Petworth Park walk on 31st January 2024

We parked in the layby on the A272 and entered the Park at New Lodges. We began our walk of the 700 acre Deer Park walking along grassy paths down to Upper Pond where we took a left and headed up and over towards Lower Pond passing the old sweet chestnuts aged between 300 and 600 years old. Their gnarled forms make a magnificent sight and some of the trees bear witness to lightning strikes. There were Fallow Deer everywhere and tolerated our presence and were happy to pose for photos. Heading north east from Lower Pond up to Monument Hill and a gate leading out into Upperton village we walked single file along the road following the Park wall around to the right. We crossed the road overlooked by the ‘lived in’ Folly reportedly rented to the late Sir Simon Sainsbury and his partner before they moved to Woolbeding, on the edge of the Park. Easy walking down through the woods before taking a left up a short hill alongside the boundary of Pitshill House. Passing the Lodge House we walked down alongside the fence of Pitshill to our coffee stop with one convenient bench. Wonderful views of the house and its immaculate gardens. We headed back through the vineyards towards Tillington, admiring the recently pruned vines, and crossed over the road into the graveyard of the Church through the old lychgate and a beautiful display of snowdrops between the graves. On a walk with no stiles and no mud we suddenly encountered a few challenges. A road closed from a landslip of someone’s garden we took the decision to go around the barrier and walk to the end of the road. We crossed over to the path leading up to the Church and the public footpath leading back onto the A272 to be met with another path closure. Ignoring the warning we walked to the end of the grave yard to meet another barrier so decided to check out what was causing the closure: three men down in a large hole digging up the path with little space either side. At that point we heeded the warning of the men to back track through the graveyard and took the path alongside the main road back to our parked cars. We were given the party room at Halfway Bridge and had a delicious lunch.