I had picked up a sore throat and a dripping nose after last week's road trip,
so this week was feeling sorry for myself, which did not matter while it was
wet and windy, however today was predicted to be clear (it was when I got up)
however the day did develop into more one of sunny periods and occasional
showers. I worked out a circuit of West Chiltington with an aim to park in the
Monkmead lane car park, then I could return anytime I felt I had had enough.
From here , cross the golf course and pick up the West Sussex Literary Trail
(WSLT), follow this up through Nutbourne common and vineyards, through
Nyetimber and Willetts farms. Leaving the WSLT and heading back south around
the old village of West Chiltington and across to Thakeham. Through the
industrial site and into Abingworth, and turn west across the fields, until
turning south again to the outskirts of Storrington. through the housing
estate and out to the gliding club field to pick up the WSLT once again and
return to the start.
Best laid plans etc... there was a barrier at the car park entrance was set at
1.8m ... too low for the van so a hasty plan B involved driving back to
park in the layby on the corner of A283 near the West Chiltington road junction.
Then up a green lane to pick up Batts lane - a private estate of houses.
The lane degraded gradually as we went along it until it mutated into a path at
the last house. The first shower of the day as this opened into a huge grass
field separated into sections with electric fences.
through the village of Nutbourne and down a twitten into a field. This ended at
a stream and an old mill building
Behind the mill we walked beside the vines of the local vineyard (and old
windmill)
A section on lanes next as we went up Gay Street then a lane, and a green lane
up to Nyetimber farm, where we were back into the vines once again.
leaving the vines behind we went into some woods (still on a wide path). In the
middle of Woodhill Copse we took a sharp turn towards Willetts farm.
Through the farmyard following a farm track, leaving the WSLT turning south into
a run of grass fields leading up to a hill with trees. Beyond the top we entered
another vineyard.
Looking south to the South Downs beyond the vines.
a slight diversion around some new houses built in the middle of the vineyard,
and down to the outskirts of West Chiltington.
through a sheep field to the woods beside Town House Farm, then a broken
concrete track down the hill past a rundown industrial site to come out at High
Bar Lane.
Now in the village of Abingworth, we followed the B2139 south, luckily there was
a path beside it that allowed us to turn west across the fields, while the road
dropped into a deep cleft.
walking along the top of this mini ridge , crossing a couple of back roads and
past some new buildings in the land around an old cottage.
We dropped down the south side of the ridge, passing Fryern Home Farm and
through the woods up to the edge of one of the Storrington housing
estates.
After following the river for a while we then turned around the playing fields,
before meandering through the estate roads to escape onto Hurston Lane.
Looking south to the south downs.
A big grass field, lead across to a board walk in the woods below the gliding
club
Around the end of the glider runway, and alongside some fields to come out on
Hurston lane.
The lane mutated into a long straight private road serving some expensive houses
alongside the golf course. We walked along this and past the club house, where
it became the golf club drive and along that until we left to continue beside
the golf course.
Across the far end of the course and into the trees beyond and down to the West
Chiltington road. A nervous bit walking back to be able to pick up the path on
the other side. This led across a grass field towards some woods.
This ended in the woods of Nutbourne Common. still in the same direction out
onto the Nutbourne road.
Just outside the village we reached the field (with the multiple electric fences) we had crossed on the outward journey. The last sections was to replay this in reverse back to the van.
Following the outward journey led back to the the A283 and the van parked in the layby
