There was a section of the Serpents Trail we had missed out previously above
Midhurst, so Bertie and I made our way over to Bonboy pond carpark just before
Midhurst. We would start here and head West to pick up the ST up on Woolbeding
Common, following it East to the point we left it on the Petworth Park walk,
then dropping back to the carpark.
We left the carpark, and headed up the slope behind the van, before following
the path towards the golf course. There were huge swathes of bluebells on the
shady side of the slope.
Crossing the golf course needed care as there were many players out and the
balls were flying all over.
Leaving the golf course, and crossing a field down the a track called "the
Race" - a rough green track was rather unexpected. Down to the Easebourne
hamlet, before picking up a lane continuing onwards.
A zigzag through more crop fields brought us out on the A286 (that needed a
staggered crossing), before going down a lane, still heading westward.
Another Zigzag along the edge of the old king Edward VII hospital - now a
housing estate bounded by fencing and gorge mounds.
As we reached the lower edge of Woolbeding Common we turned north, through an
open area before following a stone wall all the way through trees to car park
where we had turned on our last visit here.
Picking up the ST where we had left it, on a vehicle track that dropped behind a
copse, down to a pasture field that crossed to the woods opposite.
As we moved through the forest - harvested in the recent years - the trail took
on a different aspect as it dropped sharply down, with views across to the
temple of the Winds (close to the start of the ST)
Turning to avoid the A286 road we climbed back up through Henley Common,
continuing along the ridge edge above.
Dropping once again down through the village of Henley, and down a narrow
twitten and into Verdley Wood.
We followed a wide track through Verdley Wood as it undulated up and down and
was stitched with mountain bike trails containing the obligatory ramps and
jumps.
The trail left the woods onto the back road through Bexleyhill, then climbed up
through Bexleyhill Common showing views across the Weald to the West
Leaving the Common we dropped once again through crop fields. From the bottom we
negotiated a damp track around some cottages before entering the woods again.
We came out of the woods at the edge of fields, and followed a path back to
Lodge farm where we left the ST, to make our way back towards the van through
more crop fields
As we followed a stream on a winding track, overlooked by well tended gardens on
the edge of a bank.
The stream came out at the village of Lodsworth, crossing over the road and
through the fields below Lodsworth House
Into the woods of Gosdens heath and up to the track (we had walked this a couple
of years ago circumnavigating Midhurst). The return to Benbow pond from here was complicated by trying to find a more direct route and being blocked by private woodland. Eventually I came out in some fields that allowed us to exit into the parklands.
Dropping back to the pond from the parkland, and the welcome sight of the van. The ST proved once again some interesting walking undulating and winding.
