Welcome to the Sussex Area Ramblers
Come and join us as we take advantage of everything East and West Sussex have to offer. There is so much variety on our doorstep: the South Downs National Park, the High and Low Weald, including the Ashdown Forest, and mile after mile of accessible coastline taking in, for example, the Seven Sisters and Chichester Harbour.
We have a thriving membership in nearly 20 Area and Affiliated local groups across our two counties with walks organised each week for all levels of fitness.
If you enjoy:
- being outdoors and walking in the countryside
- socialising and making new friends
- being fit and healthy
then our groups are perfect for you! You are welcome to try up to three walks before taking up membership.
If you become a member, there are also opportunities to volunteer in a variety of ways, for example maintaining local paths or protecting access to them to leading walks or taking on an organisational role.
NEWS & EVENTS
The Sussex Area of the Ramblers is looking for volunteers to take up a variety of interesting and challenging roles.
While many of our members have supplied us with e-mail addresses for communications purposes, there are still a substantial number who have not.
Prior to the Local Footpath Warden AGM that took place at East Dean Village Hall on Saturday 28th March 2026 a group of Local Footpath Wardens took part in a circular 6 mile walk. The walk was arranged and headed by Malcolm McDonnell.
The 9th High Weald Walking Festival will run from Saturday 12 to Sunday 20 September 2026.
As many of you will know, after a 25 year campaign by the Ramblers, the King Charles III England Coast Path was officially opened by His Majesty at an event in March at Cuckmere Haven attended by, amongst others, our Chief Executive. This is an amazing achievement – at 2,700 miles the KCIIIECP is the world’s longest managed coastal path. It has taken 19 years, seven prime ministers and £28m to create this new National Trail.
Walkers regularly complain about the state of the infrastructure on the footpath network across East and West Sussex. Whilst there are undoubtedly areas where no amount of reporting seems to reap any reward, our local footpath wardens and footpath maintenance volunteers continue to play a vital role in ensuring that issues are identified, highlighted and addressed.
At the 2026 Area Annual General Meeting, held on Saturday 24 January at East Dean and Friston Village Hall and hosted by Beachy Head Group, we celebrated the Fiftieth Anniversary of the creation of Sussex Ramblers.
“Now Open” is published bimonthly and describes the vital work of the East and West Sussex County Council and Sussex Ramblers’ footpath maintenance teams in maintaining and keeping paths open, among other things through vegetation clearance, replacing gates with stiles, installing signposting, and repairing or replacing footbridges.