Wood Wind Wander
A uniformly overcast day, after a poor night's sleep was initially disconcerting. A bit disappointing for a rare walk with the other half but, unlike the cloud cover, such disappointment largely dissipated and there were some new surprises and points of interest to be had. The walk is not lengthy, not too strenuous and maybe lacks the broad views available from the South Downs but can be imagined as increasingly fruitful, as the vegetation increases from Spring onwards. It was Winter.
Arundel has the distinction of being a town with a cathedral and is reached in just over an hour by train via Three Bridges. Return from Boxgrove can be made with a 55 bus and then a train back from Chichester. We could have extended the walk to avoid the bus. Further diversions above Slindon or in the woods of Arundel might be made to add more interest. As is, the route avoids the last bit of Stane Street and, by its nature, a straight but lengthy road march back to the city.
From Arundel, take The Causeway in to the city and over the River Arun. Join the High Street and pass the Market Cross to reach London Road. Follow the signs to the 19th century Cathedral and take a look at this French Gothic edifice. It was dedicated to Our Lady and St Philip Neri but since 1975, it swapped the Philips for the newly canonised 1st earl Howard of Arundel.
Continue on London Road and descend Mount Pleasant to the Ford roundabout. Take the upper bridleway through The Waterwoods. Descend a little later on the footpath to ascend again across a field. Turn left on the boundary and observe the green of the yew trees in the distance, in Screens Wood. There are some giant beech trees in Sherwood Rough. Beyond is Yewtree Gate and the SSSI of Fairmile Bottom Nature Reserve. There is chalk grassland below but take the path that parallels the road on its upper edge. Go southwest and enjoy the mature yew trees.
We had a wildlife moment as we watched flocks of greenfinches crossing the area of scrub and we could hear their crackling, reminiscent of a small fire, amongst the trees as they fed. I listened with my bird app and found the hawfinch in the mix. It was a special kind of frenzy. Also, the faintest blue hue was detected in the sky, not to repeated at any other point in the day.
Rejoin the bridleway and continue on the boundary. There are some significant ancient earthworks and enclosures in this area and some posts or plates marked on the map. The iron age workings include what is described as a war dyke and the whole area seems to have been utilised by daredevil mountain bikers. This is apparent when you reach the junction. Backtrack a little to join the bridleway down to the Shellbridge Road.
Head south and take the bridleway on the right marked by The National Trust's sign for Slindon Common, part of the much bigger estate that extends to Bignor. Stoolball appears to be a thing here. The Arun league hosts the local teams who compete in this 15th century sport, originating in Sussex. It's made its way to Bilbao, as well. It's thought milkmaids may have made the game using their milk bowls or bittles in a bittle-battle. An enduring pastoral image of local life.
Cross Mill Road and continue to Fairmile Bottom Road. Take the bridleway on the edge of the woods to Park Lane where there is a car park. We stopped for the obligatory tea and biscuit before following the 'pale' of the 12th century deer park.
Leave the pale and head towards the northeast corner of Slindon Wood. From Top Road you can see The Folly on the hill. This archway was built for Anne, Countess of Newburgh in 1814 and you could, as she did, enjoy a picnic on this spot. Take the bridleway up the hill but if you choose not to visit the trig, go west at the first opportunity towards Eartham. Similar views can be made south for maybe the first time on the walk.
The footpath takes you past a gate post with William Montfort Bird's initials and a derelict flint-faced pump house. Eartham House, WMB's one-time home is now Great Ballard School. William Huskisson sold the house to WMB and is buried at St Margaret's Church. The late statesman has the unfortunate and clumsy fame of being the world's first widely reported railway passenger casualty as he was run over and fatally injured by Robert Stephenson's pioneering locomotive Rocket.
We popped into the much restored 12th Century, St Margaret's.
Take the footpath opposite and climb the increasingly flinty Long Down to the A285. Halnaker Windmill is now visible. Follow this stretch of what was once the Roman Stane Street to its direct continuation on the footpath known as Mill Lane. At the appropriate moment, ascend to the Mill on the trail. The site is a curious mix of restored mill, neolithic causewayed enclose and WWII searchlight emplacements and is a southern chalk extension of the South Downs. After a lightning strike in 1905 and further storm damage, Bird had the four storey tower mill restored in 1934. In 1954, our very own E Hole & sons from Burgess Hill did further work.
More tea and biscuits were consumed with views to the sea. Retrace your steps and descend the much-referred to tree tunnel, which must be lush in the Summer, down to Stane Street. Cross it and continue on the Windmill Trail as marked. Take Tinwood Lane a little north and continue on the footpath past the vines. Cut through to the Anglesey Arms back garden. We ate all the snacks before a final jaunt west and then south on The Street to the Benedictine Boxgrove Priory and the Norman church with its fancy painted ceiling.
Returning to The Street, you can catch the 55 back to Chichester as we did. This drops you off at the Cathedral, for a appropriately neat ending.
The trains were really delayed by trespassers on the way back but we were able to return via Barnham for a little further purchase.
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