The sunny weather had broken and we were now in a series of rain showers
and cloud covered skies. So despite the threat of getting wet I planned a walk
a from Northchapel, across to the base of Black Down then up to
Grayswood. From there part way across to Chiddingfold before dropping down to
Ramster, and across to the Shillinglee road. Finally dropping back to
Northchapel through Frith Wood.
Unfortunately it was bin day in Northchapel and I did not want to leave the
van beside the road making the workers negotiate around the van. So off to the
alternative parking up on top of Black Down, where we were a couple of weeks
ago - we would have to climb back up at the end of the walk, but at least the
van would be out of the way.
Leaving the car park in light rain, we crossed the drive to Aldworth House and
into the woods on a narrow footpath unfortunately overhung with wet bracken and
tree branches. This path is not on the maps, but is an alternative to walking
down the back road coming back to the road where the Serpents trail leaves
off.
We followed the back road down to the junction with Jay's lane then down that
until we could leave it on a bridleway into the woods. Leaving the woods and
following the green lanes through Amstead Brook Stud. We crossed over Petworth
Road at the bottom of a dip
The path followed around the fence line at the side of Benham Stud, around and
down to Killinghurst Lane.
Across the lane and into the field on the other side dropping down and over a
stream coming to a driveway beside Furnace Place house.
Beyond the big house we continued on a dirt track through the woods. The track
ended at a farm and a cross roads of tracks beside a large pond, where we turned
right then left continuing in the old direction.
The path wandered through a number of grass fields to the edge of Grayswood
village. Just past the sewage works we turned along the end of the local gardens
and into the edge of Frillinghurst Wood.
We did not go into Frillinghurst Wood, but along the north edge, before cutting
up hill along the hedge line .
Over the top of this hill and along a fence line to meet Pestwick Lane beside
the farms of the same size.
The path left Prestwick Lane diagonally through a couple of gardens then the
horse paddocks beyond, until we finally reached an open field.
The path crossed a sunken dirt track, which we dropped into and followed to a
back road. Around a house and garden and back into the fields - the path had
straightened from the map indicators and we came out to the same back road.
Back up the road to a corner where we turned into the woods of Peakfield Hanger,
turning onto a footpath and across a stream (Bertie had a dip), then continuing
through the woods of Netherside and Hollis's Hanger.
The path through the woods came out onto a back road - we initially started in
the wrong way because of bad map reading, but then corrected and followed the
road to Ramster.
The road went through Killinghurst, then down and over a stream before alongside
the edge of the Ramster Estate.
Out on the A283 and along to the BP garage, and down the stub of a road beside
it. The road ended at the gate to Gostrode farm. Here we turned away and beside
a cow field. The next field was similar with the path forced around the edge
contrary to the map. Then we dove through a gap in the hedge into a further,
this time, arable field.
The marked path had been ploughed up across the next field and we walked around
the edge and were told off and sent to the tree. Down the drive and out to
Shillinglee road.
We left the road on a sharp turn and followed a path through the end of a garden
and around a fallow field (still fenced off but falling down). Just before the
A283 we turned sharply away and down a green lane. The lane got progressively
degraded with deep ruts and large puddles.
Leaving the lane adn turning down towards Frith Wood
A Knights move through the wood and ending on a small footpath to catch the
bridleway towards Northchapel.
Into the fields above Northchapel, and down the bridleway passing the village
hall, before crossing the village playing field to the junction with the
A283.
Across the A283 and down a twitten opposite the pub. This came out into the
fields beyond the village, where the track curved around to meet a bridleway.
We followed this bridleway along past Upper Diddlesford farm and onto the fields
beyond before arriving at Jobson's lane.
Across the lane and through harvested grass fields looking up to Black Down and
the climb to come. The path crossed Roundhurst common and up to Jay's Lane
The climb up to the car park began on the other side of the road and climbed up steeply. the path had a trail where the recent rains had cleared the debris away.
the top of the climb came out at the driveway to Aldworth house, and we followed the path beside it back to the van waiting in the car park.
