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Kingley Vale Day Walk 24th April 2019

Isabel's splendid walk looked at first to be a minor disaster. We arrived to a very crowded car park (thanks to Chichester Walking for Health, West Sussex Ramblers and dog-walkers) and in a downpour. However we all managed to find a spot to park and waited in the dry for the rain to stop, which it did after 10 minutes. There was no rain for the rest of the day. The walk headed up towards Kingley Vale and then up and over Stoke Down and towards Walderton Down. The views were extensive although the mist was hampering a good view of the sea. An excellent lunch was enjoyed by most in the Fox and Hounds in the charming village of Funtingdon. The afternoon was an easy walk back but with very contrasting scenery. We first travelled through some very extensive and intensive pig farming. They use the 25,000 tonnes of manure produced each year to produce biogas and biofertilizer and this helps reduce smells in the area. Within minutes we were surrounded with bluebells, literally millions of bluebells of Ashling Wood which was a fitted end to our marvellous day in the country. The walk was about 6 to 7 miles in total.

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Tillington Morning Walk 17th April 2019

Liz took the walkers on a very nice walk around Tillington, passing through Upperton Common and the vineyards near Upperton Farm. An excellent lunch was had by all in the nearby Hollist Arms. Thanks also to John and Barbara who helped with planning and for some lovely photographs,  also to Jeff for the map.

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Trundle Day Walk 10th April 2019

Pete's splendid walk started from Lavant and took the West Sussex Literary Trail up to The Trundle overlooking Goodwood Racecourse. It was a beautiful day and not too hot for climbing up the hill. The Trundle had human activity around 4,300 years ago but they didn't get around to building a fort until about 2,000 years ago. It wasn't until 1802 that someone had the bright idea of building a racecourse nearby. There is little evidence of a fort on the Trundle today, but it does have 2 large radio masts. After admiring the splendid views the  walkers descended to a well earned lunch in The Dean Inn in West Dean. Very adequately refreshed, they made their way via an old railway tunnel to the New Lipchis Way back to the cars in Lavant. Many thanks to Marian and Pauline for photos and the map.

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Bosham Morning Walk 3rd April 2019

Meeting up in the Bosham car park we welcomed 2 guest walkers Lorraine and Julie. Jeff led us along the beautiful Bosham Harbour where Bevis the Sussex Giant used to wash his dogs after walking back from the Isle of Wight (for more information see Giant Bevis).  The weather was sunny but not exactly warm, with just a few clouds around. Heading through the fields towards the Fishbourne Channel we saw the channel but had no time to admire it as a hailstorm reached us. It was a really heavy storm with the hail sufficient to turn the path white. We sheltered under leafless trees which helped only a little before the storm eased enough for us to continue our wallk. Surprisingly the distant Chichester Cathedral seemed to have sunshine. Reaching Fishbourne we headed back towards Bosham. The drama was not over as Isabel had the misfortune to fall over. The First Aid kit was needed but as we had 1 doctor, 2 nurses and a couple of health visitors to help out, we decided the cut hand didn't need an air ambulance.  Bosham was eventuallly reached without further incident and The Anchor Bleu made a welcome lunch venue after our walk of 5.3 miles. Many thanks to Jane and Lorraine for extra photos.

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Witley Day Walk 27th March 2019

The last time we did this walk it rained all day. This time Jeff had organized some ideal weather, a few occasional clouds to keep away some of the sun and just the right temperature for walking. We parked in Webb Road in Witley Common and found ourselves crossing under the busy A3 to get to Rodborough Common. One surprising find on an old tree trunk was the shell of a Swan Mussel (or even a Duck Mussel). This large freshwater Mussel is not uncommon but is rarely seen as it spends its life in the mud in the bottom of ponds. The birch and heather changed to pine trees as we reached Thursley Common and then more gorse as we neared Thursley village and our lunch in the Three Horeshoes.  An excellent lunch before finding a bridge to take us back over the A3 and on towards Witley Common. We glimpsed a roof in Witley Park, home to an extraordinary submerged ballroom/billiard room built by a fraudster in the late 1800s. The mansion he also built had gone by the 1950's, but the ballroom remains.  Lastly we reached Witley Common, once a wartime training camp for 20,000 recruits, but now a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) managed by The National Trust. The walk had been just over 7.1/2 miles.

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