The South Downs Way. A personal journey.
Day Six
Well, we finally got around to continuing the walk, some 10 months later. My excuse was that Winter started, and then work got in the way - which is true to a large extent. We wanted to start again in May or June, but for various reasons, not least the weather, May didn't seem the best time to go, and at the end of May I was offered a very good Contract to work away. Initially, this was for 2 weeks, but eventually turned into the whole month and a bit more. There was then a tidying up period interspersed with a fair amount of Golf. Towards the the end of July, the weather started to look really good, and one morning, I called my Dad, aka SDW Taxi's, and asked if they were available that morning to take us to Cocking. "Yes", came the answer, so when we'd got our act together, we drove in company to Mary & David Wilders house near Harting and conveniently located just off the South Downs Way where we parked the car. Many thanks again, Mary, very handy.
We stopped for a few minutes to chart with Mary. My Dad asked about the tree at the end of the drive. I sort of glazed over a bit, but seem to remember they decided it is a Norway Pine. They then got into deep discussion with about the ivy that surrounded the tree, and whether or not ivy eventually kills trees. Answer no, according to our erstwhile taxi driver. I have my doubts, because I'm sure Bill Oddie said it does. But then he knows about birds, not trees.
Anyway, Mary has done the walk from Cocking many times, and says it will take 2 hours. This is a bit disappointing, because we'd wanted to try and got a decent days walk in - as in some distance. Still, it is the South Downs Way, and we are making progress, so we say our goodbye's and see you laters, hop into the taxi and enjoy another lovely drive into Midhurst and out the other side through Cocking. Which would be an even nicer village without the road, but as ever, it wouldn't be there without the road.
After a small contretemps locating the entrance to the Car Park on the South Downs Way at Cocking, we arrived and parked in the same spot we had used last September, and took photographs to record for posterity. Saying goodbye to the generous taxi service, we headed off down the road and on down the walk. It was another fabulous day, and though hot, the prospects were very good.
The day's walk, because it started late (around midday), had a different feel to it. but that was not a problem. We were prepared for heat, had lots of water, and anticipated some more of the downland walking we enjoyed so much previously. And so it was initially. As ever at the beginning, though we started quite high up, the road became a path (track), and started to go uphill. After a short while, we came to point where it divided. Not for the first time, we had to hunt around to find the way on, but a signpost cunningly hidden by some growth showed the way. Stopping reasonably frequently to drink and gaze back, the views across and back to Midhurst and way beyond were once again breathtaking.
At the next (badly signed) point where the path divided, we spied a curious beehive shaped stone. Pictures were duly taken, and we walked on up the path. Which went into a wood, and out the other side. We came to a sign, but there was no mention of the South Downs Way, so we got out the map. Much to our annoyance, we had taken the wrong path. We turned around, and 10 minutes later came back to the beehive stone, turned up the correct path (cursing the sign that still obstinately pointed the wrong way) and carried on.
The Beehive Stone. Probably not what it is, but that'll do
As we had hoped, and the map had promised, we were walking along a downland ridge and over Didling Hill, with views both ways and, hooray, sheep again. We weren't actually walking in the fields, but in a path in between, which was great - no SSA's here.
The South Downs Way, looking East towards Midhurst
Which also meant we could marvel at the wonderful views across to Goodwood, easily identifiable with it's attendant masts, and the Isle of Wight. We could make out the Forts (Palmerstons Follies in the middle of the Solent), and some other large structures - that appeared to move... Ah, those must be ships, then. Ahem.
Into a wooded section, we met another walker coming the other way. She had a really nice little Westie, so of course we stopped to chat and compare notes. To my annoyance, I didn't ask her name, nor that of her little dog, but she came from Godalming. This lady was very pleasantly talkative and we spent a good 10 minutes chatting about the walk, what was to come, where we had been, and what to do next. She mentioned the pub in Harting where she had an excellent meal, and we told her how we were close to home so would be eating in our own house, but would pop in there another time. She was walking the other way, from West to East, and was planning to do it in 10 days, which sounded pretty much about right. She also said she had done the Isle of Wight Coast Path walk the previous year. We are very keen to continue our walking, and this sounds perfect for our next venture. Watch this space!
Walking on, we failed to keep an eye on where we were going, and the path started going downhill. A Land Rover Discovery 4x4 came past, slowly, but speeded up once past and raised a huge cloud of dust for us to walk into. Grrr.... Anyway, walking on downhill, we realised of course that we'd have to go up again soon, but enjoyed the cool woods and gentle downhill. After another 15 minutes or so we came to habitation - a car, then a building, and then people sitting outside at tables chatting. A pub! Excellent! Until I suddenly realised that I recognised it. This was The Royal Oak at Hooksway. A great pub, for sure, but a sinking feeling. I was pretty sure it wasn't on the South Downs Way. In fact, nowhere near where we wanted to be.
Out came the map, and some study made us realise we had missed a sharp right turn at the top of the hill, shortly before the Discovery had come past. I then remembered clearly that we had walked through a major junction (well, a major footpath junction anyway), and that is where we should have consulted the map. For the second time that day, we had walked the wrong way, this time for even longer. We looked at each other, groaned a lot, and turned round and started walking back up the hill again. For some reason, and I'm not sure why, I didn't get the blame for this. Still I blesssed my good fortune, and panted back up to the junction.
When we got there, a big sign clearly indicated the way on - but we'd never have seen it unless we looked back - which, obviously, we didn't. Not sure what the lesson is here - apart from take the map really seriously. The turn was clear on the map, we just walked straight past it.
Anyway, shortly after was a poignant reminder of the 2nd World War, a memorial to a Polish Pilot who had presumably crashed there. We often found similar signs on the walk - benches with peoples names on, and sometimes rather more elaborate structures. Indeed a bit further on, at the bottom of a stile and very unobtrusive was a small plaque attached to a stone that said "Mark liked it here". That was all it said, but it didn't need to say any more, and was that bit special because of it.
Presently, the woods opened out and we were back into fields. We came to a road crossing - in fact a driveway leading to a farm being converted into a fabulous residential dwelling. All would have been well except no signs. The map sort of indicated turning left towards the farm, and then right. We took a stab at it, and an entrance came into view. And there was the signpost, again hidden in the undergrowth. To be honest, it only took a minute to find the entrance and the sign, but it was becomining indicative of the day.
The sign, lurking behind a hedge
Because we had studied the map, we recognised where the path continued straight up the hill, which was very steep. This was Beacon Hill, and the beginning of National Trust land called Harting Down. Our friend with the Westie had said, when talking earlier, that we must take this path because the views are spectacular. However, we were now in home territory, had walked Beacon Hill before, and knew it well. And the path bore left and round the back of the hill. We were walking the South Downs Way, and that is where the path went, so that is the route we took. Referring back to earlier, taking the purist way, no shortcuts for us! Somewhat longer, but not as steep.
The final bit of the days walk was very familiar from walks with Barney over a number of years. Still a great place to walk, and what most will recognise as proper downland. When we were getting near the turn that would take us back down to Mary's and our car at the bottom of the hill, we started chatting about what to do on the next stage - which by then we had decided was going to be the following day. Clearly, we didn't want to start from Mary's, because, lovely place though it is, it would entail a steep uphill climb to start the next section. Depending on whom we could blag a lift from, it would have to be easily accesible from a road.
We decided that we would walk on to the Car Park at the top of Harting Hill, and then back along the path and down to Mary's house. I had wanted to go on to the next road crossing, and then walk down into Harting via a path down the hill, and then along the road back to Mary's. This was vetoed because of the road, and was the right decision, because by the time we got to the Car Park, we still had a fairly stiff walk back, and the turf was easier than the road. It also made dropping off easier the following day. And the walk back down the hill was wonderful, beech hanger and quiet. Very pleased we did it.
At the finish for the day
The 2 hour walk actually took us nearer 4, but a fair chunk of that was wrong turnings and going on to the Car Park and back again. Even so, it had been a great day, hot but not at all unpleasant. We stopped for a chat with Mary, and then on the way back pulled in to another potential Taxi spot at my friend Nigels house (see Day One). Nigel very kindly agreed to drop us at the Car Park on top of Harting on his way to work early the following morning. Another plan falls into place.