Another passage of rain had cleared away and we were in the calm before the
next one, so Bertie and I took the opportunity to go out for a walk. I planned
to go up the South Downs to use the height and the chalk to try and avoid too
much mud that would be prevalent on any of the lower routes. We would return
to the downs above Lavington, parking at the viewpoint on the A285, then
dropping down to Seaford college, and through the Lavington stud farm. From
Graffham up to the downs and over the ridge to drop down to East Dean, before
a U-turn to go back up to the ridge. Finally returning to the car park via
Littleton farm.
We parked in the viewpoint car park looking north on the climb up the downs from Petworth on the A285. There were a couple of other vans who had spent the night there, but we disappeared into the undergrowth without disturbing them.
After a slight climb we branched off on the path down to the college below. The path was blocked several times by fallen trees and we had to negotiate ways around.
We passed through a garden as we joined Beechwood Lane. Here was a large pond and rill. On the lane we turned towards the college and walked along the road.
Into the school grounds following the edge of the playing fields.
After the college buildings finished we turned north (away from the downs ridge lookign down on us). The bridlepath passed through staff housing then onwards.
The bridleway continued away from the houses and through fields. At a driveway we turned west onto it and followed it passing the fields of the stud farm.
Still on the straight driveway, past the stud farm and associated buildings. Only a small zigzag and then continuing to the outskirts of the village of Graffham.
In the village we turned towards the church and school on a back road, before taking the footpath into the woods at the base of the steep slope up to the ridge
As the slope eased up we turned from an angled climb to cross a field to reach the SDW track.
Along the SDW for a short while until we turned down the south side on a green track and then into the beech forest beyond.
The forest ended as we came out into a grass field and dropping down to the farm track along the bottom of the valley.
At Postles Barn, we climbed up into the trees to hop over the shoulder cutting the corner of the farm track
Looking back down to the farm track and past New Barn (now West's wood working site)
The end of our walk towards East Dean we turned across a sheep field and up to a byway marked as "New Road"
The Byway ended as we reached the boundary of the Beech forest, and we transferred onto forest roads.
Staying on the main forest roads we climbed very slightly as we headed back towards the ridgeline.
We left the main tracks and onto a footpath throguh the trees to maintain our direction.
Leaving the forest the path was once again challenged by fallen trees as we passed Tegleaze sheep paddocks.
The final climb and out once more onto the SDW.
So far we had avoided a lot of the mud, but along here it was almost impossible. We followed the SDW East up Littleton Down.
Across a ploughed field (luckily dry(ish), and down to Littleton Farm.
Just above the farm we turned along a farm track parallel to the road (A285). The track ended in a field (oddly half cultivated and half grass)
The path cut into the woods for the final time (and again more fallen trees). the path came out at the chalk quarry, and we moved onto the path back to the car park. The other vans had moved on, and were replaced by a number of cars looking at the view.
