Gallery

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Northchapel Walk on 6th August 2025

The holiday season depleted our numbers a little for Mark and Jo’s 5 mile excellent walk around Northchapel in brilliant sunshine starting at the Northchapel community centre.  Dodging the falling apples from the laden trees and supressing our Newtonian instincts we headed north across the fields to enter Frith Wood.  Mark offered us a short cut soon after we entered the wood, but nobody accepted.  The route stayed in the woods until we left it on the north east side into a field with a couple of areas of Pampas grass that felt out of place.  Crossing a dried stream, fields and New Copse towards Shillinglea Park we reached the West Sussex / Surrey border.  Not having the right documentation for a border crossing, we turned south passing Deer Tower and stopping for our coffee break at China Bridge on the inspirationally named lake called ‘The Lake’!  Entering Frith Wood again we stayed on the southern boundary, crossed Pipers Lane at Peacocks Farm.  Having made good time, Mark added an extra stroll into Wet Wood before returning to Northchapel.  Having removed walking gear we drove a short distance to The Mulberry Inn near Chiddingfold for lunch.

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East Dean walk on 30th July 2025

We started out from The Star and Garter and headed north to the church of All Saints. After a quick look at a few gravestones, including a somewhat neglected memorial to the playwright  Christopher Fry (The Lady's Not For Burning), Jennifer led us up the hill of Halfmoon Piece through fields dotted with wild flowers. A quick dive through Wood Lea and then a descent of North Down via the West Sussex Literary Path to pick up North Lane, taking us to a pleasant coffee stop. Refreshed we again tackled the ascent into Wood Lea taking a north east path towards Forest Hanger before turning again towards Scratlee. We eventually picked up the path we had used earlier, but took a diversion to eventually reach The Star and Garter where we enjoyed an excellent lunch, even though they were busy with punters en route to the Goodwood horse race meeting known as Glorious Goodwood. The walk was a little under 5 miles.

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Frensham Walk on 23rd July 2025

We met up at The Bluebell Inn, Dockenfield for our five mile walk, clambered into an assortment of rain protection and set off along the track that took us past woodland and across fields to Pit Lane where we turned left and onto Mill Lane by the Mill Pond.  Walking on the east bank of the River Wey, past Frensham Manor until we reached the bank of Frensham Great Pond at its western extremity.  We followed the Pond bank stopping at the café for refreshments and a cake or two.  We ventured across Frensham Common’s heathland, crossed Mill Lane and detoured into St Mary the Virgin church in Frensham which was moved there in 1239 after a major flood.  Little remains of the original church with the tower being built in 14th Century and significant restoration in 19th Century.  We found the copper beaten medieval 19 inch deep cauldron believed to have been used for the brewing of Church Ale which had apparently been kept in the church ‘from beyond the memory of man’. There are several stories concerning the origins of the cauldron and how it came to have spent the last several centuries in Frensham Church.  The story about Mother Ludlam, the White Witch of Waverley who lived in a small cave near Farnham and the Devil was the best one.  We followed the path to cross the River Wey again, crossing Pit Lane at Spreakley onto fields and skirting Hallsgrove Copse to return back to The Bluebell for an excellent lunch.

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Tilford Rural Life Centre on 16th July 2025

Pauline came up with a splendid idea of visiting the Rural Life Living Museum near Tilford to avoid the stress of walking in the high temperatures we are experiencing. It became apparent before we had even passed reception that there would be a men, women divide in interests as the men stopped and wondered over the wind mill and turbine pumps. As it happened, when we got inside, the variety of displays got us all interested in the same things. The displays reminded us of our pasts with furniture, furnishings, gadgets, tools and ways of life that were part of our parents and grandparents lives, some of which triggered our own memories. It was not possible to see everything in the three hours we were there but the village shops, school room and animal husbandry areas were entertaining. We languished outside the onsite café for our mid-morning break sampling the drinks and cakes. As it approached one o’clock we left, driving for a couple of minutes to The Barley Mow at Tilford to finish off with lunch and libation.

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Duncton walk on 9th July 2025

Jay and Lindsay's walk from the Cricketers was a very pleasant stroll of just over 5 miles. The weather was kind to us and the real heat wave did not start until the following day. From the Cricketers we headed east past Ridlington Farm before making a slight mapping error and ended up being very kindly re-directed by the resident of Westerlands Farm. Regrettably their ice cream shop wasn't open as an ice cream would have gone down very well on this warm day. After passing Lower Barn we  headed north-west and into Lavington Common where we picked up The Serpent Trail - a 65 mile track that wiggles from Haslemere to Petersfield. Reaching Heath End we had a look at some expensive motors in the showroom before crossing the road and skirting The Rough to get to the Burton Park Estate.  Burton Park Estate, which dates from the 13th Century contains a Grade 1 listed mansion with a chequered history. Once home to a Baronet, then an MP, it became an Army Camp, a girls school, a police dog-training centre and is now split into flats.  It was at this point we left the Serpent Trail and picked up the West Sussex Literary Trail (55 miles Horsham to Chichester) but fortunately missed the Chichester turning and ended up in the Cricketers for an excellent lunch.

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