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Viewing galleries from February, 2025

Duncton walk on 19th February 2025

Thankfully Jay and Lindsay had spent much time to sort out our ramble in Duncton so that we avoided most of the mud caused by the recent poor weather. After parking in The Cricketers (once owned by the creator of Wisden Cricketers' Almanac), we headed for the Burton Park Estate. Burton Park Estate, which dates from the 13th Century contains a Grade 1 listed mansion with a chequered history. Once home to a Baronet, then an MP, it became an Army Camp, a girls school, a police dog-training centre and is now split into flats.  We then took a route around the  House and Burton Mill Pond, much of which is surrounded by marshy areas, luckily navigable over large wooden boardwalks. We were also fortunate to find a handy tree for our coffee stop. As we passed by the House again we took a look inside the tiny Church of St Richards. Of Norman origin it was updated in 1636 by Bishop Juxon who was so trusted by Charles I that he was the man to offer the King his last rites 13 years later - luckily we had no need for his services. A little further on we came across another church - the Church of St Anthony and Saint George but sadly all the doors were locked so we could only wander around the gravestones. Even so we missed the headstone inscribed "The originator and leader of the women's suffrage march from Edinburgh to London 1912", Florence de Fonblanque.  A walk alongside the A285 and we eventually found our cars and drove to The Badgers for some excellent food.

Hooksway walk on 12th February 2024

John led the 4.3 mile walk from The Royal Oak, Hooksway.  The numbers were a little depleted because of injuries and illness but there were still fourteen of us to brave the cold and misty day.  We got the uphill part of the walk over in the first half heading up through Phillis Wood and across fields towards Monkton Farm and the site of the abandoned medieval village and Scheduled Monument of West Monkton.  The site has been cleared of scrub and mixed trees by West Dean under guidance from Historic England and Natural England which gave us our first opportunity to see the ruins despite passing the site on walks in previous years.  Walking up the valley we joined the South Downs Way at the edge of Philliswood Down where we encountered our first significant puddles and mud baths.  On Treyford Hill we stopped at the memorial of Luftwaffe pilot Hauptmann Joseph Oestermann 1915 – 1940 shortly before our coffee stop where the woods to our north gave way to a field.  Staying on the South Downs Way until reaching Elsted Hanger where rather than ascending Pen Hill, we turned south descending from the Downs into Germanleith Copse before reaching the pub car park.  Dave and Sarah at the 16^th Century building that is The Royal Oak made us welcome, and fed and watered us in style.  The photo of Alfie and his wife who were a previous landlord brought back some memories and stories of rural pub life long passed.

If you want to know who Alfie was, have a read here:-  Hooksway History

Rogate walk on 5th February 2025

Isabel led our walk of just over 4 miles having pre walked it and modified it a number of times due to the mud.  Setting off from The Jolly Drover at Hill Brow near Liss we crossed the road onto Rogate Common walking through the woodland to Commonside where we saw a Robin and a squirrel diving under the eaves of an outhouse.  Isabel had seen deer here on the pre walk, but we made too much noise and must have scared them away.  The path across the field with the remains of corn stalks was clear and firm under foot with a surprise of snowdrops as we made our way onto the local roads and up towards Rogate Lodge where we stopped for our coffee break taking the benefit of low walls to sit.  We made our way back into the woods of Rogate Common climbing slowly, crossed the Hill Brow to Borden road, back into the woods dropping down the hill to Tullecombe where we picked up the Serpent Trail, following the slope of Combe Hill marvelling at the insane twists, drops and jumps for the mountain bike courses that crossed our path.  We made our way back to The Jolly Drover where our lunch was excellent.