This walk takes you through woods and fields between Chiddingfold and Ram’s Nest. Chiddingfold became famous for its glass-making – during the reign of Elizabeth I, there were no fewer than 11 glass works on the green. Chiddingfold glass was used in some of the finest buildings in the land, including St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster, and St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The walk was submitted by Guildford Rambling Club (see guildfordramblingclub.org.uk).
1. From The Green go south, down the main road to pass the Swan and cross a bridge. Just past Turners Mead turn left, up a footpath. Walk along by back fences and out over a stile into a field. Stay on the right-hand side to exit over a stile into woodland. Go up a slope and, at the top, over a stile and left, around a field edge to another stile. Re-enter the wood and go down steps to a lake and up to a T junction at the edge of a huge field. Follow the path right, through a corridor around the edge of this field. At the far end, cross a stile and go left and down the drive of ‘Old Pickhurst’, to reach a road.
2. Cross straight over and walk up a side road, High Street Green. After 150 yards and just past the entrance to Follies Farm, take a footpath right. This takes you along the edge of a garden and out onto the Follies Farm drive. Keep going along the drive until, as it turns right to the house, continuing straight ahead on a grassy path running alongside a wooden bar fence. This path drops down into the trees of Tugley Wood, crosses a small brick bridge and then climbs up to a T junction. Turn right, ignoring a right after 50 yards and soon afterwards reaching a T junction with a wide forestry track.
3. Turn right on this track. Soon, ignore a wide track going down to the right and, after it, follow the track as it swings left to approach a small rise. Here another track forks off to the right. Take it and walk along it, paralleling a small valley down to your right. Go on, over a cross path and eventually reaching a road. Turn right and walk some 300 yards, passing a few houses, ignoring a first footpath left and passing ‘Warco’ to reach a second footpath left, down the drive to ‘Downlands’. About 150 yards down here, take a footpath right, over a stile and into a field.
4. Keep to the right-hand fence and, about 30 yards in, reach a post with yellow arrows pointing both ahead and also half-left. Go half-left and exit this field into the next over a stile next to a gate. The next field is narrow and there is a stile from it over into a large open area that boasts race horse training tracks. Go straight out across this area towards woods on a slope on the far side and find a stile taking you left, into them. At the top of the wood another stile takes you out into a field. Cross it and also another stile to reach the Sussex Border Path, running along by a hedge. Follow this to the right. Reach a road and go straight across. Enter a large field and stay on the left-hand side of it and the next three fields.
5. Go through a gate into a wood. Quickly reach a 3-way signpost at a cross paths. Jink right a couple of yards then left to continue straight on. Pass through another gate and go out of the wood into a field. Again, stay on the left-hand side. Partway along is a 2-way signpost. From here you need to head half-right across to the far right-hand corner but crops may force you to continue walking anti-clockwise around to the corner. You may want to think about taking your lunchtime picnic here. Go over a stile and through a screen of trees then along the left-hand side of a small field and past the left-hand side of a cottage. Emerge on Gostrode Lane. Go left to meet the main Chiddingfold/Northchapel Road next to a petrol station that has within it a convenience store. The Mulberry pub is about 100 yards along on the left. Ramster and its tea room are along to the right.
6. After lunch, cross the road from the petrol station, turn right towards Ramster but then turn left into Killinghurst Lane. Another picnic option is the verge on the right a little way up this lane. Walk about ¾ mile between trees along this quiet lane until a field appears on the right. At this point a footpath takes you right and along a field edge and then forks right into trees. Keep going for about ½ mile, cross another footpath then a three plank bridge and climb a slope to a T junction. Here, go right and walk along in the edge of a wood.
7. Reach a road by the gate to ‘Hollyhurst’ and continue on along it to meet Mill Lane and continue straight ahead. Now, walk along Mill Lane until, opposite the Ukrainian Home, taking a footpath left, at first in the drive of a house but then bypassing its garage. Enter a wood, fork right and pass a lake (on your left). Climb up to emerge on the Downs. At the top, the path meets a T junction with a path on which you turn right. Follow this alongside a garden fence, then along a short residential road and finally drop down to the church at Chiddingfold and through the churchyard to reach the Green.
DISTANCE: 8.75 miles
OS MAPS: Explorer 133 Haslemere & Petersfield
STARTING POINT: The Green at Chiddingfold
REFRESHMENTS:
The Mulberry Inn, Petworth Road, Chiddingfold GU8 4SS. Tel: 01428 644 460. www.themulberryinn.co.uk.
The Crown Inn, The Green, Chiddingfold GU8 4TX. Tel: 01428 682255. www.thecrownchiddingfold.com.
The Swan Inn, Petworth Road, Chiddingfold GU8 4TY. Tel: 1428 684688. www.theswaninnchiddingfold.com.
Top image: Village pond and old Crown Inn, Chiddingfold by Colin Smith
