Midhurst Footpath Companions
Walking in Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey.

Chiddingfold walk on 22nd October 2025

It was a busy week so we were down to 9 walkers who met at The Swan Inn, Chiddingfold for their 4 mile walk in the dry.  Starting south on the main road, we turned east onto the narrow footpath behind the houses which gave us a peek into back gardens before coming out onto a field.  The persistent rainfall of the previous days, left the grass wet and the realisation by many of us that our boots were not as waterproof as we thought.  A kissing gate took us into a copse with a carpet of acorns to crunch underfoot until reaching a stile and another field that lead us into Highbeech Plantation down to an old millpond associated with ancient glass works that benefited from the local geology; the ground being exceptionally sandy while local woodlands provided plenty of firewood for the furnaces.  We crossed more fields, a small hut with a veranda caught our attention before crossing Pickhurst Road onto High Street Green where we took the footpath towards Follies Farm down into the woods of Peartree Piece where an expectant fallen tree trunk provided comfortable seating for our coffee break.  Staying in the woods we crossed Pickhurst Road again into Eight Acre Copse and then Prestwick Copse crossing a bridge into fields for our return via Pockford Road and the green where the Guy Fawkes bonfire construction was well under way.  We finished off the walk with a lovely lunch at The Swan Inn.

Just about to leave for our walk

Sun on our heads and wet feet

Steep descent to the millpond

The millpond associated with the ancient glassworks

Northern view across fields

Is this a witches cottage?

…because something strangely underhand is going on.

Luckily, we managed to escape.

The ‘not quite’ rampant porker.

Coffee break on the obliging tree trunk (until it broke!)

Mushrooms aplenty.

Strolling through a copse

Enjoying the sun on our backs.

Wading past the bracken.

You have to stop and contemplate a game of Pooh Sticks at a bridge like this

Coming back onto the fields with Sloe and crab apple hedges

Not far to go now

Clouds looking to dampen our walk, but they held off.

Our excellent lunch at The Swan.

The 4 mile walk from The Swan, Chiddingfold.

Recent galleries

History

2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
1997