Breathtaking winning photos of Dark Skies

A dazzling display of the Milky Way at Cuckmere Haven and a hauntingly beautiful shot of the legendary Chanctonbury Ring are among the winners of this year’s astrophotography competition.

This year broke a record since the contest’s inception in 2020, with more than 200 entries of incredible night-time shots from across the South Downs National Park.

The astrophotography winners are being announced as the National Park’s Dark Skies Festival kicks off this week, with an action-packed line-up of cosmic fun over the half-term holidays.

See all the winners of the astrophotography competition here. The photos will be going on display at Seven Sisters Country Park during the half-term holiday.

Find an event to go to for the Dark Skies Festival!

Hundreds have say on the Local Plan Review

Around 200 comments have so far been submitted to the National Park’s Local Plan Review and well over 500 people have attended consultation events.

An eight-week consultation is under way, inviting people to have their say on how and where development takes place. Three more consultation events are taking place this month. Find out more here.

Get involved and have your say

Not able to attend one of the consultation events? Join Katherine Stuart, the National Park's Planning Policy Lead, for a detailed explanation of the Local Plan Review.

A landscape brimming withromance

From Jane Austen to Tennyson, the beauty of the South Downs has never failed to inspire tales of romance and passion.

The golden chalk hills, immense views and twinkly star-studded skies are the perfect place to enjoy a romantic outing for Valentine’s Day.

Couples really are spoilt for choice in the South Downs. Apart from the fact that the landscape is stunningly serene and provides a romantic backdrop to any trip, there are so many things to do that cater for all interests and budgets. It could be as simple as romantic hilltop stroll along the South Downs Way or a cosy dinner by the fire at a pub, right up to an immersive wine-tasting experience, a relaxing spa break and how about a spot of wildlife watching?

Find out five ideas for a romantic trip here!

"It was an unforgettable day"

Nicola Garrard is a teacher at Minority Matters, a school which offers free maths and English classes to struggling families. The Fittleworth resident recently helped to organise a trip to the National Park for 17 children from London. Here she describes the day and its profound impact on the young people.

New museum to open in heart of town

A new museum opens its doors in Lewes this month and is inviting the community to get involved.

Thomas Paine: Legacy is opening a museum and Centre for Democracy at Bull House, which was Paine’s Lewes home from 1768 to 1774. By drawing attention to Paine’s vision, and Sussex’s role in fostering democratic thought, the Centre will use history to empower present and future citizens. The centre will include a museum, education programmes, creative workshops, events, exhibitions, and a community gathering space.

The new museum will be having a soft launch to gather community engagement before the official opening later this year. Bull House will open its doors from 20 to 22 February from 11am to 3pm. Entry is free. Learn more here.

Win annual pass to Winchester museums!

Nestled at the edge of the South Downs, Winchester holds an unrivalled position in the history of England.

Ancient capital of Alfred the Great’s Anglo-Saxon kingdom, powerhouse of medieval monarchs, resting place of Jane Austen and immortalised as Wintoncester in Hardy’s Wessex, the city and its heritage are unique.

Any visitor to Winchester looking to delve deeper into its history is spoilt for choice for places to visit, but the first port of call for most is The Great Hall. Once part of William the Conqueror’s Winchester Castle, in the late 13^th century Edward I commissioned what has become the building’s defining feature: the Round Table.

Captivated since his youth by chivalry, on a visit to Winchester in 1516, Henry VIII ordered ‘the repair of the Great Hall and the Round Table there’ with King Arthur modelled on the likeness of a young King Henry and the Tudor rose prominent in the centre. A short walk from The Great Hall is Westgate Museum, where a fine painted ceiling commissioned by Winchester College in anticipation of a visit by Henry’s eldest daughter, Mary I, and Philip of Spain on the occasion of their marriage in Winchester in 1554 is on display.

Meanwhile, City Museum tells the story of Winchester’s early origins as an Iron Age trading centre, the fifth largest city in Roman Britain and its Anglo-Saxon glory during the reign of Alfred the Great. In the year that we celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Hampshire’s most famous daughter, Jane Austen, on display are some of her few remaining personal possessions: two of her purses, embroidered by her own hand, and her personalised ivory spool case.

Hampshire Cultural Trust, which runs the venues, is offering a Historic Winchester Super Explorer family ticket to South Downs News subscribers. The ticket gives free entry for a family of up to five people to its Winchester heritage venues for a whole year.

People signing up to the newsletter during February will be automatically entered into the draw to win the ticket. Those who are already signed up can email “burnt cake” to newsletter@southdowns.gov.uk before midnight on 28 February. Sign up to the newsletter here and see competition T&Cs here.