Midhurst Footpath Companions
Walking in Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey.

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 16th 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

All ready for the walk, with clean boots

Excellent slide recovery

We found a medieval village being uncovered, people must have been a lot smaller in the olden days

Ruins of Monkton exposed

Still climbing!

Some say you can see the Isle of Wight

Friends in the woods

But you never know who’s lurking

Rolling down the South Downs Way

Trying to avoid the mud

Encountering a blockage

Leading the way on The Way

Walking the walk

Better weather coming our way

Cattle trying to emulate a hill top fortification

Coming down off the Downs

We asked the sheep to pose, and this is what happened

Speeding up as the pub is near

The lunch venue

The Royal Oak. Where are you Alfie?

Route of the 4.3 mile walk

Recent galleries

History

2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
1997