Five green Brighton walks to keep you sane this lockdown

We had a taste of freedom, albeit pubs were still only open until 10pm, but life was getting back to normal. Within the space of a few weeks, the coronavirus figures rocketed again and yep, we’re back in lockdown. Studying from home and only leaving for essential shopping and daily exercise means you really want to make the most of your daily trip out.

I’ve listed five of my favourite walks, which will  hopefully provide you with some inspiration, so you don’t end up taking a walk around the Level for the fifth time this week.

Preston Park and Rock Garden

If you live close to London Road, this is the perfect place for you to get some green exercise. Not only is the loop round the park a perfect length, but there are lots of cute dogs. However, watch out for smug runners and scary electric scooters flying past you.

If you fancy something a bit more interesting to look at, or even testing your hopscotch skills on the stones in the river, visit the Rock Garden opposite the park.

The Undercliff Walk

You can walk all the way from Brighton Marina to Saltdean in the shadow of the famous white cliffs. If you want to walk both ways, it is around 10km, so you might want to put a whole day aside to do this one. Provided the wind isn’t threatening to blow you into the sea, it’s a lovely walk with some great views if you trek to the top of the cliffs at the end. There’s a café at the end of the trail which even serves Full English pasties, if you’re feeling brave.

Ditchling Beacon

Warning: Cow photo ahead.

This is a bit further out of Brighton, but still only a 15 or so minute drive from the city centre. There are endless routes you can take to explore this area. It’s the third highest point in the South Downs, so its not surprising that the views are amazing on a clear day. From the top of the hill, you can see the wind turbines in the sea on one side and miles of countryside on the other. If you want to start a circular walk from campus, you can reach Ditchling Beacon from Stanmer park and get back in about four or five hours.

Stanmer Park

For those of you on campus, you are so lucky to live in the heart of one of the most beautiful green spaces in Brighton. Take advantage of having nature on your doorstep and explore, even if there are a lot of steep hills.

The beach

It might be a bit basic – we all know Brighton has a beach, but do you visit it often enough to appreciate it? Take a pre-dinner walk and watch the sunset, an added bonus is that at this time of year the starlings are flying around in their thousands. Alternatively, walking from the pier along the promenade to Hove is a great bit of exercise with the opportunity for lots of people watching.

Happy hiking!