47. Save the Portland Coastguard Helicopter

Help save the vital service of the Portland Coastguard Helicopter by signing the e-petition.

46. South Downs Way in One Long Day

Mark Hodgson, Ian Lumb, Simon Helliwell, Mike May-Gillings and Gordon Mowat rode out of Winchester early Saturday in the darkness and through heavy rain. Later that day they arrived in Eastbourne - in the dark but thankfully without the rain. A fantastic achievement, 100 miles, 12500 feet of ascent and not one puncture.

Here's some snaps of the day, I really like the sunrise pic as they Kamikaze down Butser Hill (I think).

And all that pain in support of the British Heart Foundation. To donate to the charity please click here.

45. South Downs Way Maps

We have produced Landranger map segments that cover the whole of the South Downs Way. They can be downloaded and printed for FREE from our trail guide.

44. Kings Acre, Pulborough

If you are looking for private accommodation that is ideal for exploring the Pulborough and Amberley area of the South Downs then a new business has started this spring.

Kings Acre at Pulborough is a beautiful country house offering high quality self-catering and bed and breakfast accommodation with panoramic views over the South Downs hills.

43. The Privett Centre

Set in glorious Hampshire countryside, the Privett Centre offers low cost, comfortable short-stay accommodation that is perfect for walkers and cyclists wanting to explore this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A network of paths lead directly from the centre so there are walks of all lengths. For cyclists the Meon Valley Railway Line and the South Downs Way are close by.

Walk and Cycle deliver mountain bikes to the Privett Centre as part of our hire service... more information

42. Buriton Chalk Pits

Discover the natural history and industrial heritage of Buriton and the chalk pits dug from the Hanger above the village.

- Interactive map
- Industrial History leaflet
- Natural History leaflet

Chalk has been quarried from the South Downs for hundreds of years. Although there are references to chalk being raised from the Buriton hills and transported to Portsmouth early in the nineteenth century, it is believed that BJ Forder commenced large-scale quarrying and established a limeworks in about 1860.

For over seventy years up until the end of the Second World War there was a hive of industrial activity on the hillsides above Buriton village. Enormous amounts of chalk from three main quarries were excavated and burnt in a series of lime kilns.

During the war the Admiralty used the site for enemy mine disposal and important mine counter-measures. At the end of the war much of the site was effectively abandoned, becoming an informal play area for local children.

As you stand in the Chalk Pits today you can see the remains of the quarrying activity all around you. Chalk was taken from the hillside forming the quarry bowls as you see them today with their steep sides. The spoil that was left behind after the processing was piled up into the large lumps and bumps that form the remaining areas. Many of the paths follow the old narrow-gauge railway lines that were used to move the chalk and lime around the site.

Abandoned and left to its own devices the site slowly regenerated over the years forming a rich habitat with a high level of chalk-based species. Such a large area of old chalk land habitat with so little recent disturbance makes the site of significance in Hampshire and it has been designated

41. Mid-Week and Weekend Breaks

we have recently launched a series of walking and cycling breaks in the Hampshire South Downs including the Hangers Way, St. Swithun's Way and the Itchen Valley...more information

40. Maps for the Shipwrights Way

We have produced Ordnance Survey maps for the new Shipwrights Way. Please note that the trail between Alice Holt and QECP has not been finalised
so the route shown is based on the latest information available.

39. Walks in 1066 Country

The 1066 area is one of the most beautiful in the South East, and absolutely steeped in history. Yet to many people 1066 simply means the Battle of Hastings, and they are quite unaware of the superb scenery throughout the area.

Through the Walk and Cycle Shop you can now purchase individual trails, trail bundles or complete books for walks in the 1066 Country...more information.

38. South Downs Way Planning Tool

We have created a new tool for planning your South Downs Way holiday. Calculate the number of days you need to cover the distance, the length of each day and off trail distances to accommodation. We have also included useful planning tips and a map...more information

37. 6 New Trails from The Sustainability Centre

3 walks and 3 cycle rides from the Sustainability Centre above East Meon have been produced, more information...

36. South Downs Way Holidays

We have launched a accommodation booking service for the South Downs Way. Let us take all the worry and hassle out of organising your trip. We find and book accommodation for you and arrange your bag transfers. The best thing about the service is that you can save up to 50% on your South Downs Way holidays, more information...

35. Snowdrop Annual Charity Walk

Snowdrop are once again holding the very popular Annual Charity Walk at Arundel Castle Park, Arundel on Sunday, 13 May 2012 from 2.00pm to 5.00pm.

There will be various stalls to browse and refreshments with homemade cakes. There is a very scenic 5 mile route or a shorter 1 mile one to choose from.

More information...

34. 1066 Circular Walks

A collection of 6 circular trails, all incorporating part of the 1066 route, available as a bundle or individual downloads...more information

33. Google Maps

We have added Google maps to trails that you create using Trail Designer. This means that when you create and save a trail, you will be able to see the route plotted on satellite images as well as the usual Ordnance survey map.

32. 1066 Country Walk

For the first time this historic 32 mile walk is broken down into 6 separate stages. Buy the 6 trails and maps individually (delivered by email) or purchase the book...more information

31. Curious and Obscure Roadside Attractions

If you're looking for a 25 foot shark sticking out of someone's house, a singing tree, secret nuclear bunkers, the world's biggest mirror ball or a giant man made of willow, the RoadsideUK iPhone app is where you can find them.

30. A stunning web site for finding activities in Dorset

We stumbled across the iCoast web site via Twitter and thought it is so impressive that we should tell readers about it...click here

29. South Downs Way charity challenge

Mud Island Adventures is a small group of outdoor fitness and adventure sports enthusiasts based in the Salisbury area.
On 7th Jan 2012 2 members of the group, Garrick McMullin and Marc Hughes, will be taking on the 100 mile South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne by mountain bike. The challenge is to complete the route in around 12 hours whatever the weather!

We are doing this in aid of forces charity Pilgrim Bandits (www.pilgrimbandits.com)who are dedicated to helping injured service men and women.

Further to that we are also riding to raise awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)and the devastating affect it can have on forces members and their families.

If you want to donate to this worthy cause you can do by going to www.bmycharity.com/mudislandadventures
If you'd like to show your support for what we are doing please follow us on twitter (@MIAdventures) or join us on facebook.
There will be updates on the day as well as progress reports on our training.

Thank you for reading.

Garrick.

28. Discounted tickets on cycle tours

Enjoy a fully guided cycle tour to some of England's finest attractions including Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle with Mind The Gap Tours...click here