Walks you can reach from Aldrington by train

Highly recommended: Open chalk ridge, South Downs escarpment, wide well-marked paths, exposed hilltops, riverside estuary path and suburban road walking near finish.

Hilly: half on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

1 lunch spot: Columba's Kitchen (4h in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Buckingham Arms, or the Crabtree

Warnings: Very exposed in wind.

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Recommended

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

Highdown Gardens (30 mins in)

Cissbury Ring Hill Fort: The most historic hill on the South Downs (National Trust; 3h45 in).

2 lunch spots: the Black Horse (3h in), or the Gun Inn (3h in)

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Reverse direction: Railwalks.

Flat coastal promenade, shingle beach, sandy beach, grassy seafront paths and seaside resorts.

Warnings: Check tide timings.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

River path, wooded estate tracks, open downland, chalk hills, coastal plain and seaside seafront loop.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Historic city core and seafront, with a medieval church, Regency squares, the piers, the Royal Pavilion, the North Laine and parks.

The Royal Pavilion: George IV's exotic Indo-Saracenic seaside palace in central Brighton.

Brighton Palace Pier: A Victorian pleasure pier of rides and amusements over the sea.

Walk details: Travelog Lewes (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Seafront and quiet beaches past a garden centre and animal sanctuary, a protected watercourse and a boating-lake park, ending at a seaside town's estuary front.

Walk details: Travelog Lewes (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Similar walk: Railwalks.

Chalk South Downs crossing with steep climbs and descents, open downland, light woodland and a finish along the Brighton seafront.

Hilly: half on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

St John the Baptist Church, Clayton: Ancient village church with medieval wall paintings.

Stanmer Great Wood: Woodland on the edge of Stanmer Park.

Brighton Racecourse: Open downland racecourse above the city.

Brighton Palace Pier: A Victorian pleasure pier of rides and amusements over the sea.

Warnings: Steep climbs and descents with stepped sections; significant elevation gain. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Harbourside path, white chalk cliffs, clifftop and undercliff concrete paths, shingle beach and busy seaside promenade and boardwalk.

Warnings: Exposed in high wind.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Similar walk: Railwalks.

Hill and moorland paths and with substantial climbs.

Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

The Devil's Dyke: A legendary beauty spot on the South Downs (National Trust; 2h30 in).

Saddlescombe Farm and Newtimber Hill: A hidden hamlet nestled in the downs (National Trust; 3h15 in).

Warnings: Can be very muddy or boggy; Sections can be overgrown.

Walk details: Railwalks.

Flat coastal path, shingle beach, seafront promenade and seaside resort.

Warnings: Check tide timings.

Source: A shorter variant of Shoreham By Sea to Littlehampton (Saturday Walkers Club).

Open chalk ridge, South Downs escarpment, wide well-marked paths, exposed hilltops and suburban road walking into Lancing.

Warnings: Very exposed in wind.

Source: A shorter variant of Amberley to Shoreham By Sea or Lancing (Saturday Walkers Club).

River path, wooded estate tracks, open downland, chalk hills, coastal plain, seafront promenade and town streets.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Source: A longer variant of Arundel to Goring-by-Sea (Saturday Walkers Club).