Gallery

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Graffham walk on 16th April 2025

Our limited number of members were supplemented with very welcome new walkers as we gathered at the Graffham recreation ground car park for our 4.05 mile walk.  We walked back up to the war memorial on the main road, turned right past The Foresters Inn and village store, then left onto the footpath between fields of sheep with their lambs.  Dropping down we crossed the footbridge over the stream into Middleheath Copse enjoying the sunshine and woods when we came to the bank of the stream that we followed until the path bore us away across another stream and up the hill of Graffham Common in the pine woods.  At the top of Gallows Hill we stopped at a convenient bench to enjoy our coffee break, the views and some fine banter.  Joining the Serpent Trail, we walked more in the Common woods, the sculpture of the sheep standing on the back of a pig kept us guessing for a while. Continuing down the hill we got back to a local road by Barnett’s Bridge; staying on the Serpent Trail we entered Lavington Common, a sandy heath with ponds and some muddy paths.  Leaving the Trail at the tee junction we headed south to Lower Barn taking the unmetalled tracks to Upper Norwood and back to the car park.  Half of us retired to sample The Foresters under new management, enjoying an excellent lunch.

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Lodsworth walk on 9th April 2025

Starting at The Halfway Bridge Inn, Jay and Lindsay took us East on the old A272 to Beggars’ Corner to then take the footpath into River Wood on the hanger, with views down to the stream before taking a left path downhill to cross the stream at Eel Bridge.  Ascending the field, in the sunshine and clear blue sky, towards St Peter’s Well, we turned into Old Park Copse taking the wooden walkways over the marsh, then encountering giant yellow bog plants.  On reaching The Street at Lodsworth we crossed up to School Lane  and onto a path taking us through gardens and across a field of frisky polo ponies. Beyond Redland’s Farm yard we took the Serpent Trail along the edge of Snapelands Copse, then we left it heading south on Hoe Hill where we stopped for a brief, breezy coffee break.  Continuing on through the woods of Vining Common and  Copse we made our way down the hill, across fields to Heath End Farm and Heath End Lane into Lodsworth, turning off at Church Lane back into fields, then descending back to The Halfway Bridge Inn for an excellent lunch.

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Elsted walk 2nd April 2025

We assembled in the sunshine for our 5 mile walk at Elsted Inn, crossed over the disused
railway line on the hump back bridge before leaving down a footpath and across ploughed
fields with obliterated paths. Getting onto the tree lined track, Brimbrook Lane until we
reached Ingram’s Green Lane to Piper’s Farm. Turning north east the route was through
Pipers Wood and a field to cross the old disused railway line, over fields, woods and further
fields to the stream to the south of Minsted. Some felled tree trunks hosted our coffee break.
Once finished we made our way up Minsted Road and turned left to skirt around the disused
gravel pit, onto Fitzhall and Henfield Wood. Crossing Ingram’s Green Lane again we took
paths across fields in Elsted Marsh until retracing our starting route back to the pub for our lunch

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Stedham walk on 26th March 2025

Our 4.7 mile walk lead by Celia and Miguel  started from The Hamilton Arms down School Lane, past Stedham Primary School onto The Street and then Stedham Lane.  The good weather had dried out the footpath to Iping along the River Rother south bank.  At Iping we crossed the river up to St Mary Church where we took the footpath at the edge of the field with horses, over a combined set of steps and stile coming out onto Stanwater Lane.  Bearing left off the road into woodland we  had our habitual coffee break, as the sky clouded over, before breaking into the open fields again onto Tote Lane and off into fields by Woodgate Farm.  Heading south, we crossed Stedham Lane and descended to Stedham Weir and Mill where we stopped to admire the Mill and the work being undertaken on the weirs.  The footpath followed the course of the River Rother north bank past Stedham Hall to the south where we joined Stedham Lane at Bridgefoot and crossed the medieval Stedhan Bridge to retrace our steps to The Hamilton Arms where we enjoyed our Thai lunch. The population of Stedham in 1086 consisted of 23 villagers, 16 smallholders and 10 slaves. We saw no signs of the slaves.

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Fittleworth walk on 19th March 2025

Parking was a premium near The Swan Inn in Lower Fittleworth where we assembled for our 5 mile walk.  The sun shone and the lack of rain over the previous days ensured most of the going was dry with occasional muddy and wet parts.  A gentle hill took us past Hesworth Grange onto Hesworth Common where lots of silver birch had been felled to protect the heathland, turning back on ourselves when we reached the disused pit into woodland.  Crossing the car park for the Common, then the road near the 11^th Century, Grade I listed St Mary’s church, the path took us between houses.  Staying on The Serpent Trail, we passed the Primary School and village shop and café where we resisted the temptation to stop, crossed the main road walking between fields and woodland until we reached Churchwood where a sealed well provided a good location to sit for our coffee break.  More up hill walking took us into Fittleworth Wood where we turned south on reaching the edge of Stopham Estate walking beside fields onto the track by Lee Farm until we reached the edge of Fittleworth Common.  A zigzag path took us at the edge of cattle fields to the large puddles on a track back to the pub.  A bar food lunch finished off our outing.

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