Jumps and Walks: A Dérive West
Storm Bert is now here but our Friday Walk presented a rare window of crispy winter sunshine with a sprinkling of snow to cover this western section of the Downs. I was also charmed with a lift, the company and a route devised by naturalist Michael Blencowe. I was most grateful and he graciously corrected my bird identification as we held out for hawfinches and drifted deeper into ancient and newer burial places and the homes of surrealists. I was sharing some special places. Quite a walk.
A perfect pickup from Pulborough Station and a short journey to Graffham got us there but, by public transport, you might start this walk from West Dean or Cocking with a combination of a train journey via Three Bridges or Gatwick to Pulborough and a bus or two via Midhurst. This would take a couple of hours from Burgess Hill.
Parking by the church at Graffham or, rather the confusingly-named Seaford College, take the path immediately up the hill via the byway. It's a stiff climb and Michael bolted up the hill, keen to keep up with my expert pace. Little had he fully realised that he had no competition and I was struggling to hold a conversation on the chalky/icy path. In no time you are on the South Downs Way but this is also a nature reserve and you have some leeway in exploring the open areas that parallel both the Literary Trail and the SDW. There are some very attractive badger-faced sheep and snow made this area fabulously attractive, it being a hot spot for yew trees and birds that love them.
Keeping west, you find that the area was very attractive for bronze age folk with a significant pairing of a bowl and bell barrow within the reserve. Beyond, a whole string of barrows and cross dykes with unknown purposes exist on the right of the path. You pass the trig at Heyshott Down, previously bagged.
As you leave the trees, views open up as you descend to Manor Farm and your route beyond is visible. The crows were whipped up in a sooty flurry, in the bare fields abutting the track. The colours of the Cowdray Estate are on the window frames. You will cross the A286 at Cocking Hill. You can refresh yourself amongst the cyclists at the Cadence Cafe before continuing. This is the Middlefield Lane. An Andy Goldsworthy chalk boulder is a feature on a comparatively featureless terrain but look south and you see perplexing hills beyond. This is the direction of the Solent and the Isle of Wight.
Seeing your route ahead for a length of time is not to everyone's taste and it was a sense of relief we entered the woods at Monkton. Nestled amongst the trees is the one time home of Surrealist patron Edward James. He had the Edward Lutyens designed home refitted in an extraordinary way. There's a lot of confusion on the internet about the West Dean College and the house. Much of the contents of the house was sold off on the lawns of the College but the bonkers interiors at Monkton still, apparently, exist in this privately owned property. Shame it is not open to the public and to us.
There's another treat ahead as you will be plunged back into the BC with the Devil's Jumps. Go explore. Leave the South Downs Way, shortly after and switch southeast on a footpath through West Monkton. Descend to Yew Tree Cottage and the quiet road and follow it round the the north and southeast again past Staple Ash Farm. Keep on in this direction and you cross the Roman Road on the way. Follow the footpath to rejoin a tree-lined road upwards. Continue on the road and join the footpath southeast, on the bend. Pass under the railway bridge and see yet another boulder opposite West Dean College. The bridge is a remnant of the dismantle Midhurst to Chichester line. You can pay to visit the gardens and go to the cafe. More refreshment was had.
A slightly roady walk east along the A286 is a literal low point to Singleton. School collection time interrupted our passage as we continued on Charlton Road. Turn left on North Lane after the blocky Bankside houses on the front of Levin Down. A pace was required for our last uphill in the lowering light.
We are back on the West Sussex Literary trail, going over North Down and entering Charlton Forest. A pleasant broad track takes you steadily back up to the South Downs Way between Heyshott and Graffham. Rejoin the Reserve and enter Long Meadow to follow the line. Decend back the way you came. We gingerly followed the chalk in the darkness back to the car.
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