- Date: 3 September 2025
- Walk Leader: Peter Berg
- Distance: 8.7 miles
Borden Wood, Woolbeding Common and Iping
This was one of those “Shall I, Shan’t I?” days. The weather forecast given was one of heavy rains together with a yellow wind warning. Hmmmm. The layby car parking facility was not overcrowded with the usual number of enthusiastic Ramblers, eagerly looking forward to a novel walk across the beautiful West Sussex countryside. Obviously the main attitude of those intrepid Ramblers that did show was primarily along the lines of “What the heck! – let’s see what it’s like when I get there!”
Four of us set out along the Serpent Trail in what can only be described as quite surprisingly mild weather – no rain, and with very little wind. Had the Met Office got its forecast wrong? Was this another conspiracy theory designed to keep people off the streets, and footpaths, of our neck of the woods?
Off we set, down The Serpent Trail, along what was still, despite the recent rain over the previous week, a firm path. We caught haunting images of mist still trapped in the trees higher up the slopes. Crossing Milland Road onto a decidedly not marshy Iping Marsh, followed by an even less marshy Stedham Marsh, it began to look, weather-wise, as if we would be enjoying our coffee stop at the top of Woolbeding Common, taking in the panorama on offer, in comfort. We watched the rain clouds to the west marching towards us as we finished off our refreshments, prompting the donning of our waterproofs. The wind by now had begun to pick up a little, but still nothing resembling what we had been led to believe.
Passing between the two serpent statues, still on The Serpent Trail, which we followed for another half mile before turning south and downhill towards Pound Common. By now the rain had found us, not the torrential downpour promised, instead more of a regular rain. We met someone out foraging for mushrooms/fungi, who showed us what she had collected in her basket – a single beech boletus so far, and on the lookout for porcini mushrooms. Crossing Woolbeding Lane, heading west, we entered a field with a hedge on our left, to the south, offering us shelter from the wind which was still picking up. Swallows were very much in evidence here, swooping around very close to us, no doubt enjoying the wind. We enjoyed their acrobatics.
A little after crossing Tote Lane, we joined The New Lipchis Way, passing Ash House and its ponds. A woodland trail towards Hammerwood House and into the field where although we did not see the GIANT horses, we did see a couple of their GIANT horseshoes! By now the rain had stopped and the wind had died down. Crossing the field we strode into Iping and St. Mary’s church for lunch.
On exiting the church, we found that the sun had come out, blue skies around, and only enough wind to make flying a kite worthwhile. Off came the waterproofs! Heading oop north along Iping Lane for a short spell before entering a field where mushrooms were in abundance. Crossing the course of a Roman Road, then downhill on Hammer Lane into Hammer Wood, enjoying the sunlight on Hammer Pond. This brought us out onto Cooks Pond Lane, which we immediately turned off to enjoy a final tramp through Wick Wood, before rejoining the track of Green Lane. The wind had again increased, we could hear it in the tall trees above us, whilst enjoying the shelter they provided.
Back to the cars and all in all, a most welcome, enjoyable romp!
Author: Peter Berg
Photography: David Roberts and Claire Cane