I have appointments for the rest of the week so we went out today even
though it was cloudy, with a bitter wind. The plan was to walk around the
southern side of Bignor Down. It gave us more options to park in the forestry
car park at Eartham Woods (once again a barrier at 2m although there is a
horse unloading area that the van could park in at a pinch). From the car park
I planned to follow the Monarchs Way out to Selhurst park then down to
Halnaker. From here working across to Eartham village then over to Gumber farm
and up to the top of the downs near the Bignor down car park. Finally back to
the car park via the Upwaltham hill and Eartham Wood.
After dropping Sue off at Brinsbury we continued on to the car park (lots of dog walkers) then followed the back road parallel wise in the woods until we could pick up the Monarch's Way track.
The MW followed a track through scrubby woods and across the A285, and into farm land of the Selhurst Park farm opposite.
The track followed field boundaries until it cut through the woods of Red Copse
We left the MW and turned south in Hanaker park woods following a forestry track in an arrow straight line
The forestry track mutated into a drive way through Halnaker park, and down to the village of Halnaker. here we crossed the A285 once again and into the fields beyond.
Now on the Halnaker Windmill trail (see previous visits) we followed through the fields and vineyards to turn down Tinwood land to the winery.
The lane turned into a dirt track through Boxgrove common, then into the driveway for Van Diemens farm. Opposite this farm we turned up a path that was inthe hedge between fields.
The path wound around in Dyer's Copse along Thicket lane before climbing through Thicket Beeches wood.
The track left the wood into a turnip field climbing up Long Down with views over to the windmill.
Over the top of the down looking up to the south downs ridge and the wireless station on Bignor. A herd of deer ran through the field ahead of us.
Down a slope and through the village of Eartham, and out the other side along a farm lane.
The lane climbed up the slope and zigzagged around a second field, before turning up a sunken bridleway.
The bridleway climbed up through Nore Wood, and circled around the flat(ish) top
Dropping down the opposite side to the edge of North Wood.
Looking over to the ridge of the south downs before following the wide track down the edge of the Nors wood to northwood cottages car park area (no barriers here)
Turning up the drive to the cottages and the farm beyond. We turned off this track to go up into the nature reserve area.
Up past the open barn shelter/ learning area, and down the other side before turning along the bottom of valley on a green track.
This track climbed out of the open access area and onto the drive for Gumber farm. We followed the drive up tot eh farm then took the path behind it that climbed through a sheep field and onto a farm track. This farm track ended in a large field, which had a path that joined up with the MW where it comes down form the south downs.
At the major junction of paths we left the MW again and followed a bridleway that traversed along the side of Sutton Down.
The path led into North wood at another major path junction. We continued int he same direction (there was a lot of straight tracks in today's walk). Through North wood and into Eartham wood.
Before reaching the end of the wood we turned down one of the forestry tracks (straight once again) as it dropped down to the MW. Just before reaching that trail we cut through the trees on a path that led back to the car park.
