Gallery

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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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Funtingdon on 2nd July 2025

John and Maureen’s 4.5 mile walk with many ‘chocolate box’ cottages and views started from the car park of The Fox and Hounds at Funtington and took us down the High Street to Church Lane past St Mary’s church onto the wheat fields.  On reaching West Ashling we stopped at the Mill Pond at the village to watch the swans, ducks, coots with their young families and fish, although the black swan remained hidden.  Continuing on Mill Lane we took the footpath heading south bordering on the woods at Southbrook farm and onto Southbrook Road crossing Bosham Stream to veer off onto Ratham Lane past the camping and caravan park.  We left the road for the footpath beside Breadbare Copse, with deer grazing in the woods and where we adjourned for our coffee break.  The footpath took us by the privately owned Merryfields Plantation to reach East Ashling and a footpath across Dickers Farm’s fields bringing us out onto Southbrook Road which took back to the Mill Pond at West Ashling where the black swan made an appearance.  Our return leg took us through the recently combined wheat fields back to Funtington to enjoy our lunch at The Fox and Hounds.  

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East Dean walk on 25th June 2025

Mark and Jo's walk set off from East Dean village, the last home of playwright Christopher Fry (The Lady's Not For Turning). We first headed East, then turning North to head for the shade of a wood quaintly named Bubholts. It was uphill at first but the gradient gradually reduced as we entered another wood called Chisledown. We then crossed the Selhurstpark Road on its way to Goodwood racecourse and joined the Halnaker Gallop before turning into Open Winkins.  Open Winkins is a wood mentioned several times by Eleanor Farjeon in her book "Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard", written whilst she lived in nearby Amberley. That was some years before she wrote the hymn "Morning has broken", made popular by Cat Stevens. Oddly named woods are an occupational hazard in this area as we were then walking in Ladys Winkins, which was our furthest point south for the day. A quick walk led to a suitable coffee stop next to Hat Hill before we headed towards the edge of the Goodwood Racecourse. Once we had crossed the road it was mostly downhill through Park Hill and Eastdean Park. For some reason flowers seemed to be much more in evidence after our break and the barley in Manor Farm had a few very unfamiliar invasive growths. Soon we were back in East Dean where we all enjoyed a great lunch in the Star and Garter.

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