The sky was wall to wall grey cloud, with a heavy frost, so hoping the mud would
be all solid, I planned a walk up on the South Downs above Bignor.
Starting from the car park on the South Downs way, going across to the wireless
masks then down to Eartham wood, back across it over Great Down. Across to the
monarch's Way the the South Downs way to return to the car park.
Very cold up on the Downs so as a warm up we dropped down the forestry track
towards Coldharbour farm.
We followed the edge of the open access (NT) land around the bottom of the
hills. At the edge of Glatting Hanger we turned back up the slope - the marked
track was missing so we made out way up through the woods.
At the top we followed the fence to the opening towards the wireless masts. From
here we followed the track across the SDW.
We followed the track down past Sutton Down and into North Wood.
We kept to the edge of the wood as it dropped down to the A285. We missed the
junction so had to work our way back through Stubbs Wood to reach the junction
into North Wood.
Then continuing as it descended through the plantation to a huge cross roads of
multiple tracks.
Over the junction continuing in the same direction as it left the woods
behind.
The path now crossed a nature reserve and a learning barn
Over a rolling hill, and then up a farm track that went past Warren Barn. We
continued up the track beyond climbing gradually. At teh top of the slope we
turned in the woods back down to Great Bottom.
Down throguh the fields to the bottom of the dip picking up a farm track up the
other side.
Across the fields to reach Houghton Forest, where we did a sharp turn up the
Monarch's Way
We left the forest on a farm track leading across the rolls in the landscape. In
a field recently used for pheasant shooting we followed the edge - but we should
have stayed on the farm track as we had to cut over the top.
Now on a farm track we abandoned the footpath (that dropped down to a barn and then back up again) to traverse across the slope. This merged with the SDW where it came up from the barn
Passing Toby's stone and over Bignor Hill to drop back down to the car park. Into the car to warmup before lunch and the return home.
