Firle Beacon & Coast

With rain forecast for the rest of the week it was opportune to get out again today. After dropping Sue off at Brinsbury, Bertie and I headed down to Firle, where the aim was to walk along the ridge to the beacon, then turn down to the coast, along the beach and then back up to the ridge at the Radio aerials and back to the car along the ridge.

The car park has recently installed payment machines, so we had to guess our stay, while looking down to the port of Newhaven. 

Off up the SDW to the first bump on the ridge.

Continuing up to the Beacon - in this case a rolling top, with great views down to Newhaven.

Looking north and inland, as well as south to the coast.

Down to the second car park - this one did not have payment machines. The picture is actually looking back down to it as we avoided the sheep on the way down. Then up the other side to Bostal Hill.

From the hill we turned south following a rolling ridge line

The path followed the ridge line down into Blackstone Bottom, before climbing up the other side on the obvious path.

Over this second ridge we started down a track before moving over to the edge of a harvested field.

The path left the field and onto a path between high hedges. This path flowed down a ridge to the village of Bishopstone. Through the village and into the fields beyond with the sea over the small rise.

A small green lane led down to the coast road. We crossed over and followed the back road passing a station and down towards the sea.

We cut across the sailing club car park and up the steps to the promenade turning towards Newhaven. Here was our first encounter with crowds.

TO escape the crowds and also the pebbles on the beach walk we followed the path marked as the Ouse Valley way as well as Vanguard Way. However it was not very well used and overgrown. The path led through the Tide Mills (an abandoned village that used the pond with several mills).

We continued along the Mill creek (not small) and next to the railway on a very overgrown path. We might have been better off following the coast then cutting inland later. Over the railway on a footbridge where the routes merged, and down into an industrial park opposite the east harbour.

After trying several times to cross the industrial units we eventually made use of a recreation ground where we crossed over and into the edge of Ouse estuary nature reserve.

Through the reserve to the main coast road (A259) where we fought our way over. On the other side the path was piled with detritus but we could get through to the field beyond.

Up a track between harvested sections to the top of a rise. Here things got worse and totally overgrown, however we forced our way through the brambles and nettles to the field beyond a stile.

Over the top of this ridge we crossed into a grazing field and followed the track down to Norton Farm nestling at the end of a back road.

The backroad mutated into a drive way up to Denton Hill farm, where the track got rougher and led along Poverty Bottom. The track left and we continued on a path through the bushes.

Leaving the greenery behind we climbed up Snap Hill across a harvested field and then onwards to Fore Hill.

The path snaked around on the high ground to the aerials on the skyline through the pasture fields.

At the aerials we re-joined the SDW and dropped down to the car park. The final field was full of cattle all moving slowly downward, and Bertie was very brave walking through them.

Hambledon Circuit, Hydon

 A local walk today - the aim was to start at Hydon Heath in the National trust car park, then head up to the outskirts of Godalming, then back down skirting Witley and Wormley to get to the village of Hambledon. Continuing down to Stonehurst then across to return up the Vann and into Hydon heath to return.

We arrived at the Hydon heath car park via the narrow salt lane, playing chicken with cars going the other way! From the car park we set out across the heath deep in the woods heading across to the opposite edge of the area, where we turned north and followed the edge.

Across a back road and into the Hydon Hill estate, down a driveway until it ran out, and the path began by going around the garden and into woods beyond.

Across a back road and down the driveway to Clock Barn Farm. After the farm we continued on a path in the hedges between fields, then dropping down to Middle lake.

Turnign across the edge of Godalming and alongside Lower lake (fenced off from the path). We came out onto a back road which we followed into Tuesley. Opposite the manor we left the road and climbed the stairs hidden in the side of the road. 

The path wound around and into Tuesley fruit farm - a huge soft fruit conurbation of poly tunnels. We had glimpses of them on the way down to the lakes, but now we were on tracks through the tunnel fields.

Winding our way through the farm on the tracks until a cut through a wooded area that led to a field being prepared for more poly tunnels.

A slight zigzag around the new field down the hedge line. Over the back road and down a driveway alongside West Surrey golf club.

Climbing up Potter's Hill dodging the course tracks, and crossing a few. Then following the edge of a wood.

Through the woods and out along a field below Enton Hall (hidden behind hedges).

Finally Bertie got a dip in a lake before we climbed up into Buss's Common and it's changing landscape.

A crossing into Hambledon Common, where after a trial with a group of women, children and dogs all running loose and wild. We joined the Greensand way here and repeated a section along previous walks.

The view from the top of the common looking south towards Gibbets hill above Devil's punchbowl and also down towards the South Downs and Chanctonbury hill.

The heather and sand petered out as we contoured around the top of the slope. We left the Greensand way to drop down to the village Post office to pick up some bread for tomorrow's lunch.

Then along the back road past the cricket pitch to pick up a footpath towards Hambledon Hurst.

Down in Hambledon Hurst we turned along the woods - not much to see beyond the edge of the path. A scrubby section then through bushes and all around a horse paddock to go through the livery and farm at Stonehurst

Through the farm and then into a very long thin field alongside a stream, until it crossed a back road. Through Pickford farm to climb up through a sheep field on a track we had used previously.

The path crossed the field and mutated into a hedgeway, then a sharp turn and a drop down to a stream. Then around a further field to a Prest Wood.

Into the wood and we worked around to a collection of place names all beginning with Vann. Across a field to Vann copse farm, passing a break in the hedge showing this house and pond.

We needed to get up to the Greensand way once again and took a chance that the Upper Vann Lane would have a way out at the end. Luckily it proved possible, however at the expense of a zigzag towards Vann hill before turning back along the way, with its views across to Dunsfold.

We continued along the Greensand way until it met Markwick lane. We then had a section walking along the narrow lane dodging the traffic rushing in two ways.

At Little Burgate farm we left the back road and followed a track out the other side that climbed up a track enclosed with hedges.

The track led to Hydon heath where we followed a track through the woods (we were actually on the Octavia Hill trail in reverse) to the car park and the van waiting there.