The Elves and the Goat-suckers

MIDHURST TO IPING COMMON VIA THE ROTHER, STEDHAM AND CHITHURST

Another two part mini adventure with S, to a place I've not been before. Recently, I've discovered just how special heaths and commons are in terms of geology and wildlife. I've done a remarkable amount of these lately but have not even scratched the sandy surface of what there is living here. So it was that we took a lazy river walk towards Rogate. Our mission was to hear the churring of nightjars before a sleep amongst the pines.

Midhurst can be reached by a well-timed train via Three Bridges to Pulborough and then a bus.

From the bus stop, backtrack along North Street and take the Rother Walk, Sussex Diamond Way, the New Lipchis Way, all three the same, on the bank of the Rother. Stay with the the river until you enter the National Trust's Woolbeding Estate. Our slightly later start meant that we could have lunch under a memorial to Simon Sainsbury from his partner, Stuart Grimshaw, with the Greek inscription on the stone floor. An owl sits on top. The pair lived together at Woolbeding and as tenants of the National Trust, were responsible for the gardens that can be visited. Leave the water and head up the hill into Whiphill Wood. As you exit and descend the hill on the other side, turn right on the New Lipchis Way. You will reach Woolbeding Bridge.

Cross the Rother and take the footpath on the left. Stay with the lower path that runs alongside the river again. The footbridge on the same bank is out of action but you can navigate around it. You will reach the bridge over to Stedham Mill. Do not cross it, admire the view and continue to Stedham Lane. Turn left and cross Stedham Bridge. Take the bridleway on the far side of the river, on the right.

On Iping Lane, turn right and pass the church. You can take the footpath that enters the fields on your left or avoid the horses and stay with the lane until the junction. Turn left and follow Hammer Lane and then take the byway Glebe Way north, on the left of the Hammer Pond and into Glebe Wood. Go north in Church Lane and immediately join the bridleway. Take the next footpath on the left to reach the Chithurst Lane. Turn right and then left onto the Green Lane and byway.

Finally, at the junction take the Dangstein Road marked for Liss and follow it until you see the white gates on your left. You have reached Elfwoods where we were directed by some other guests to our named pitch. Pitch we did but we didn't have too long to relax before we headed out again for Iping Common:

Return to the Green Lane and just before Chithurst Lane, turn right onto a bridleway going south. Bear right and follow the footpath going south through asparagus fields. At the far side of the hedge, turn right on Brier Lane. Turn right on the footpath south. It will bear left to reach St Mary's at Chithurst. At the road continue on the footpath through the horses to Iping's church again. This time, turn right and follow Iping Lane south until a bridleway allows you to walk through the wood on your right to The Hamilton Arms. We had had a lovely Thai meal here before using School Lane to cross the A272. Turn right and a bridleway through Stedham Common and it will take you through to opposite the car park, on the Elstead Road. 

A little way in and you come upon a Roman road that once connected Chichester and Silchester. It cuts through some bronze age burial mounds. Had we been here 1000 years ago, we might have stayed at a mansio near the river. Iping Common is beyond and a delight, especially from about 21.30 onwards. Hearing and seeing the nightjars but also woodcocks and the appreciation of a lonesome glowworm, back at the car park, all unexpectedly good.