Fittleworth Morning and Day walk 20th April 2022

Catherine led an 8 mile walk from The Swan Pub in Fittleworth covering rather a lot of her childhood which the group very obligingly took interest in. We started with the morning walkers by walking down to see the Mill and the Mill House and Mill Cottage before saying goodbye to them and setting off across the fields, up through the arboretum (QR codes tried out!) and up through Churchwood. We passed Brinkwells, a cottage lived in by the composer Elgar from 1917-1919 and headed to the ruined Bedham Church/School for a picnic lunch. A hilly morning walk became much easier in the afternoon as we headed down through Flexham Park, the fishing ponds in the Lynch and through Little Bognor to admire both a cottage Catherine had lived in, and a house the singer Bryan Ferry has owned since 1970. Onwards across the fields, past Fittleworth House and through the churchyard and up onto Hesworth Common. The whole walk produced an abundance of Blue Bells at their most glorious and we even saw the first Wild Garlic out and most important of all, were able to rescue a baby Thrush which had got itself trapped behind chicken wire.

Tree spotting in Wynkcoombe Arboretum

This tree probably needs a spot of water

Looking at the blue bells AND the South Downs

Plenty of bluebells

Coffee stop.

Walking through Churchwood

Heading towards Brinkswells, the steepest part of the walk

I'm sure it'll be worth it!

Celina in the garlic

Even more bluebells

Brinkswells, Elgar, composer, fisherman, lived here from 1917 to 1919, the sign tells us. Local fishing club say he lived here from 1917 until 1921- who to believe!?

Lunch stop was Bedham Church/School, built in 1880, eventually closing in 1959, Lady Elgar supposedly heard the bells ringing from here at the end of WW1

Pond where Elgar fly fished - he said he caught a massive trout but it may just have been one of his many enigmas

This building deserves a plaque for Catherine

Someone has been busy with her tripod

Back into Fittleworth village

__________________________________________________________________________

The strolling group started with the Day walkers from the Swan Inn but after a look at Fittleworth Mill we soon parted ways and headed in the opposite direction up towards Hesworth Common. After walking through the village we turned off towards Brookdean, passing Fittleworth House on the way. We stopped and had a look down the driveway of Bryan Ferry's house, but nobody deigned to come and say hello. Moving north we admired the wonderful garden of Crowsole, an ancient Watermill. Whilst some went east looking for a picnic spot, others went further to see the mill itself. After a break we all headed to Amen and then walked through Sellings Wood. A slight diversion, a busy road crossing and we were in Fittleworth Common, the site of Wynkcoombe Arboretum. Here is an amazing collection of trees, many very rare, planted and tended by a Mr N W Smith. Many trees have a QR code on them and by using a free phone app, the age, cost, origin and whole history of each tree can be discovered. Well worth a visit. After a walk of a little less than 4.1/2 miles we then made our way the The Angel in Petworth for a very tasty lunch.