If you want to lose yourself in England’s youngest National
Park you could do a lot worse than a circuit from the Northwood car park,
Slindon estate, near the village of Slindon. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/slindon-estateThis takes a little finding,
hidden away off the beaten track just to the north of this very pretty village
which I have referred to before in my post on ‘Exploring the South Downs.’ You
need to come off the main A27 road just to the east of Fontwell, near where the
racecourse sits on the south side of the highway, and take the A29 road to Pulborough
and Billingshurst. Almost immediately take a left turn off the main road which
takes you through a wooded area and into the village. Keep bearing left through
the settlement until you reach the far edge of the village with the main church
on your right and the boys’ school on your left. Here the road slings abruptly
round and down to the left and just after there is a right turn down a narrow
lane headed for Gumber Bothy, a destination to warm the hearts of many a Duke
of Edinburgh award participant, where after a hard day’s map reading and
lugging outsize rucksacks around the countryside many a youngster would arrive
at a sheep filled homestead with space for tents and indoor bunks for shuteye,
but not before toasted marshmallows and cocoa.
It’s all narrow country lane territory here, so no breaking
the speed limit. It has been said that British drivers are (some of) the best
in the world. It’s because we have to negotiate teeny weeny windy country lanes
like these, honed by centuries of settlement, meaning you have to remain alert
at all times!
En route is the inauspicious Northwood car park, where the
road hits a confluence of paths, then angles to the right and bulges into
enough space for a dozen cars to park. Here you can take your pick of routes. I
chose to head north east in the direction of the bothy along the gravel lane,
but not for long. After passing Northwood cottages on your left you hit some
woodland to your right. The pristine signposts indicate that a lot of work has
been done in this area recently, and so it has. The rise of Northwood has been
posted on the National Trust website as the biggest woodland restoration that
the National Trust has ever taken on. Here’s the link: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/slindon-estate/northwood There’s lots more to say
on this but I’ll keep to the walk.
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| Take a right turn here! |
So take a right turn to the east through some woodland and
the path meanders for a while then strikes right into more open country. Here the
splendour of the downs opens up and paths sprout up all over, like the lines in
an elder’s craggy face. Keep following the path and you hit a crossroads, the path
left stretching endlessly to the north and the path right to the south and back
in the Slindon direction, all through open sheep filled downland (mind the
electric fence).
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| Wonderful views |
Head north up Great Down in the direction of that majestic
hill top confluence of paths at Bignor, which still peeps alluringly in the
distance but will only be reachable with a serious walk extension. To your
right is Ashlee Wood, out of bounds for your casual walker. This is a long
exhilarating stretch which ends with a gate/style at the entrance to woodland. But before
you leave the downland someone has sculpted a bench out of a mighty old log and perched
it perfectly for you to admire the open vista of down and woodland stretching
to the English channel, with the spire of Chichester cathedral hiding somewhere
to the right and Bognor Regis straight ahead to the south. You just have to
pray that no one else has got there before you as its’s a plum picnic spot.
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| Rolling view to the sea |
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| Spot the bench! |
Over the style or through the gate and the path now hugs the east side of the
woodland, with Great Bottom, a perfect tongue of woodland over to your right side.
Eventually you reach Gumber Corner, a T junction, where you can meander to the
east to reach Bignor and its large car park and picnic area. Or you can strike
west and quickly pick up the Monarch’s Way which follows Stane Street, the site
of an old Roman road. This road linked London to Noviomagus Reginorum, or Chichester
to you and me! Aren’t you glad the Saxons renamed it.
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| There's Great Bottom on the left |
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| And again |
We’re still on the Slindon Estate here, and as the path heads south west there is a semi parkland feel to the landscape, with tree strewn rolling downland interspersed with patches of woodland. Makes you want to look for a stately home, but that’s a good walk away back in Slindon Village. http://slindonhouse.co.uk/history-2/ True to form, Stane Street is as straight as an arrow, and soon you reach a junction where you can bear left into Gumber Bothy, a camping barn and leisure area for groups doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award or suchlike.
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| Rolling parkland, where's the stately home? |
I’ve done my time here as
a teacher, a good few years ago, helping look after Bronze/Silver award groups
traversing the South Downs. There’s a proper farm here and some cottages, nestling
in a natural dip in the landscape. There’s a bit of history here too. Gumber
Farm was the site of a decoy airfield in the Second World War to try and deflect
bombing from Tangmere, just down the road if you’re unfamiliar with the geography.
Wooden airplanes were used during the day and light flares at night to fool the
Germans, although in the end it wasn’t foolproof and was only used between 1940
and 1941. Concrete structures can still be seen today such as the builder that
housed the generator to power the
lights.
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| Gumber Farm and Bothy |
We’re now heading south and leave the enclosure of Gumber
Farm to take the track through a stretch of woodland. Eventually we come to
Warren Barn, a fine looking structure built in the 18th century and
a great photo opportunity. Keep heading south with woodland to your left and
you’re soon back at Northwood car park. A fine way to spend a couple of hours of
a weekend afternoon.
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| Warren Barn |
