Serpent Trail Section 6 Midhurst to Petersfield

Midhurst Sand Quarry

March really was a glorious month this year and in complete contrast to the cold one of 2013.  As is traditional for my birthday I had the day off work and the rare treat these days of having a day’s walking to myself.  I lined up the completion of The Serpent Trail for my outing, which seemed appropriate as I had done an earlier section on my last birthday.

Midhurst Common

It was a grey start but with the promise of a much better day ahead, a phenomenon that seems to be quite familiar on these Serpent Trail walks.  I drove over to Petersfield and parked by Heath Pond, a largish lake on the edge of town.  This was quite a useful spot to park as it was both free of charge and at the end of my walk.  I got the bus over to Midhurst, getting the public transport part out of the way first as the frequency of service is two hourly and I didn’t fancy trying to race for it later in the day.

Woolmer Bridge

At Midhurst I got off at the southern end of town and retraced my steps back to the old station, which surprisingly still exists even though a train hasn’t called there in over 60 years!  Just past the station I picked up the Serpent Trail once again and headed out over Midhurst Common.  I passed by an old sand quarry, looking rather forlorn now that its working life is over and nature is reclaiming the space.  There was a rather half hearted looking fence supposedly protecting it but it was so tumbledown that I didn’t even need to climb over it to take a closer look at the quarry pond left behind.  I imagine that much of the sand would have been transported away by rail and a little further along I passed the broken remains of that former transport route again.  It wouldn’t be the last time today…

Pussy Willow

As I climbed up through Midhurst Common the pastie that I had bought in Petersfield was calling to me, while the day was also warming up so I killed two birds with one stone and rested for a while at the top of the hill.  As I sat and watched the world for a while I mused on what changes between February and March and decided that it is definitely birdsong.  I think that birds must be sensitive to the amount of daylight and warmth for all around me the trees were alive with the tunes of different woodland birds trying to attract attention over the background noise of all the others.

Peacock Butterfly

The path dog legged around the planted forests of Midhurst Common taking advantage of fire breaks until reaching Woolmer Bridge.  This would once have been crossed by the main A272, but like so many on that route it has been by-passed on account of being too narrow.  Now it seems like a bridge without a cause as the main road takes a course to the north on a rather brutish looking embankment.  For awhile at least the traffic sounds of the road rather bothered me and got in the way of my enjoyment of the normal countryside sounds.

Iping Common

The next couple of miles were possibly the highlight of the day as I crossed Stedham and then Iping Commons.  All around me were signs of spring, although not the same signs that I had seen on the Canal a few days previously.  Now I was seeing pussy willow, lots of blue and great tits but almost no flowers.  I was particularly pleased to see my first peacock butterfly of the season and was able to get really close to take a good look.  Annoyingly though my encounter was cut short by a loud barking behind me as a dog walker and her unruly dog approached.  I cursed as I walked on, trying to stay ahead of her as she was clearly walking a lot more slowly than me.  The dog bothered me for a while and the walker made some half hearted attempts to bring the animal under control.  I so hate these types of dog walker and dogs – they are incredibly annoying.

Camellia

At the other end of Iping Common I was treated to some vibrant colour as I passed by a garden resplendent with camellias in full bloom.  I had to enjoy it while I could for the walk took a decided turn for the worse as I reached the road junction just beyond.  For some reason the planners of the walk thought it would be a good idea to route the Serpent Trail along a stretch of road more than two miles long through the village of Dumpford and on to Nyewood where I reunited with a path that I had followed on the Sussex Border Path a couple of years ago.  The walk along the road wasn’t all bad though – some of the houses alongside had some lovely gardens to admire and the views out across the Downs were lovely too.

Apple Blossom

Eventually I came into Nyewood village on a very different type of day to the last time I was here.  Then it was a hot and sultry August morning, while today was mid March with little foliage on the trees and a decided nip in the air still.  When I crossed the old railway once again I was able to see far more than I had on my last visit as the cutting in which the old station is sited was almost completely clear of vegetation.  Time hasn’t treated this old line very well though – there is no way that it could realistically be opened again even if there was a political will to do so.  The trackbed has some serious puddles and trees growing along the line of where the track would once have been.  The station is still in good condition though and probably could still fulfil the role if needed.

Spring Colour

It felt strange retracing my steps from that August day a couple of years back although today I was pleased that I could cut off the corner through West Harting.  I soon reached the farm that I remembered with all the old farm equipment and trucks that had been left to rot.  In fact the main truck that had caught my attention that day definitely seemed to be far worse than I remembered it.  I lingered for as long as I dared without drawing attention to myself before heading onward across West Heath Common.  The fragments of heathland were definitely getting further apart now and each one seemed a little smaller than before.

Abandoned Truck

I soon met up with the old railway once again by a removed bridge.  The owners of the land are obviously a bit fed up with people trying to retrace the route as there were an unusual number of signs making it plain that the old trackbed was not the footpath.  In fact my path alongside was possibly more interesting as it followed the normal lay of the land rather than that of the railway and I was soon high above what must have been quite an impressive cutting when it was built.  Oddly the path of the railway was soon completely obliterated as it left the cutting – all traces of the line had been completely absorbed into the agricultural land.  I could make out a rather intriguing looking hangar like building on my left – it looked like some kind of hobbyist shop although I couldn’t get a clear look at it.  On my right the view was dominated by blossom rich orchards.

Durford Bridge

When I reached the road I was disappointed to have to walk some more distance along tarmac.  I did get to walk across a rather stately old bridge though and past a bank that was smothered in newly flowering celandines so I couldn’t complain too much.  Before I reached the A272 the path dived between some houses and back out across fields for the last countryside section before reaching Petersfield.  I got a pleasant surprise passing by Durford Abbey Farm – the remnants of the old Abbey could still be made out, although mostly in the form of a moat rather than anything more substantial.  The abbey itself was finally killed off by Henry VIII during the dissolution but in truth it had been mostly a wreck for some time before that as most of the community had succumbed to Black Death over 150 years earlier and the old place had never really recovered.

Celandine Bank

As I headed in towards Petersfield the air was full of a nasty niff and initially I suspected the sewage works that I had passed.  However it soon became clear that it was in fact a local farmer who was muck spreading the fields.  It was positively foul & I was very glad that I would be heading home later that day and not having to put up with the smell.

Out On The Pull

I made my last rendezvous with the old railway line before entering the built up area of Petersfield.  If I hadn’t known it was there I’m not sure I would have even noticed as all that was left was a fragment of retaining wall from an old bridge.  Onward and into Petersfield the line has been almost completely subsumed by housing developments.  My route took me along a residential road before I finally reached the last fragment of heathland on the edge of town, the appropriately named Heath Common.  By now I was looking forward to a cup of tea and was delighted that the café alongside Heath Pond was open.  I took full advantage and got me a brew and sat and watched the antics of the waterfowl on the pond.  I couldn’t think of a better way to end my day :)

Heath Pond

If I’m honest this wasn’t the most exciting day’s walking and I can safely say that this was the least exciting section of the Trail.  In some parts it felt as if it should have stopped in Midhurst, but there are a few highlights along the way.  Iping and Stedham Commons are definitely worth a visit in their own right and Heath Pond at the end was absolutely delightful.  I must think about that as a possible picnic spot in the future.  I did enjoy this trail as a whole, although not perhaps as much as I thought I would.  Heathland can get a bit monotonous at times and it is probably wise to consider carefully when you plan to do the walk.  Maybe heather time is best?

The Serpent Trail Section 5 Petworth to Midhurst

Setting Off From Petworth

After all the excitement of the mascots I was keen to get back to some real walking and progress along one of my outstanding projects.  Since September is now fully underway I thought that a good early autumn route might be an exploration of the next stage of the Serpent Trail.  Since it was a Monday I was in a position where it was possible to complete the return leg from Midhurst back to Petworth by bus; something that isn’t possible on a Sunday, which is my normal walking day.

Lost Geese

I parked up in Petworth at the free car park that has become my friend for the Serpent Trail and made my way back along the track that I had used six months earlier on my last outing on the trail.  How times have changed since that outing.  Gone were the early spring buds and the daffodils to be replaced by rosehips and blackberries.  The fields had largely been harvested now and most were left as stubble, the ploughing still a week or two away.  The start of the day was a grey one, although every now and again I got glimpses of sun behind the clouds suggesting that the weather forecast of a fine day might come to pass if I were patient.

Plump and Ripe Blackberries

Everywhere around me were signs of the end of the summer and perhaps the most telling were the large flocks of geese honking as they passed overhead to possibly head for warmer climes.  In fact I did think that one group had a faulty satnav as they wheeled around from field to field, seemingly not knowing where they were going!  I crossed the River Rother and on the lane that led past Kilsham Farm I admired the huge crop of blackberries that were seemingly untouched by foragers.  I’m not even sure that the birds were paying much attention to them.  I was somewhat thankful that I had forgotten my containers for I probably would still be there now, so heavy was the crop.

Birch Woods

I passed by Petworth Station once again, thinking how lovely it would be to stay there one night (it’s a luxury hotel these days).  I walked a short way along the busy A285, disappearing into the woods that would be a feature of the day by a petrol station now turned farm shop.  As I headed along the path I could hear lots of machinery as on the other side of the fence but out of sight is the rather unusual instance of a still working sand quarry at Duncton.  I never did get to see any of the activity but fortunately the sound soon faded as I headed further into the woods.

Early Flowering Gorse

At the first opportunity I stopped and had my sandwiches for lunch and could see that the forest floor was already starting to become peppered with fungi, mostly an orange variety that I’m not expert enough to know, but may have been a common rustgill.  The fungi were perhaps the best feature of this section of the path, for the weather continued to be relentless grey and the woodland through Duncton Common was quite dense, not allowing much in the way of any view to the surrounding countryside.  Nonetheless, being a big fan of this type of countryside I was quite happy to plod along and enjoy the earthy smells of the pine forest.

Belted Galloway

I crossed a small road by a picnic area, passing by the first people I had seen since setting out from Petworth some considerable time earlier.  They looked like they were packing up a large number of dogs in the back of their van and I was rather relieved to have missed them.  On the other side of the road I was pleased that the countryside was a little more open for a time and ahead of me I could see the line of the Downs again, much as I had done on the last outing near Fittleworth.  I was rather surprised to see that gorse was already flowering but disappointed to see that I had largely missed the heather, with only the hardiest flowers still showing.  On the heathland were a small herd of Belted Galloway cattle and I felt for sure that I must be on National Trust land, for I know this to be a breed favoured by the Trust.

Dereliction in the Woods

Strangely for a sandy heathland I had to dodge quite a few puddles on this little stretch and yet the water was clearly permanent enough to have attracted the attention of quite a few dragonflies.  I watched them flit about for awhile, thinking I might be lucky enough to get a picture but sadly it didn’t happen.  I negotiated my way along what was a fairly poor stretch of path and was quite relieved to wind up on the road I had previously crossed.  I got my pace going again when on the road but fortunately it was fairly short lived and I dog legged back around a deserted house and back into the trees once again.

Busy Forest Floor

Graffham Common seemed more artificial in its planting than some of the other commons I had seen earlier in the day and it was criss-crossed with firebreaks, suggesting that this was a plantation and not a heathland left to its own devices.  Yet it was no less enjoyable for all that and the fungi continued to provide the best interest.   I came out by the huge white Millborough House, impressive but I don’t think of any great antiquity (unless anyone can tell me otherwise?).  It was a short trudge along another road before disappearing into the woodland once again.  In fact the pattern of this whole day was one of zig-zagging between stretches of heathland.

Sun Out!

As I heade3d along through the next stretch of heathland though the moment arrived that I had been waiting for all day, the first shaft of sunshine penetrating through the clouds.  Amazingly within half an hour the cloud had completely melted away and I was left with glorious blue skies and warm sunshine, to the point that I had to disrobe for I was far too hot!  The sunshine made all the difference though – it seemed to transform the countryside and woods from a drab dark green landscape into a vibrant one almost immediately!

Ambersham Common

With the sun out I had a spring in my step and my pace quickened considerably.  I skipped from heathland to heathland, enjoying how the berries and leaves were transformed by the late September rays.  I even saw some deer and a lizard that scurried away as I crossed Ambersham Common.  I was by now looking consciously at the time for I wanted to try and avoid a long wait for a bus at Midhurst.  Perhaps luckily for me although the onward countryside was beautiful there was no outstanding things to look at along the way that might have detained me.  I did pause briefly at the former railway bridge that crossed over the railway that had once joined Midhurst and Petworth and would have made a fine way to travel between the two small towns.  Sadly no trains have passed along here for nearly 60 years, so it is perhaps something of a miracle that any of it remains.  My peace was shattered by a young woman riding a horse here who seemed to be telling the whole world about her social life down a mobile phone.  Discretion was clearly not her strong point!

New Pond, Midhurst

I soon left the heathlands and pine forests near Cocking Causeway and had rather more road walking than I would like.  I had decided to go for broke and try and complete the day’s walking without taking a short cut and make the bus, which made for a rather tough couple of miles walking.  In truth I probably should have slowed down a bit, but my quick pace for once paid off, for I did make the bus in Midhurst, just!  The driver got in the vehicle after his cigarette break just as I arrived.  It was a tough slog to get there but I was relieved for once that it worked out.  Did I miss much as a result?  Maybe the journey was a bit more fleeting than I would have liked but it did mean that I got some better exercise & that is probably no bad thing!

The Serpent Trail Section 4 Petworth and Fittleworth

Leconfield Hall

It’s been a long winter & regular readers of this blog must have wondered where I have got to.  Since the last outing on the Serpent Trail I have been thwarted by a combination of bad weather, lack of motivation and then a broken arm.  Now thankfully all these things seem to be behind me and I can think about the spring season and hopefully getting some mileage under my belt quite quickly.  It seemed appropriate to start out where I had left off last time and move on to the next stage of the Serpent Trail.

Shimmings Valley

This was the occasion of my birthday, giving me a bonus day during the week to go walking.  I always like going midweek since I rarely meet anyone else on my travels and can enjoy the trail that much more.  The Serpent Trail does a dog-leg around Petworth as it turns to head back westwards at Fittleworth.  This provided an opportunity to do a loop walk and allow extra time on the trail rather than wait for public transport.

Turnstile

I was a cloudy day at the beginning of my walk but there were definitely hints of sunshine and I got lucky for a brief spell as I headed through the town centre of Petworth.  Small but perfectly formed, Petworth is a delightful place still full of shops and with an air of affluence about it.  I soon realised though that most of the remaining shops are selling antiques, trinkets and tea/ cake.  It is certainly a place geared up for tourists and yet it has managed to retain its charm.

Breakfast with a View

I headed along the High Street and past the small cottage museum, set up in the same way that a past resident would have had it back in the day.  Sadly at this early time so despite clean boots still I was denied a snoop around.  Maybe next time?  The path headed out of town past houses full of character, with scarcely a bad looking one among them.  My moment of brief sunshine passed sadly and the clouds came back over for the time that I headed past the Catholic Church and out of town entirely.

Goanah Lodges

The path out of town was protected by a small turnstile.  When I first encountered it I wondered whether it would actually turn and to my amazement it did, very easily!  I walked along the back of some houses before turning to gaze across a small valley and the next mile of so of walking.  It looked green but when I got down into the valley I soon realised that the veneer of grass was disguising a significant mud problem.  I squelched my way across the field and up the hill opposite, finding it very tough going as I did so.  Despite the blue sky and hints of sunshine above I discovered that very little had changed terrain wise underfoot since my last outing in November!

Flexham Park

At the top I felt hot and bothered already and hoped to goodness that the remaining 12 miles of my walk wouldn’t be like that.  A group of horses were waiting for me at the top, looking rather bemused at a red and puffed out looking bloke with no food for them…

Bedham Church

For me though the views from this point were a decent reward for an early climb.  In fact it would be pretty much my only climb of the day surprisingly so perhaps it was good to get it out of the way so soon into the day.  The views back to Petworth were pretty special, with the church tower of Petworth Housedominating the scene.  Off in the distance were the brooding shadows of the South Downs, but perhaps what interested me more was the fact that if I looked way off into the distance in the other direction I could also see the North Downs, I am guessing somewhere near Guildford.  Having drunk in the views I headed into the woods, crossing first through Brinkshole Heath and then Flexham Park.  

Catkins

In the first part of the woodland I passed a couple of unusual looking lodge houses.  When I looked them up on my return home I discovered that this was intended to be an eastern gateway to the Petworth Estate.  However, although the lodges were built the driveway across the valley to the main house never materialised.  One theory suggests that the valley to be crossed (the one I did) was just too fertile to be left uncultivated and so it remained as farmland.

Weather Vane

Between the two tracts of woodland was the rather busy road of Kingspit Lane.  It was a pretty unpleasant few hundred metres of walking and a glance at the map suggested that it could be unnecessary if only some of the forest tracks could become public rights of way.  I was most glad to leave the road and head down into Flexham Park.  By now the sun was making more of a concerted effort to shine and I soon had my outermost garment off and stowed away in the rucsac.  The path ahead was straight and true for quite awhile.  I find this slightly disconcerting as it gives an indication of how far you have to walk!  All through the woodland though the sun was shining off the sliver-grey trunks of the coppiced trees and there was definitely a bit more strength in the rays than we have been used to of late.

Fittleworth Wood

I eventually reached a road and turned to follow that for a bit.  Even though the tracks through the woods had been reasonably solid it was a relief not to have to battle the mud for a short while.  The road wound around the woodland for a few bends until I suddenly came upon the most astonishing sight.  Despite living less than 20 miles away from this spot I came upon a derelict and ruined church that I had never bfore heard of let alone visited.  Its location was slightly odd, down in a dell below the level of the road such that it would be very likely not seen by passing motorists.  I climbed down the slope to have a poke around the old place as it was completely open for inspection.

Fittleworth Church Gate

I discovered that this was Bedham Churchand when I looked its history up I found that Wikipedia described it thus “The small schoolhouse was built by local landowners and the Church of England to provide elementary education for children from the hamlet and surrounding area. Built in the style of a chapel it doubled up as the church on Sundays. The single room was divided by a curtain for infants and senior classes. At the end of the school week the chairs were turned to face the east and ink pots removed from the desks. In the 1930s services would be held there once or twice a month by the Rector of Fittleworth, with one of the local ladies playing the harmonium.”

Fittleworth Church

Whoever owns it now, some effort is going into ensuring that it doesn’t deteriorate any more.  The bell tower is being propped by a couple of RSJs and the walls look like they have had some work to maintain their integrity.  The roof is missing though, so any interior detail is no longer in situ.  All that remains is the dedication plaque, confirming the date of completion in 1860.

Fittleworth Daffodils

I pushed on, heading out of the woods and across a ploughed field that was luckily not to difficult to walk across.  At the other end I was greeted by a number of cut back trees that were sporting catkins.  I couldn’t help thinking that these were a bit late and that we should be seeing proper buds by now.  I passed a small farm that had obviously had a lot of money spent on it to change its purpose to residential units, possibly even holiday lets.  I found myself on another road just beyond and as I got there I spooked a couple of deer browsing by the side.  They ran off at astonishing speed leaving me a bit bewildered.  I turned off once again onto a track that rather resembled an old road, which of course is what it could well have been.  This led me down into the small village of Fittleworth, which I reached around noon.  

Hesworth Common

By now the sun was out and the day was turning out to be quite warm.  I was pleased that the sun had come out for there were sounds of playing children in the local school playground and even a lawnmower in the distance.  For me these were sounds that suggested that at least most of the long dark days of winter were behind us.  I pitched up at the church and found myself a nice sunny spot in which to have my lunch.  Sadly my boots were caked in mud and although I would have liked to, I thought better of going inside the church itself.

The Swan at Fittleworth

Once lunch was consumed I headed up onto Hesworth Common and found the second fantastic view of the day this time purely southwards along the line of the South Downs.  This is a place I had never previously been to and clearly I have missed out.  The path wound around the common down to Lower Fittleworthwhere I once again picked up the road I had crossed at the church.  I looked at the Swan pub, with its unusual pub sign straddling the road and thought how inviting it looked.  With a fully tummy though I smugly saw that it wasn’t serving food that day so my reason for going inside had been stymied on two counts!

Former Fittleworth Station

I headed south along the road, glad of the pavement that was provided.  I crossed the River Rother, very swollen and full of water despite the fact that most of the nearby fields were also flooded.  It did make me wonder whether my later route might need to be adjusted.  Further down the road and I crossed the former Pulborough to Midhurst railway line, now nothing more than a distant memory having closed as long ago as 1955.  Despite that Fittleworth station was still intact and lovingly restored as someone’s home.  Its distance from the village it served surely being a factor in the closure of the line though.

Sutton Common House

If I’m honest the next few miles were rather forgettable.  I turned off the road and headed across more common land.  This is probably not the best time of year to cross this kind of landscape. The heather was brown and grey, completely devoid in colour and there were surprisingly few gorse bushes to brighten up proceedings.  Added to that the sun had gone in once again and with it took all the colour out of the landscape.  What interesting features there were seemed to be provided mostly by bodies of water, from puddles to much larger lakes.  Each in turn showed off some great reflections, courtesy of the trees and bushes all around and the remarkably still conditions at ground level.  I also passed a small house with some very outsized chimneys at Sutton Common and guessed that maybe this was a school house once?

Reflections

The last of the ponds I reached was Chingford Pond and by now the day had turned into a grey and bleak looking one.  Thoughts of pictures were few and far between as a result yet the walking was pleasant enough.  I crossed the dam at the end of the pond and headed through an area of very posh looking housing.  I am guessing they were granted planning permission to replace earlier buildings associated with the nearby Burton Park.  Somehow though this estate looked rather incongruous in the landscape – it surely would have suited a suburb of Horsham or Chichester rather than here.

Puddle Art

The path continued around the rather bleaker end of Burton Park, with glimpses of the main house some distance to the south.  Briefly I had joined forces with the West Sussex Literary Trail, surely a future project?  As I wandered up towards Duncton Common the clouds suddenly opened and for a few minutes I was confronted with a hail shower.  Yet, this seemed to encourage the clouds to part once again and the sun came back!  At Duncton Common I finally said goodbye to the Serpent Trail for today and headed along the A285 briefly back towards Petworth.  It was not a pleasant walk, especially as I approached Petworth Station, the next stop along the same line that I had crossed at Fittleworth.  This was even further from the place it was supposed to serve and looking at the road I cannot imagine many passengers wanting to make the long walk along it to catch the train when a bus would have surely been far easier.  Happily the station has survived and is now a very well appointed country house hotel with some of the accommodation provided in Pullman Carriages parked in where the platforms would once have been.

Petworth Station

I needn't have worried about changing my onward route into Petworth. I initially thought I might have to follow the main road but when I saw how scary a prospect this would be I headed along the track I had originally intended.  This provided a quiet and safe route back to the town and even had the extra feature of a well appointed footbridge across the River Rother, which rather defied my expectations of a wet walk!

Rother Bridge

I ended up back at Petworth around 3pm, approximately 5 hours after starting out.  Not too shabby considering I ambled a lot of the day and had a leisurely lunch.  It felt really good to be out and getting my legs working again.  Thankfully, weather willing, I shouldn’t have too long to wait until the next one. Certainly not 4 months + anyway!

The Serpent Trail Section 3 Woolbeding Common to Petworth

Easebourne Priory

In the period that had elapsed between my last walk and this one (12 days), the season had suddenly changed from autumn to winter.  It’s amazing how a couple of sharp frosts can hasten the change of seasons!  I was lucky enough to have a weekday available for this walk and so I took the opportunity to do the next section of the Serpent Trail between Woolbeding Common and Petworth.  This part isn’t possible to do on a Sunday since there is no bus service between Petworth and Easebourne.

Old Buddington

I found a nice free car park in Petworth and caught the bus for the short journey over to Easebourne.  This is about 3 miles from Woolbeding Common but the nearest I could realistically get to the start of the walk.  It also enabled me to do a more satisfying length of the trail without finding a looping route.  It was a very cold and fresh start to the day although I had a feeling it would warm up sufficiently that it would be soft going later.  I got a few provisions from the village store in Easebourne before setting off across the fields from the village to head up onto the sandy commons.

Festive Season

Once away from the main roads the countryside was eerily quiet, as it generally is during the winter months.  Birdsong seems to cease and woodlands in particular seem very strange places without tweeting birds.  I stomped across a few fields and was immediately struck by the yellow window frames of the surrounding farm housing.  I guessed that this signified ownership by the nearby Cowdray Estate and found later via an internet search that this is indeed the case.  Many of the houses in question were pretty old, some dating back as far as the 1600s.

Hollist Common

I plodded steadily uphill towards the Common eventually coming to thick woodland where my navigation skills would be tested to the limit.  Some parts of the woods were being forested while there was also evidence of some coppicing going on, quite typical of this part of the County.  As I meandered through the woods I came upon a huge building that used to be King Edward VII Hospital from its opening in 1903 until closure 100 years later.  It is still complete but is housing now rather than the sanatorium it once was.  The path steered a course along the southern perimeter, giving me scant opportunity to inspect in more detail.

Former King Edward VII Hospital

I eventually came out on the Common and it was a relief to have some open countryside for a short while.  The Common was by now a mixture of brown tones, with the only bits of green the odd patch of grass and the holly bushes.  I was rather pleasantly surprised to find a portaloo installed alongside the path and made use of it before continuing.  Having ‘facilities’ is a rarity deep in the countryside and are always to be welcomed!

Lord of the Forest

I crossed what felt like the perimeter of the Common and regained the Serpent Trail eventually, although it wasn’t easy to relate what was on my map with how the signage and paths looked on the ground.  I was pleased to be on a signed path once again and I have found the signage on this route to be a consistently high standard, perhaps due to its recent opening and the fact that it crosses some fairly remote (at least for West Sussex) countryside.

Mossy World

Upon leaving the Common I wandered through some horse fields.  All the horses and ponies were dressed up in winter coats and looked pleased to see me as they came cantering over.  They soon lost interest when they saw I had no food available!  The ground through here was pretty solid and thus far I had not had too many problems with mud.  That soon changed when I swapped the field for a track and had to fight my way through some pretty churned up conditions as I headed towards Henley.

Henley View

As I headed down the hill through more woodland I realised that my onward journey today would see little in the way of sunlight for some time as I would be walking below the ridge line with the sun not high enough in the sky to clear it.  This was rather disappointing and unexpected, but initially I did find the new world I was entering rather interesting.  This was a damp and murky world, full of moss and bracken.  It was all rather Tolkien-like and for awhile at least was quite interesting.  What I wasn’t prepared for was quite how much of this kind of scenery I would ‘enjoy’ for a big chunk of the rest of the day.

The Duke of Cumberland Arms

I continued downhill for some time, eventually coming to a small group of houses that form part of the village of Henley Common.  These houses were clearly for well-off people, with large outbuildings and views across the Weald to the north.  For me though there were only glimpses of the views as for the most part the houses hogged them without allowing lowly walkers a look in!  At the houses I then had to climb back up a portion of the hill that I had just come down.  Below me I could hear the busy A286 road and eventually I had to cross this to make further progress.  I took the old road down through the village, which was like a skating rink!

Henley Colours

The Duke of Cumberland seemed an odd name for a pub, but looked like a very inviting place to spend the afternoon.  I logged that in my memory bank for another time, passing through the village quite quickly.  The path seemed to disappear out through a ‘tradesman’s entrance’ between two houses along a narrow alleyway.  Part way along there was a tree planted in the middle, which didn’t seem terribly helpful!

Looking Back to Henley

My onward route changed character and for some time I walked through what could only be described as a deep dark forest.  This was mostly due to the fact that my path continued along the foot of the sandstone ridge that I had descended the other side of Henley.  Sadly for me this meant that for some distance I didn’t enjoy the sunshine; only the blue sky high above me.  It also meant that the frost was still clinging on in places, whereas it had disappeared everywhere that the sun shone.  This stretch of countryside had a very lonely feel and for me at least this was a part of West Sussex completely unknown hitherto.

Frosty Woods

It felt like this stretch of woodland would go on forever and in places the going was really hard work as the path clearly meandered across the sandstone (well-drained) to the adjoining clay (mudbath).  Occasionally my nostrils were filled with the acrid smell of wood smoke from the chimneys of odd cottages along the route.  This was the only sense that really had any work to do however as I soon started seeing less and less detail of the woods and the air was still and silent.

Bexleyhill

After almost an hour of this kind of walking I was very relieved to come out into a sunny field close to Redland Farm.  Ahead I could see views across to the Downs and it felt good to see the outside world once again after so many trees!  As I wandered down along the field edge I spotted a couple of deer grazing.  There was luckily enough time to change the lens and grab a couple of shots before they inevitably got spooked and ran away.

Checking Me Out

I crossed a couple of fields before heading back into the woods.  This time though the woods were light and airy and not the oppressive shadowy places of earlier.  The walking conditions deteriorated though and it was tough work wading through thick clay mud.  The pheasants along the route appeared to mock me, flying up in front in a bid to startle me.  This was clearly shooting country although thankfully I didn't have to witness any shotgun action today since it was a Friday.

Clinging On To Summer

The sunny weather that I had enjoyed in the earlier part of the day was giving way to hazy sunshine and I faced the possibility that it would get dark rather sooner than I would have hoped.  As I passed through the woods near to Tillington I came across the first walker I had seen all day.  He was a very engaging elderly gentleman who very helpfully told me that he was the footpath warden for Tillington and that I should report any problems to him.  However, he neglected to tell me his name or contact details so if I had found any problems (luckily I didn't), I wouldn't have known who to report them to!

Lodge Farm

I had a little shock as I proceeded through the woods when I came upon an unexpected hill to the edge of Petworth Park.  Have waded through clay mud for some time I realised as I climbed the hill how much energy I had used up earlier in the day.  Even though it was a fairly modest hill, I did find it quite a struggle!  The top was worth getting to though as I was confronted with a rather unusual tower that guarded the wall of the park. 

Dripping Catkins

Although perfectly possible to wander around the parkland surrounding the beautiful Petworth House, sadly it wasn’t possible to enter the park at this point (I probably would have taken a detour from the official path if it had been).  I had to settle for wandering along the road that runs around the perimeter of the park.  After all the mud of earlier though this made for a good proposition and I was pleased to be free of the woods at last.  It was pretty easy going alongside the road down through the villages of Upperton and Tillington.  At the latter I paused briefly to inspect the church and its rather unusual adornment on the top of its tower.

Petworth Park Tower

The official path left the graveyard of Tillington Church and met with the A272 just below the village.  I walked along it only as far as the first available gatehouse of the Park so that I could have a change of scenery from the main road.  I took the route across the park, enjoying the views of the main house and the landscaped grounds laid out by Capability Brown (who else!?).  It was one of his trademark parks, laid out like an idealised piece of countryside and with a large lake as its centrepiece.  This gave some very good reflections of the house although I was rather too late for any really good pictures of the old place.  By now the sun was too low in the sky and the wispy cloud had built up too much for decent photography so I had to do my best.  I did however see enough to suggest that this would be an excellent place for winter walks with the family.

Tillington Church

Building work at the far end of the track across the park precluded me from taking the path I had originally intended to take.  It looked like quite a big project to the side of the main house but it was till too early to determine whether it was part of the National Trust facilities or the private housing that still exists on the estate.  I slipped out through a side entrance to the park and returned to the car park just across the road, finishing my walk well before it got dark which was a relief.

Petworth House

Although I enjoyed the fresh air and the sunny clear conditions on this walk, it was a bit of a curate’s egg.  The section on Woolbeding Common was enjoyable as was the finale in Petworth Park.  Sadly though there was far too much monotonous woodland walking for my liking.  Maybe it would have been better for me to do this section in another season?