Steyning & Upper Beeding

Steyning and Upper Beeding sit where the lower slopes of the South Downs meet the river plain. Steyning’s long high street and alleyways follow an old route through the chalk, while Upper Beeding occupies the banks of the River Adur with meadows and mill-ponds shaping the village edge. Surrounding downland is managed through a community-run conservation effort that protects chalk grassland and makes ridges and valleys accessible by public footpaths; those paths give direct access to strip fields and ancient boundary banks on the Downs.

The two settlements are linked by lanes, footpaths and a former railway alignment now used as a walking and cycling route, forming practical links to neighbouring hamlets. Local facilities include small shops, pubs, village halls and primary school provision, with community groups active in maintaining commons and green spaces. River corridors, grazing pasture and the drop to the chalk provide repeated changes in ground underfoot, so short circular walks move quickly from riverside meadow to open downland within a few minutes.