Contrasting weather today from yesterday - the clouds were back and some
occasional drizzle, however as I needed to be around home tomorrow, I planned
a walk around Black Down using some paths that I had not used before. The aim
was to circle around the area from our usual car park off Tennyson's lane,
then dropping down through the woods to Fernhurst. Angling across to Lickfold,
before crossing over towards Lurgashall, then up to Hillgrove and back to the
start via Roundhurst.
We started zigzagging our way across to the other parking location off the lane
then continuing trying to find the path parallel to the lane. Our trace took us
in and out of the NT fenced area as we snaked around.
Parallel to the road eventually on a wide track. We eventually ended up at the
lane and the boundary of the NT area, so had to back track then cross-country
down to a track in the bottom below. This track continued to Chase farm.
We picked up a back road here that climbed to a parking area before continuing
to ascend into the woods.
We dropped down along a boggy cutting and crossed a back road before picking up
a better track into Sheetland. Then dropping down again on more boggy tracks.
Meeting a wider track down at the stream at Tanyard Cottage, continuing along
the muddy trail towards Fernhurst. At the outskirts we cut over the recreation
ground through the football pitches to come out onto a back road. We missed the
path along the stream and had to follow the driveway in a lazy curve.
We passed the entrance statue to Lower House farm and followed the drive down to
the farm.
Around the collection of ponds beside the farm which seemed to be a livery
yard
A complex series of path junctions then we crossed a horse field and then down a
vineyard. a junction on the path led into a very churned up horse field (marked
as woods on the map). Then we entered Bushy Copse where we crisscrossed the
streams dropping down to a back road at Upperfold house.
We had followed the back road around a dogleg and into the fields just past
Hoewyck farm. Here we lost the track and stomped through heavily waterlogged
grass fields down to the woods where we could use the stile in the corner of a
joining track to get back where we should be.
A steep climb to get out of the stream and up to more waterlogged fields leading
to Shotter's farm. Coming out onto the village green.
On the other side of the green we went down a gated driveway to Cobden farm, and
hence onto a series of sodden grass fields, the first of which had a barely
distinguishable track across the middle.
Onwards from that into a cabbage field with a better definition and then a farm
track across the last field to come out at Mill Farm
Across the end of the Mill pond and down the driveway, until just before the T
junction we climbed into the field beside the back road.
Across the fields on the opposite sides of a square to the road. Then up the
back road into the village of Lurgashall. Here we paused on a bench beside the
village green for a snack before continuing across to the pub.
Behind the pub and through the churchyard into a field alongside it. This ended
at Park farm. Here we eventually found the path we wanted however it had a big
notice that it was closed due to a broken bridge.
So a quick we assessment of routes, and seeing the temple of the winds above -
we headed off up the lane past Spring Coppice, then the complicated turn into
fields leading up to Shopp Hill farm.
A fiddle up the back roads and a connecting path lead past Roundhurst and Quell to the car park below the Temple of the Winds. From here we took the diagonal climbing path up to the escarpment of Black Down.
Along the top of the ridge back to the car park, with a brief pause to look out towards the south downs, before dropping down to the car park.
