Midhurst Footpath Companions
Walking in Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey.

Stoughton Day walk 17th July 2019

Tim and Jane led this walk from West Marden to Stoughton and back. The weather was almost too hot but fortunately there was some woody shade and an occasional breeze to make it bearable. The route was up to Up Marden church, a 12th or 13th century Downland church barely changed through the centuries and as ever full of quiet mystery. We chose to have our break in the churchyard before carrying on to Stoughton where we dined very well in the Hare and Hounds. The return route was via Watergate House. The whole area was in all its glory, with barley almost ready for harvesting, having grown so well out of the chalk and flint soil. It was also an area with a lot of wild flower margins in and around the fields, with many butterflies and insects enjoying the weather. It was a bit of a leg-stretcher with seemingly a little more up than down but we all survived in good spirits. The walk was around 7 miles.

Sea of cereal

Heading down to West Marden

Isle of Wight over there

Starting out

Heading for Up Marden

Marbled white

Long paths through the cereal

What's that that amuses one so?

Up Marden Churchyard

Up Marden Church

Above Stoughton

Borage

Wide flower margins through the field

Hare and Hounds

Gazing at the distant sea

Up Marden church

Waving fields of barley

About 7 miles

En route for Watergate

Solent in the distance

Secateurs aren't always enough

Well fed and onward!

Silver washed fritillary

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