Only a short walk today as we needed to be in Horsham after lunch, so I dropped Sue off at Brinsbury for her volunteering work and dropped down through Pulborough to Stopham. My idea was to park at Stopham church and explore paths ion Fittleworth and Hesworth commons that I had never been on then returning through Little Bignor.
This would involve lots of zigzags and loops, however mainly new tracks and few roads.
I beat all the dog walkers to the church layby and set off along the track into Walter's Plantation.
Continuing into the end that dropped down to the A283, then crossing over into Fittleworth Common. I had hoped the path would link up with the path to the east end, but it did not.
So Off-piste for a short sharp climb up the high point of the common - a long barrow like hill with an elongated summit plateau.
Cutting back over to my original planned path and around the back of the plateau... passing this sculpture.
Having looped around the common and arrived at the edge of houses on the south side, I followed a path down to the back road.
Along this towards Wyncombe Hill, before taking a path south.
This path zigzags along the edge of a turnip field in a series of knights moves to the driveway of Street farm.
Past the pub in Lower Fittleworth, then up the driveway to a big house.
Around the back of the house and into the woods - this comes out at the edge of Hesworth common.
I followed a major path into the trees cutting around the back of a slope.
The common has a series of summits, and after one of these I joined the Serpents trail path to drop down to nearly Hesworth farm. From here I followed a small track back up the west edge of the common.
Curving around to cross the northern edge of the common (and more of the summits), then down to the car park.
From the car park I found a small path that followed the edge of the A283 and around the scout hut.
At the road junction I crossed and down a back road.
Across the fields beside Fittleworth house, passing an impressive Cedar tree with a globe sculpture at the base.
Behind the big house and across fields in an almost straight line towards Egdean common.
In the mist to the south was Bignor hill with the communications masts. Into the woods and along a forest track up the edge.
ALong hte top of the woods the path turned back on itself and escaped into a grass field.
The going was very undulated here.
Across to Little Bignor, and a zigzag along a back road.
Continuing on a path east passing Fitzleroi farm
Leaving the field onto a narrow back road, and splitting onto an even narrower lane with a grass centre. Down to a house called Amen.
A zigzag on a back road and down a path into the woods of Sellings.
Meeting a driveway that led down to the collection of buildings at Churchwood, and following the driveway/ small road that exited onto a slightly bigger back road.
Finally into the woods north of Fittleworth that joined up with my outward path.
Then along the track through Walters plantation and so back tot he layby beside the church.
