Back to the Surrey / Sussex border for this walk and yet another day of sunshine. I wanted quite a long walk with a bit of a climb – thank you to Sam for collaborating on a route for me and also for imparting some extra local knowledge. Great to be able to walk straight from my hotel again – straight up hill! Some of the houses in this road have very sloping gardens but good views.
As the path leads into fields there is Heras fencing to my right and a huge building site – not sure how many houses are going into this space but they will be quite a long way from the shops and the railway line will need to be crossed. A pity to invade open spaces but I guess there’s a need.
The path comes out on the road towards Fernhurst and my route crosses into Camelsdale. Next time I drive along here I must look out for my crossing point. My way takes me passed the school and I enjoy the sound of an outdoor PE lesson. Next time I have a Midhurst School Reunion I must remember to tell Jean I’ve seen where she went to Primary School. I walk through the village and come to a delightful pond and see the sign for Shottermill.
There’s a garage on the corner where I could buy sandwiches but I decided to wait until my next option. Quite soon the path seems familiar and I realise that I came this way last time but via a different route. I do rather like this house with its hung tiles, a typical design for this part of the county.
Today I’m not going as far as the Sussex Border Path but turn off into a wooded area and follow part of the Serpent Trail – I’ve done many sections of this, perhaps one day I’ll task myself with following it properly.
I’m looking out for Jays, I hear lots of bird song and possibly one Jay calling and flying in the distance but no close sightings or dropped feathers on the ground. I remember finding one of these exquisite turquoise feathers as a child and keeping it for a long time. I do hear my first woodpecker of the day.
My path comes to the road at a corner in Linchmere but quickly diverts off again and back into the woods. A well manicured section takes me round the back of an estate ( not the housing type) before I enter a wonderful sunken path. The area is called Linchmere Marsh and I soon encounter my first example of the day. A quick backtrack to use a drive way enable me to join the road again, wild flowers are in abundance today, primroses are everywhere.
I reach a farm alongside the road which has a wonderful example of a stilted grain store. This is an important area with several ancient pond bays marked on the maps and Shulbrede Priory which looks as if it was possibly moated and at one time the area would have belonged to Augustinian Monks. There is certainly a pond next to the road and I can see the building, I have previously seen signs from further down the road. As I look up the drive I can hear geese acting as guards! I took several photos but particularly liked this one as they came down the drive towards me- would they have come all the way?
The track skirts around to sides of the land of this Priory, next to a stream at first. I wonder if the ponds were for fish for food or part of a system which included a mill. I climb up and my path will traverse Greenhill Wood, rising even more steeply to my left. Lots of hazel and some silver birch as well as beech trees. One area seems to have been particularly devastated by the last major storm with trunks lying in many directions. This particular area must have been at just the wrong angle! I continue along and come across an boundary ditch and row of ancient beech trees with magnificent roots holding on to the ground and looking at the map see that this marks a county boundary between Sussex and Surrey, so for a short while I’m back in the later but not for long.
A bit further and I can look out to see Blackdown in the distance – hopefully it won’t take too long to get there! I soon recognise a bit of the wood I walked in in November and come out by Van Common. A bit of a walk along this minor road as I head steeply down hill and pass another splendid ‘Sussex House’ complete with duck pond and palatial duck house.
The road takes me through to the village of Fernhurst – again I remember fellow students from school and I come to the small row of shops/ take aways. I’ve been recommended the ‘Community Hub’ – the sandwich I order is fetched from the coffee shop across the road- they hadn’t been ready earlier – freshly made – a very good recommendation. I decided to eat one sitting at a brightly coloured table outside. There was a big climb to come soon so better keep energy levels up!
Crossing the main road to Midhurst I then went through a part of the village I had never visited and have to say I was quite enchanted. This took me out onto the village green which is split from the recreation ground by the road to Lickfold which I use most times when going through to Petworth. It looked so different and I realised I’d failed to fully appreciate this area before.
A discreet path next to the Red Lion sets me off on the second part of my walk. Through Reeth Wood and up towards Ferndean Lane. Again criss crossed with streams, some of them making deep cuts into the ground- luckily there is a bridge across. More evidence of spring!
Having climbed up through the woods I come to the lane and can see a wall which must surround Blackdown House – I walk along a bit and luckily a large tree stump affords me the opportunity to see over! I can’t see the house but I can see what looks like a vineyard! Wasn’t expecting that. When I was at school a plane crashed near here just missing the house, I can remember the morbid curiosity of some of the boys from school who lived in Fernhurst going out to see what they could find! I back track and start my climb up to the top of Blackdown.
Reaching the Temple of the Winds was less taxing than I had anticipated and I was afforded some splendid views out of the area and towards The South Downs. One of those maps which shows what you are looking at and how far with pointers helped me to locate Duncton Hill – the view across the fields from my garden as I was growing up. Perhaps that’s why I feel so comfortable with the Ridgeway being predominant in the area which is now home.
There are many routes I could have taken across Blackdown and I actually didn’t stay on the top for very long – lots more to explore another time. My chosen path cut along the west side of the hill, slowly making its way northward back towards Haslemere. Some wonderful sandy, heath stretches and still amazing bird song and the brilliant yellow of new gorse bursting into flower. I did go a bit wrong but managed to get myself back on track. Having left the top on Serpents Way again I also crossed the Sussex Border Path . I ate my other sandwich rather late but enjoyed sitting in the sunshine looking out until I realised several ants also liked this spot, so curtailed my stop a little!
As I was climbing down a small path I spotted my second Roe Deer of the day, a large female I would guess, it’s white rump making it clearly visible – they have such grace leaping over branches and bounding back out of sight. The first sighting of the day had been in the woods before Fernhurst – no photos unfortunately. I come down to Black Dog Copse and the springs marked on the map have produced a pond. I’m now about to follow paths that lead along the back of large houses and ultimately come out on to Tennyson’s Lane and over Haste Hill to the B2131 back into Haslemere.
Another brilliant days walking in this area and another 19.5 km/ 12 miles. A year ago 1 mile would have been a struggle – thank you NHS for enabling me to do what I so enjoy, again.
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 