- Date: 27 July 2022
- Leader: Lynne Burge
- Distance: 10 Miles
- Start: 10:00 am Elsted Village Hall, GR. SU816196
Elated – 10 Hilly Miles
8 of us, plus a dog began the walk from Elsted Village Hall on a coolish, breezy morning. Having negotiated the narrow village roads as two enormous combines rattled through, we took the quieter road that leads down to Treyford. We soon left the road behind us and took an ancient track along past a couple of fields. Then we began the climb up the aptly named Mount Sinai. This is one of those very steep hills that just as you think you are reaching the top then shows you another sharp incline. By the time the path levelled out the idea that the day was a little chilly was long forgotten and layers were taken off.
The fields that we passed were all very parched, in fact for the whole of the walk the ground was rock hard. We descended slightly to meet the South Downs Way, not long after it had passed Buriton Farm, climbing steadily up through trees to where we left the SD path for a while.
As the trail led us downwards, we passed a sign marking the site of Old Monkton Village. Apart from a few bumps in the field nothing else visible is left, the majority of the site being covered by undergrowth and trees. On researching the origins of this village little is known, or even why it was abandoned. After a short stop to refresh ourselves, we continued along the track passing Yew Tree Cottage and meeting a quiet backwater of a road. Passing Staple Ash Farm, we began yet another ascent, walking through large areas covered by the West Dean Estate. They have started to use the local wood to weave their fences and are making habitats for butterflies and other wildlife. We would have read up about it all on an information board but it was old and obscured by damp patches over the time it had been there.
It was in this area that we came across at least 3 large spheres of chalk of which we were bemused to see. How did they get there? Why there and what were they meant to represent? We had no answers but remembered one of the ramblers, on a previous walk, talking about them being part of a sculpture. On researching at home later in the day I discovered that they were placed there by Andy Goldsworthy and in fact there are a dozen of them scattered in the area. Time for a ‘hunt the chalk sphere’ game?
It was in this area that we came across at least 3 large spheres of chalk of which we were bemused to see. How did they get there? Why there and what were they meant to represent? We had no answers but remembered one of the ramblers, on a previous walk, talking about them being part of a sculpture. On researching at home later in the day I discovered that they were placed there by Andy Goldsworthy and in fact there are a dozen of them scattered in the area. Time for a ‘hunt the chalk sphere’ game?
Musing over the balls of chalk we reached the South Downs Way again and turned along it, enjoying the views across the countryside.
After our lunch stop, we descended a steep path that led us to Didling Church, or the church of the shepherd as it is sometimes called. The small building nestles in to the side of the Downs and is well worth a visit. It has no electricity, candles provide light when needed, with ancient pew ends and probably one of the oldest fonts in the country. The bell dates from 1587. A quaint diversion on our walk
Passing easily through the small hamlet of Didling we made our way across the fields back towards Elsted. Having walked across a field full of crops but with huge cracks in the parched earth we came across a large area full of huts and wired runs. This is an area where half a million pheasants are raised each year to supply various shoots. In some of the pens small birds could be seen scuttling around.
One last haul across the final fields led us to the back of the local pub. Resisting the temptation to sit with a cooling drink we made our way back to the village hall and a welcome change of footwear before wending our way home.
Author and Photographer: Lynne Burge