This holiday covered part 2 of the South Downs Way from Steyning to Winchester.

On the first afternoon we all met up in the bar of the Arundel Park Hotel on the edge of Arundel. After an informal chat about the holiday, we had dinner together at the holiday - giving more time to start getting to know each other.

After breakfast we were taken by minibus to the start of our walk - where the South Downs Way crosses the Upper Beeding road, just by the River Adur.

Part One of the SDW had finished here earlier in the year. Two women were with us who had done part one, so we took their 'photo by the footpath sign they had last stood by at Easter!

Crossing the river we followed the path to a lane and up the hill outside Bramber.

We were soon enjoying wonderful views including those of the sea shimmering in the sunlight.

We continued up and around Steyning Bowl and along the broad grassy ridge of the SDW.

We could see the North Downs in one direction and large ships on the horizon in the other.

Soon we could also see Cissbury Ring, an Iron Age Hill fort.

We walked along chalky paths, past several ancient individual burial mounds, listening to skylarks until we got to Chanctonbury Ring, another hill fort, where we stopped for lunch.

Shortly after lunch we dropped down to cross the A24 just south of the village of Washington and then walked up Highden Hill, and then Barnsfarm Hill.

The ridge continued for several miles along a broad track.

Eventually we started downwards towards Amberley where the taxis were waiting to take us back to Arundel for another night at the Arundel Park Hotel.

That evening we walked into the town to check out the different restaurants and pubs.

Some us opted for the pub grub at The Red Lion and others had starters followed by desserts at a little restaurant called the Bay Tree.

This morning the taxis returned us to Amberley to pick up the SDW again.

The weather forecast was not good and it had rained heavily earlier, however initially it held off and we crossed the River Arun and made our way up a flinty path which was steep in places with views back to Amberley.

The path dropped and then levelled out. We saw little flocks of fieldfares, yellowhammers and lots of pheasant.

It started to rain as we climbed up to Bignor Hill, passing 'Toby's Stone', a memorial horse-mounting block and the grassy mounds of a Neolithic camp before arriving at a large 'Latin' signpost.

Just past this we joined a Roman road originally constructed to join Chichester with London.

We sheltered under some trees for lunch.

The rain continued as we walked up Littleton Down, passing just to the east of the highest point on this section of the downs.

The Way levelled out along Grafton Downs and for the next few miles we walked mainly under trees, past a group of Bronze Age burial mounds and then down the scarp slope towards Cocking.

A final slippery chalk path led us into Cocking where we were pleased to find the minibus waiting to take back to the hotel and dry clothes!

That evening we ate in restaurants in Arundel, some returning to the Bay Tree and others trying out the tandoori.

This morning we sadly waved goodbye at the station to one of our group who had to pull out of the walk due to very bad blister.

It was raining heavily when we started our walk towards Buriton. Several sections of the lane were flooded - we bravely waded through!

We then followed the Way steeply up Cocking Down and along a grassy track for several miles.

The weather was terrible with strong wind and rain, and there were very few photo opportunities, until eventually, at Didling Hill it lightened and the mist cleared giving us some tantilising views of what lay below.

The rain got heavier again as we passed Monkton House and we were grateful for the sections through woods.

We ate a swift, and soggy, sandwich under dripping trees and continued past the hill fort on Beacon Hill.

Not long after this the rain finally stopped, and later we found a series of short wooden posts to sit on and eat the rest of our lunch.

We then walked along a broad flinty farm track called Forty Acre Track, and along a small lane followed by another track.

By this time the sun was out and made all the gentle ups and downs very pleasant.

Following a path down across the railway track we arrived in Buriton, our new 'home' for the night.

Our luggage had arrived ahead of us and left at the placeswere staying at in Buriton - the Master Robert Inn and a B&B - so we headed for hot baths and showers, and more dry clothes!

We met later that evening at the Master Robert Inn for a drink followed by dinner.

We gathered back at the Inn in the lovely morning sunshine, and set back off up the hill.

At the top of the road we turned off and continued up, then down through the Queen Elizabeth Country Park with its many beautiful beech trees.

At the bottom of the trail we stopped at the Visitor's Centre for early refreshments.

From there, a signpost indicated that Exton, our goal was 10.5miles away so we set off up the hill to the top of Buster Hill.

From the trig point the views were stretched for miles.

The Way levelled out as we passed Tegdown Hill and then Hyden Hill.

We stopped for lunch in a small copse, looking out over East Meon. Some women bagged the bench in the sun.

Continuing along the Way, we passed the Sustainability Centre (with toilets!) and then walked down a pretty sunken lane to Coombe Cross, where we continued ahead for half a mile before turning west along a farm track.

The views stretched out behind us as we climbed Old Winchester Hill.

After contouring around the top we reached the site of an Iron Age Hill fort with spectacular ramparts and burial mounds.

We sat in the sun on top of an unusual 'pond' mound - where people were buried from the top rather than having the earth built up over them.

We then walked down in to Exton, crossing chalk streams with wild watercress growing.

There we were picked up and taken to The Uplands Park Hotel, our last bed for the holiday.

That evening we looked at different women's photos of the holiday on the laptop, ate a great dinner and played pool.

Because of a mix up over the finishing time of today's walk several women decided not to join the walk and to spend sometime in Winchester.

We bade farewell to them at the hotel and were driven back to Exton to finish the SDW.

We made an early start and set off in the beautiful morning sun with the dew still fresh on the grass.

We climbed steeply up Beacon Hill with magnificent views over the Meon Valley, and then walked along a flinty track enclosed by hawthorn hedges covered in red berries to Wind Farm.

After a short section along a lane the trail dropped and then rose steadily up through farmland with rolling downland to the northeast.

We passed two mares with their foals.

We stopped in the sun, although the breeze had an autumn chill, for a late elevenses and some pre-emptive footcare, before continuing along Gander Down and the King's Way.

Just after a lovely little beech wood we stopped at the edge of a maize field on Cheesefoot Head for lunch.

Just after lunch we passed the top of Telegraph Hill and were rewarded with wonderful views over Winchester - our goal was in sight!

The next few miles followed little lanes and field edges, until we crossed high over the M3 to arrive at the edge of the town.

We took photos next to the signpost recording the 99mile trip from Eastbourne, and the outstanding mile to Winchester Town centre.

We continued on to the train station where the minibus was waiting with our luggage