Gallery

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West Dean walk on 8th October 2025

Having ordered our food in the Selsey Arms we set off on Mark and Jo's walk to find the Centurion Way and a few other places in between. We were warned of the long hill early on in the walk but we all survived the climb up through Whitedown Plantation before emerging onto the road near Lodge Hill Farm. There is a large chalkball in the hedgerow at this point and it turns out this is one of 15 placed between West Dean Gardens and Cocking Hill by the artist Andy Goldsworthy in 2002, to act as waymarkers. They were only expected to last a couple of years but have proved very resilient. An easy walk along a quiet road brought us to a north-westerly track next to Colworth Down where we found what at first glance seemed an ideal picnic spot. It was a pity the warning sign seemed only to apply to folk heading in the other direction! Turning south we passed a lot of building work going on at Colworth Farm before taking a steep hill down to the route of the old Midhurst to Chichester Railway. This now forms part of the Centurion Way. Heading south west we found the site of the original Singleton Station which has been very well restored. Taking the railway route towards Chichester was a good move as we soon found ourselves in the car park back at the Selsey Arms for a very enjoyable lunch.

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Tillington Walk on 1st October 2025

The walk led by Jay and Lindsey started from the road near the Tillington pub and headed south and east towards the cemetery. Not at all wishing to stop there, we headed north along the Sussex Diamond Way, passing through acres of vineyards, with grapes being harvested in the distance. We soon came to view the wonderful mansion called Pitshill. Building was complete by 1794 but the house was in poor condtion by 2010. After refurbishment, seven years later the building work was finished, including restoring the Shell House, a circular domed garden pleasure building allegedly decorated by the Mitford sisters, Frances, Emma and Caroline. The other sisters had remarkably political lives (Diana married Sir Oswald Mosley, Jessica, a communist who moved ot the U.S) so perhaps the shell decoration helped calm them down.  See here :-   Mitford family

Carrying on with the Diamond Way we were soon treated to an excellent picnic stop with seats for all. Suitably refreshed we  eventually came to the hamlet called River, from there walking through River Common and Upperton Common, picking up the Serpent Trail on the way. After a steep climb we emerged onto the road opposite The Folly in Petworth Park, probably built as a look-out in the late 18thC. The road took us down to Upperton village and eventually to our cars parked in Tillington. A short drive and we then stoppped for an excellent lunch in the Halfway Bridge.

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Midhurst Walk on 24th September 2025

After meeting in the Central Car Park in Midhurst, Denis led us just around the corner to admire Philip Jackson's statue of Dante.  The bronze was donated to Midhurst by Jackson to thank the area in which he has lived for many years. Dante, author of the poem "Divine Comedy" is buried in the Italian city of Ravenna, which happens to be twinned with Chichester. After many photographs of this astonishing work of art, we used the Jubilee Path and Bepton Road to reach the start of the common, after passing the Skate park and the Cemetry. A sign indicated the presence of 4 Pest Houses, originally the homes of people suffering from smallpox, founded by Viscount Montague of Cowdray in 1741.  Later this work evolved into a more general charity for local people :- www.pesthouse.org   After a few twists and turns through the Severals, we crossed the A272  to traverse the late Kerry Packers's polo field and then found an ideal stop for the morning refreshment. Back onto Severals Common we took the Serpent Trail and headed south crossing the route of the now dismantled Midhurst to Petersfield railway line. The end of our common walking led us to Bepton Road (again crossing the remains of a railway line - this time the Midhurst to Chichester line) and eventually back to the Central Car Park. We then retired to Kemaellis for a very tasty and well deserved lunch.

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Chichester Harbour walk on 17th September 2025

Celia and Miguel gathered us together at the Chichester Marina car park for the start of our 4.1 mile walk around the north bank of the marina following the Saltern Way Cycle path through Salterns Copse, then onto the open fields passing wild flower strips at their edges.  On reaching Dell Quay road, we waited for a school bus to unload before walking down to the quay and having our coffee break sitting on the quay wall.  We retraced our steps a short way to take the Chichester Channel bank path with great views across the channel back to the marina where we crossed the lock and followed the canal edge back to the vehicles.  A short drive to the Woolpack at Fishbourne took us to our excellent lunch.

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Liphook walk on 10th September 2025

Pauline and Linda’s 4.1 mile walk started at The Deers Hut Inn in heavy rain which was an accurate portent for the weather on the walk but being suitably clothed we pressed on regardless. We went down the road towards the Old Thorns Estate and took a path into the woods of Holly Hills until we broke out on the heath near Forest Mere. We joined The Sussex Border Path on the edge of heath and woods, crossed the site of a Roman Road, down to Langley where we turned north onto Shipwrights Way. This path in evergreen woodland gave us occasional views across the heath and led us onto MoD land for some of the route. Leaving the MoD area behind us, we came back to the edge of the woods of Holly Hills and the golf course which lead us back to The Deers Hut for our lunch.

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