Day 4 – July 8th
Having slept just a few metres from the path and chosen not to descend into the village of Cocking, a fair assumption might have been that I wouldn’t start this day with a hill! Wrong again.
The lady farmer had sold me a ham and cheese sandwich for my day and had provided a wide array of cereals and croissants for my breakfast so I set off well equipped.
Good to look back and see the end of my walk last night, dipping down to the farm and a small industrial unit.
As I set off today Midhurst is to my left / north, the town of my secondary education. Down below me on the first part of my route today are places that were signposted and visited as a young person. I’m walking parallel to my route to and from school between Petworth and Midhurst. My more memorable view is that of the ridge of the South Downs, which today I’m walking along.
Walking helps provoke memories and I recall with slight amusement, the night, just after I had passed my driving test, aged 17 and a half, and I had borrowed my dad’s car. This was an Austin Cambridge – no power steering and he was out on duty as a policeman. I had visited a friend in Graffham , below my route along the ridge, very rural, no road markings and it became very foggy. My mum told me when I got home that he had phoned several times to see if I was home. No mobile phones back then so I was blissfully unaware of his concerns!
This high point along the ridge is quite blissful. Lots of tumuli and undisturbed grassy areas. I must admit I didn’t stray much as the long grass was still damp and I really didn’t want wet feet again.
Similar to the Ridgeway near where I now live, there is something special about walking somewhere where people travelled and lived thousands of years ago.
As I get closer to Duncton Down I do look out to see if I can spot Petworth but it remains hidden. I decide to phone my mum as this is the nearest I will get to her. She jokes about waving but suggests I probably won’t see her!
The path bears south of the steep Duncton Hill and crosses the road to Chichester – a journey travelled many times in the past. Down below me towards Barlavington I look out and think of the farm I worked on the summer before I went to college. Hard work, but fun. I started my day with cleaning out the cow yard after milking, then helped with harvest, drove tractors, moved irrigation pipes, moved calves and fed them. Learnt so much. I was allowed to eat my packed lunch in the farmer’s kitchen and he gave me real coffee but the rest was hard labour!
My path soon takes me across another road to Chichester – this time it’s a little older Stane Street which connects the Roman Villa at Bignor and the Roman town of Chichester, now a city.
There are so many walking routes now marked on the map. I have overlapped with the West Sussex Literacy Trail, the Monarch way has intersected – I’ve walked some of that in Oxfordshire – the route taken by King Charles when he was fleeing – I think. Then there is the Serpent Trail which I have walked some of and was to my north.
The mauve crop is very beautiful, I wonder if its purpose, like the Crimson Clover is to replace the nitrogen in the soil?
Before my trail begins to descend for the day, which it invariably seems to do there are more beautiful fields which really do show the chalky nature of the area.
There are many of these little escarpments which have a layer of vegetation running along them.
I am heading down towards the River Arun which flows passed Arundel, not to be visited today as my resting place for the night is in Amberley. I can see the chalk quarries as I approach.
During the day I have a couple of times seen a couple of older men with big packs, we have overlapped on a few occasions finding different stopping points. As I’m walking alongside the river I can see they are behind me again.
Having crossed the main road the signage points me up a lane towards the village, back up hill of course. As I’m walking passed a cottage a man and his companion stop gardening and speak to me. He asks if I’m doing the SDW, all the way and when I reply positively he asks to shake my hand. He’s done some long distance paths and we start discussing the OS app and walking poles. I hadn’t used mine in the first four days but perhaps Day 5 might be the time to start.
At the top of a steep hill the turning to the village and food and my bed went down to the left whilst the trail continued to the right. So I already knew what would face me at the start of the next day!
The Black Horse at Amberley was old but also of a high standard with a great room in an adjoining building. It was the ‘Muddy Stilleto 2024 winner’ – my evening meal was not cheap and the restaurant was packed considering it was a Monday – a very nice lamb pie.
On the next table were two Belgian ladies who had spotted me in the bar as I arrived – they too were doing the SDW but having their bags transported and having rest days.
Great bathroom with a heated towel rail- great when you need to wash socks and underwear!!
So just about 12 miles today, as the website had suggested.
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 