It is that time of year when I spend a number of weekends (this year three) in
a field extracting money from people attending the medieval festival called
the Loxwood Joust. It does mean that for all of the weekend and the some time
of the Friday before I am otherwise occupied and cannot achieve my usual quota
of kilometres during the weeks aroudn this time. The Joust is held just over
3km away from our house so I usually walk over to the field and back, so this
adds to the incidental walks rather than my recorded ones. So in an endeavour
to address this (and because the weather is still very good) I decided to walk
down to Petworth to pick up some bread - I could have just walked to Plaistow
or Kirdford village shops, which are nearer - but fancied some artisanal
bread from the Hungry Guest.
I followed the parish border path down to Kirdford (well documented on other
route reports), then cut around the "alternative path" around the stud farm
and into the village past the church and Half Moon pub, leaving again down
Glasshouse lane.
The path I used was well hidden down a farm drive and just in front of some
stable buildings, but once identified it was separated from the fields and easy
to follow. At Gownfold farm it moved onto a farm track (slightly away from the
track marked on the map which has a very overgrown gate)
Following the farm track as it tracked down the side of a grass field. A brief
dalliance with Gandersgate lane before turning onto a bridleway through Petsails
Copse. At a complex junction this turned onto the forest track passed some log
stacks from recent harvesting. On this track around Medhone copse and onto
Blackhouse lane undulating down to the A272.
The lane was tarmacked and hedged in up to the A272. Ove r the main road and up
an unmarked lane that climbed up to Brinkshole Heath (I knew this from previous
visits and it avoids having to walk along the A272
The heath was very lush and I climbed on the well used paths up to the top
beside Goanah Lodges - I suspect these are follies for the big house at
Petworth. Taking the track down past the reservoirs and out onto farmland.
The track led down passing more reservoirs leaving the dirt track for a grass
path between field down to the A283.
A short section along the road before taking a path down through a grass field
to the back road in the village of Byworth. One of the houses had an old "Hovis"
sign on it. I took a path down a driveway and into some fields beyond (not very
well signed)
Through teh fields as they dropped down to a stream. Over a small bridge and
steeply up the other side. From here I skirted the outskirts of the town
alongside fields until reaching Grove lane. This I knew led to the Hungry Guest
shop.
There was no uncut bread in the shop so I settled for some rolls and treated
myself to a soft drink can and an ice cream tub as well (it was very hot again).
Then along to the top of the dip behind the second church (the main one is next
to the big house). Here I stopped for a bite to eat and my drink looking at the
route home.
Rest over I dropped down to the stream an up the other side climbing the fields
to the circular copse on the top. Then up the old track that climbed into
Brinkshole Heath once again.
Through the heath - I missed the track I should have been on and had to cut
along the power lines and thick bracken - there was a path under all the growth.
back on track dropping down the other side.
Back down the unsigned track to cross the A272 and onto Blackhouse lane
This time I continued up the lane passing the point I had joined on the way out
and over the more open landscape with the sun beating down.
Crossing a series of connected ponds as the track became gravel based, and on
passing Medhome Farm
At Crawfold farm I skirted through the horse paddock and down to the fish
ponds.
Climbing once again up the meadow on the other side, to look over and down to
Kirdford village over a harvested wheat field.
Through the grazing field after the wheat one and onto the drive way for
parsonage farm that brough be back to Kirdford village. I gave into the
temptation to stop at the village shop and get a second drink to try and
counteract the heat for the final section home.
The route home form here followed a well trodden (by me and Bertie on numerous
occasions) route across the playing fields and through Holland heath up to
Wephurst park and then to Orchard cottage and home.
