · 332m off trail
- Shelter km 1.7 · 316m off trail
- Shelter km 2.1 · 76m off trail
💧 Water Sources
- Drinking Water 479m off trail
- Drinking Water km 9 · 177m off trail
- Drinking Water km 14 · 203m off trail
- Drinking Water km 21.7 · 1.0 km off trail
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