🎃FREE HALLOWEEN HIKE – Where the Dead Still Lie: Kingley Vale & Devil’s Humps☠️

Join us this Halloween, Saturday 31 October 2026, for a hike that feels less like a normal walk and more like stepping into an old story. We’ll head through quiet woodland and open South Downs countryside before entering Kingley Vale — a place of ancient yew trees, deep shadows and legends that have gathered around the landscape for centuries. As the miles pass, the route becomes stranger. Ahead of us lie the Devil’s Humps — four prehistoric Bronze Age burial mounds, also known as the King’s Graves. Thousands of years ago, people were buried beneath these hills. Later generations gave them darker names, surrounded them with stories of warriors and ancient battles, and left us to wonder how much of the past still lingers in places like this. By late October, autumn leaves will cover the ground, the light will begin to fade earlier, and the old yew woodland should feel very different from an ordinary daytime walk. Was it just the wind in the trees? Was that movement on the path ahead? And why do some ancient places still feel as though they are holding onto something? One final warning: if you feel a tap on your back while hiking through the ancient yews, don’t turn around too quickly — just make sure whoever is behind you actually signed up for the hike. 🎃☠️ This will be a 15-mile Halloween journey through ancient woodland, prehistoric graves, open Downs and unsettling folklore. Come for the hike. Stay for the story. And when we finally reach the Devil’s Humps, perhaps we’ll understand why the name has survived for so long. And after surviving the ancient yews, the King’s Graves and the Devil’s Humps, finish with an optional pub stop for food, drinks and a well-earned Halloween social. 📍 EVENT DETAILS 📅 Saturday, 31 October 2026 – Halloween 🚉 Start & finish: Outside Rowlands Castle Railway Station (PO9 6BP) 🕚 Meeting time: 11:00am 🥾 Hike starts: Sharp at 11:15am 🥾 Distance: Approx. 15 miles ⬆️ Total ascent: Approx. 600 metres — as I always say, if there is a will, there is a way! 🔄 Route: Circular 💪 Difficulty: Moderate to challenging 🌳 Terrain: Woodland, countryside paths, South Downs tracks, hills, open downland, and some road walking 👻 THE HALLOWEEN STORY Deep within Kingley Vale stand remarkable ancient yew trees, their twisted trunks and dense branches creating one of the most atmospheric woodland landscapes in the South Downs. Above the vale lie the Devil’s Humps — four prehistoric Bronze Age burial mounds dating back several thousand years. They are also known as the King’s Graves, and over the centuries the surrounding landscape has gathered stories of ancient warriors, battles and the dead buried beneath the Downs. Whether you believe the legends or not, there is something undeniably fitting about approaching these ancient graves through old woodland on Halloween itself. The history is real. The legends came later. The atmosphere, we’ll discover for ourselves. 🌟 ROUTE HIGHLIGHTS 🌲 Stansted Forest 🌳 Extensive woodland trails 🏞️ South Downs countryside 🌿 Kingley Vale National Nature Reserve 🌳 Ancient yew woodland ☠️ Devil’s Humps / King’s Graves ⚱️ Prehistoric Bronze Age burial barrows ⛰️ Elevated South Downs scenery 🌾 Open countryside around Stoughton ✈️ A memorial connected with a Polish wartime fighter pilot 🌲 Return through the woodland towards Rowlands Castle It should be a wonderfully varied walk — long stretches through woodland followed by open hills, historic landscapes and the strange atmosphere of Kingley Vale itself. 🌙 HALLOWEEN ATMOSPHERE This isn't going to be a staged horror attraction. The idea is to let the landscape, history and autumn evening create the atmosphere naturally. If you would like to add to the occasion, feel free to wear a small Halloween accessory — nothing that interferes with safe walking. And bring a torch or headtorch. By the end of October the evenings draw in quickly, and depending on our progress, we may experience part of the later walk around dusk. 💫 A LITTLE HALLOWEEN THOUGHT Thousands of years before us, people stood on these same hills, buried their dead here and left behind monuments whose stories have partly disappeared into time. Perhaps that is what makes old landscapes fascinating. The people disappear. The stories change. But sometimes the hills remember. And on Halloween, we’ll go and walk among them. 🚶 GROUP WALKING & COHESION Please stay with or behind the hike leader and do not walk ahead. This helps keep the group together, supports group cohesion, and reduces the risk of anyone becoming separated or taking the wrong route. Please ensure you can see the group ahead and remain mindful of those behind you. 🎒 WHAT TO BRING 🥾 Proper hiking boots or suitable walking shoes 🥪 Packed lunch and snacks 💧 At least 2 litres of water 🧥 Waterproof jacket and suitable layers 🔦 Torch/headtorch – strongly recommended for this hike 🎃 Optional Halloween accessory 💊 Any personal medication you may require 💪 And your best Devil’s Humps-conquering attitude Late October conditions can mean mud, wet leaves and slippery paths, so please come appropriately equipped. ✅ RSVP REQUIRED You must be signed up for this specific Meetup event before attending. Please do not simply turn up without an RSVP. This is a free group and there is no charge to register for the hike. Anyone arriving without being registered may be asked to leave. ⏰ END TIME Please note: The stated end time is normally a latest expected finish time rather than an exact finish time. I often finish hikes earlier, but allow extra time to be on the safe side because completion depends on group dynamics, walking conditions, breaks and how everyone is doing on the day. ⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTES Group Rules: Please read the group's About Us section before attending. This is approximately 15 miles with approx., 600 metres of cumulative ascent, so please make sure you are comfortable with the distance and hills. Wildlife & countryside: Please respect livestock, wildlife, landowners and the environment throughout the hike. Safety Reminder: This is a voluntary activity, and participants are responsible for their own safety and for respecting fellow walkers, wildlife, and the environment. Please note that no risk or service is inferred or accepted by the organizer. The route may be changed if required because of weather, path conditions, closures or other circumstances and some road walking maybe included. 🎃 INTO THE VALE... Ancient trees. Prehistoric graves. Devil’s Humps. Autumn woods. Fifteen miles of South Downs countryside — on Halloween itself. Come and join us for something a little different this Halloween. 👻🥾 📱 For any issues on the day, you can reach me via WhatsApp at 07830374629. 🚗 LIFT FROM THREE BRIDGES I’ll be driving from Three Bridges Station on the morning of the hike and may have a limited number of spaces available for anyone who needs a lift to Rowlands Castle Station. If you would like a lift, please message me on WhatsApp in advance to arrange it. As car spaces are limited, preference will be given to members who have attended my hikes before.