Journey to Dream State
The concept was quite neat and a direct walking return to Burgess Hill, fittingly purist in regard to this site. Horsham seems to be a fascinating meld of history and olde streets and was ripe for a revisit and St Leonards Forest, another big country estate to explore. The A23 always presents a challenge to cross and divides a no-mans land of ancient farmsteads that are not always connected in the way you might want to go. Nevertheless, I still found surprising new paths and a frosty start quickly burned off to provide a walk through gently dripping trees on a mostly still and sunny day.
Horsham is fairly easily reached and, potentially, in just over half and hour via Three Bridges or Gatwick Airport. I must have stuffed up, or there was some delay that I was not aware of and I reached the trailhead a little later than usual and than I expected. This is not too much of a big deal when your destination does not require return transport.
Leave Horsham Station on the west side. Cross the road and go south past the park on North Street. Bear right and take the overpass spanning Albion Way and you continue beyond the remains of St Marks Church surrounded by offices. You're now in the medieval core of Horsham and going towards Market Square and the Causeway.
Beyond is St Mary's Church and beyond this, the remembrance garden and the river Arun. Continue on the footpath in this direction to cross the railtrack via the bridge. Head up Denne Hill to the bench by the trees and the hedge. Over to the eastern corner of Denne Park House then continue in this direction to the trees beyond. Denne Park was once a deer park owned by William de Braose and passed to the Dukes of Norfolk, the Howards. I paused to admire the big chestnut.
Once in the woods, double back on the bridleway by the green fence. This is part of a cycle route called the Pedlars Way. Continue north towards Chesworth Farm. What is left of the House was once the home of Katherine Howard. You won't see much of it. Bear left to the Farm and its wildlife garden. The land is managed as a wildlife area and many of the fields are named. You'll come across another riverside route and potential walk for another day.
Turn right then left to go north over the hill and then beside the allotments. Cross the A281 and go north on Elm Grove. Go right on Highlands Road then left on Orchard Road. Right at the junction takes you past the school on Depot Road. Continue on Hampers Lane. You cross the Arun again. This major route towards St Leonards Forest is on the High Weald Landscape Trail but soon after the river, I was enticed by the boardwalk that leads northward. This is council managed woodland known as Leechpool and Owlbeech Woods and is accessible to you and me. At the corner of Dogkennel pond, turn right to join a footpath which passes the front door of St Leonards House. The 18th century building hides a 17th century core. Back on the trail, bear left at the stew pond.
On the left, I had memories of walking this section when the motocross was running. I don't know if the track is still being used but all was peaceful. The next section of woodland is open access and you can, as I did, choose to leave the Landscape trail for the footpath going south. The finger was missing. Sheepwash Gill was running surprisingly clear, when I crossed. Rejoin the trail and follow it on what seemed to be an unearned downhill through the gorsey woods. After the Grouse Road, it becomes a bridleway. You exit the woods and take a chalk drive through a field. Cartersledge or Carters Lodge Lane spits you out, after the anti-tank concrete blocks, on to the Handcross Road going east. Take the path on the right and into a field to go south. Follow the path over the hill and alongside the wood on your left. At the muddy corner, ascend, as the sheep do, on their way to the trough. Vault the gate and go south on Coos Lane.
A narrow muddy path takes you through to the Park Road at Slaugham, where you go north. You are now on the Sussex Ouse Valley Way. At the junction, go left and then right to cross the A23 and enter Handcross. My original plan was to experience Spring at Nymans. Any garden tour was probably going to be a bit swift and so I opted to try the Jo.Co cafe and I am glad I did. It was heaving but Bob finished up and offered me his table. After that, cake in hand, I went back down the road. A little south of the junction, you can join a footpath into the National Trust's Woods. Follow the yellow route, the iron road which coincides with the Ouse Valley Way. There is a rich history in iron-working from which much of the wealth in the area is derived.
Enjoy the height of the conifers. Further on is a redwood, supposedly the tallest tree in Sussex. Leave the yellow route and continue to follow the Ouse Valley Way and on the Tanyard Lane. At Staplefield. Cross the green, almost directly. Leaving behind the appealing Victory Inn. Over Staplefield Road, go south. Leave the Ouse Valley Way and go right to meet the Staplefield Lane and continue south. Find the footpath on the right. I was a bit sure what I would face back at my nemesis, the A23. I noted a subway was mentioned. Sure enough, after skirting some fields, the path swung under the road. The attractive square tunnel takes you north until you see the steps ascending on the left. Take the footpath through the cow fields to rejoin the Landscape Trail at Slaugham Place. Be sure to join the footpath that parallels the road and you can enter the woodland. I crossed it to join the trail going south alongside the mill pond. This is a largish body of water. Go south as the path rises slowly through more ponds. Over the Cuckfield Lane, turn left then go south and carry on in this direction. At Playdells Farm, the Warninglid water tower is conspicuous. Apparently there is a trig point here but its location is marked in a different point on the map. I was not bothered. Cross the paddocks with care, following the signs on the ground.
Go left on Jeremy's Lane and enjoy the elevation. You can see south to the Downs. Now descend fairly directly through Wykehurst Park and the sheep. Carry on, cross a road, pass under a pylon and enter Bolney on the Street.
Go left on Ryecroft Road, cross the London Road and defeat the A23 via the square subway. Without even realising it, you've joined the Sussex Diamond Way. I took the middle path, the Landscape Trail, to meet with Buncton Road through chestnut and rhododendron. Go south. I was striding now. Burgess Hill was within reach. Cross the Bolney Road and continue on Stairbridge Lane. Head of to the left and Lovell's Farm. After the pleasant little woods and Hilders Farm you'll be on Bishopstone Lane. This Lane seems very long all the way to the A2300.
One final vaulting over the barriers on this big road, takes you onto the redundant Goddards Green Road and The Sportsman Pub. Turn on to Gatehouse Lane, until you see the bridleway on your right. This is the legendary Green Circle. Take this all the way round to the roundabout on the London Road. You can get an outward bus here, north or south.
I continued on to Chanctonbury Road, Potters Lane, Woodcrest Road, through Holmesdale Wood and back on to Chanctonbury. Going north will bring you out to Burgess Hill Station. Epic.
And then it was a quick turn around to go to a gig in Brighton with my boy, spending even more hours on my feet. Who says *middle-aged ladies, don't know how to dance?
*I can't but it won't stop me.
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