25 October 2020

Arun Circuit, Amberley

 A week later and we were back top complete the other half of the circuit around the south downs way at Whiteways.  This time joining the dots between Whiteways, and Amberley, picking up almost where we turned on the Parnham walk.

The weather was not brilliant, and as we arrived in the car park started a very heavy downpour, however as there were clear patches in the sky as well as not being too cold, we chose to get out and brave it, with rain macs ready.

The first section was back up tot eh south downs way, alongside the woods and the turnip field... although much slippery and muddy compared to last week.


Once on the south downs way it was back to the A29 across the open fields, and down a chalk track on the other side.
Once past the woods here it opened out into what was described as a "wonderful view of the south downs"

The path continued all the way down to the river Arun, and an overly designed and constructed bridge ...  we crossed over to the "wrong" side of the river and continued around on the river bank to the village around Amberley train station.
A strange bit of map reading to translate the path that leaves from what appears to be the middle of the main road bridge, and we were on on the other side of the road heading south along the east bank of the river.

Looking back you could see the track of the south downs way carved out of the hillside where we had descended.

 

Leaving the river we cut across the fields on a slightly raised path among the bushes of the field boundaries..  but very much a squelch, that came out on a road ending in a small village.taking the path south we saw a kite rising from the fields
Two more bridges ... the first a replacement made by the Gurkas - a suspension bridge over a feeder stream. and the second a road bridge to nowhere across the Arun again, where we picked up the edge of the big Arundel estate. I suspect in other days this bridge joined this road to the one we had left earlier.
Turnign back north we headed up the other bank of the Arun, looking for somewhere to eat, however this section was all in the woods, rising up from the river, and bounded on the other side by the estate wall - all rather dank and forbidding with only glimpses of a view.
We ended up eating huddled out of another bust of rain in the roots below a large chestnut tree at the start of the path back up to the road back to the van.
This path rose steeply on steps back up to the the road, however the anticipated continuation on the other side to the bridleway did not materialise and we faced an short section along the busier than expected road until we could get off onto the bridleway.
Finally up this well used track back to the car park and the van
An interesting walk grabbed out of some changeable conditions, and certainly a need for a wash off all around once back home.

18 October 2020

Whiteways circuit - Amberley

An Afternoon walk this week, as there was only a video call for the band, and it finished early, Picnic packed and off to the south downs again ..  this time on the road to Arundel, stopping near where the south downs way crosses. The idea was to park at the Whiteways carpark and head up to Bignor hill and back via the south downs way.

The walk started off  along the byway heading West and North-West through the forest. There were a large number of people in the carpark .. huge number of bikes, and biers doing what they do when congregating in large numbers, off road cyclists darting around and families both and off bikes, It was two kilometers before we got away from the mass and just had the occasional walker to contend with.
Lunch stop, we had escaped from the forest, and finally could look over to the coast. Bertie of course wanted his and ours.
After lunch, there was a short path to the carpark above the Bignor roman villa.  The signpost here shows the roman road to London and Chichester. 
then a long pull up the rolling hill to Bignor hilltop a chalk road cut into the hillside.
The views from the top were all around


Now some significant down ... first gentle then steeper

You could see the rise on the other side as well - did not help the motivation.
The stretch up the other side .. not a steep but we gained almost all the height we had lost.

It was good to look back at Bignor hill and the way we had come.
Around here the GPS device ran out of batteries ..  but we were on the last lap, just back down the side of the forest

Back to the van, and the masses ...  was good to leave. If we come back - there is a section of the south downs way to Amberley from here .. then we should do so at a quieter time.

13 October 2020

Spare time, Bordon

I took the bike in for a service and MoT ...  however due to the Covid rules there was no hanging around the showroom, I just had to hang around in Bordon ...  not somewhere  I would have chosen, however it has been regenerated from the Army town it used to be ...  and there turned out to be several things to keep me interested.

I did not know how long it would take ...  normal a couple of hours so the first thought was to head up the road to Tesco's for some snacks and drink, before heading for the café nearby  A breakfast and several coffees later I decided to head back an find out how much more than 2 hours it would be ...  taking the long way around, I dropped down through the village away from the main road.

I got distracted on the walk back by a sign to a local nature reserve... it was difficult to see exactly where I was in relation to the map, but I wandered in anyway...  I was right by the Walldown civil war enclosure. It was hidden in the woods, and I could walkaround it and back to the road again.

Back at the showroom it was clear that it would be a  few more hours....  time to rethink how to keep occupied round into the afternoon. just down the road was a footpath sign to Hogmoor - this turned out to be an old tank training area.

The area is a large open space, with several trails around it.
I entered at the southern end, and blindly went up to the mast on the hill. Near here I picked up a trail ... it was marked by strange posts. I followed this trail around the western side and up until I met the café - avoiding the temptation to go in I kept going around the outside, and back down the eastern side ...  
Overall there were several interesting gates - shown below and back at the southern end I took an exit onto the new bypass road, and cut through another wooded area to the main road, and back to the café for tea and cake.

After a pause to recover it was time to get the bike ...  it was nearly ready...  it was also 3:30 ..  so much longer than I had anticipated in the  morning. Time to get home before the heavens really opened - I did not make it, but at least it was not while I was walking around.





11 October 2020

Local circuits, Bishopstone

Each time we go to Bishopstone there are some familiar walks ... most lead off the lane in front of the house.

the main route follows this around to the East, past an old farmhouse converted into luxury dwellings .

Normally we cut back over the stream and across some fields, but having plenty of time I continued up the lane, and a path beside it, until we reached the church at Broad Chalke...

Here we took the path back below the main valley road (and a slight detour tot he Poo bin before meeting back up with the usual track.

the evening walk started at the same point but cut west behind the farm buildings, then back over the river and down the road.


On Monday morning when everyone else went for some retail therapy, Bertie and I headed up to the Ox drove trail on the ridge line above the valley to the south. This starts on the same lane as yesterday, but curves around to the south to pick up the trace of a roman road. at the furthest south point this touches the Ox drove route, here we turned north again down "Gary's climb" a steep bridleway down to a winding valley.
Eventually this ends up on a farm track and back into the village at the point where the previous evening's walk came back to the village.
the ridge line from below and above.

Gary's climb and the winding valley, ending up on the farm track.