South Downs Way Walk halfway house refreshment stop saved by Kithurst Hill car park reprieve

The car park is directly on the national trail near Storrington West Sussex but what is probably not appreciated by many is that it is almost exactly half way along the 100 mile trail between Winchester and Eastbourne.

This became apparent to organiser Keith McKenna when he was looking for a place where he could tell everyone it was quicker to go on than go back.

“It was like a point of no return,” said ex-pilot Keith. “ Somewhere we could celebrate and offer free refreshments and a bit of encouragement.”

And Keith and the team have been doing just that for the past twenty years during their time as leaders of this amazing annual event.

It was started way back in 1980 by West Sussex County Council and is now approaching its 43rd year with hundreds of people from all over the world enjoying the challenge of covering the full trail in nine days. The refreshments at Kithurst Hill are just one of many highlights along the way but one that always brings a big smile when you’re not expecting it.

Preventing the closure of this crucial car park was helped by many leading figures, not least by local MP Andrew Griffith who commented: “I am delighted the community-led campaign to save Kithurst Hill Car Park was a success.

"This local asset is a gateway for all to enjoy the outstanding natural beauty around us on the South Downs, and I was proud to support it from day one by working with partners to find a solution.”

More details about this June event are on www.southdownsway.com