Chiddingly circular

By Ben Perkins

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The walk takes you past the delightful Chiddingly Church, which boasts one of only three stone spires in Sussex

As with the walk from East Hoathly, which was published in February and with which this walk can easily be linked, today’s circuit samples segments of two long-distance routes – the Vanguard Way and the welltrodden and clearly signed Wealdway.

In contrast, some of the other paths on this five-mile walk from Chiddingly are little used, so care is needed, particularly when following undefined paths across large fields.

1. Start the walk through Chiddingly churchyard, passing to the right of the church to find a stile. Go slightly right across a cricket ground and exit to a lane over a stile beside a gate.

Go over the stile almost opposite and head half-left across a field to go through a gate a few yards to the left of the far-left field corner. Cross the corner of the next field to a stile and a path through a belt of woodland.

2. Just short of the other side of the tree belt, turn left along a woodland crossing path. At the edge of the wood, ignoring a stile on your left, go ahead along a left field edge with a belt of woodland on your left.

From the field corner carry on through the wood, shortly keeping left within the wood edge.

A clear path leads out to the road at Muddles Green where you should turn right.

3. At A road junction turn right again, signposted to Golden Cross and Lewes and, after about 200 yards, turn left along a short, wide grass track to a stile and gate, set back from the road.

Over the stile, head half-right across pasture, skirting to the right of a copse and continuing to find a stile and footbridge in the far right field corner.

Go forward, ignoring a stile on your left, which goes nowhere, to cross the stile ahead and turn left along a left field edge with a wood on your left at first.

Follow this headland path, with good views southwards to the Downs, as it veers gently left and right. Shortly, just past a small oak tree, go left through a gap in the hedge and follow a right field edge out to a lane.

4. Turn right. At a road junction at Thunders Hill, go ahead along the drive to Pekes Farm.

Ignoring a left fork to Pekes Houses, carry on past the farm, now partly converted to a Sussex trug shop. Continue along a hedged track.

After about 250 yards, go left through a gate and head halfright across a field where, earlier in the year, there was no defined path through a bean crop, though this should be harvested by now.

In the far right corner go through a gate and forward along a left field edge to a stile.

A yellow arrow on the stile points the way ahead across a large area of rough pasture where, once again, there was no defined path when I passed this way in the early summer.

As you cross a low rise the next stile comes into sight, at a field corner protruding from the left. Over this stile, maintain direction along a right field edge to reach another stile.

5. Beyond the stile turn left and immediately veer slightly right on a path, which, for a pleasant change, has been well preserved through a growing crop.

On the other side of the field, go ahead over a footbridge and on along the left edge of a meadow with a stream on your left.

In the field corner, side-step to the left through a gate and resume your previous direction, now along a right field edge.

Keep close to the field edge as you skirt to the left of the buildings at World’s End Farm.

Go over a stile and sleeper bridge a few yards to the left of the field corner and veer half right up across the next field, or walk round the right edge if a crop obstructs the direct route.

Either way join the access track from the farm and turn left.

After about 300 yards the well signed Wealdway, which you will now be following back to Chiddingly, joins from the right.

Continue along the track past Rock Harbour Farm to reach a Y-junction where you should fork left and carry on along the drive out to a lane.

6. Turn left. At a road junction go left again and, after a few yards, turn right over a stile to the left of the entrance to Gatehouse Farm.

Follow the signed Wealdway across a field to a stile and along the right edge of the field beyond with the spire of Chiddingly Church now briefly in sight.

From the far end of the field follow the Wealdway down through a wood and across a meadow to a footbridge. Now veer slightly right to join and follow the right edge of two fields gently uphill to reach a lane.

Turn left and, after 40 yards, go right over a stile. A trodden path crosses a field and continues through a wood. Go over a footbridge and walk along an earth causeway at the head of a dried-up pond.

Beyond the next stile a field path heads for Chiddingly Church, crossing paddocks sometimes occupied by miniature ponies.

Join a drive and bear right for the last few yards back to the start. If time permits, Chiddingly Church is worth a visit.

It boasts a fine 60ft tower, one of three stone spires in Sussex, and a landmark for miles around, the other two being at Northiam and Dallington. Note the partially defaced Pelham Buckle, badge of a wellknown local family, on the tower doorway and, inside, the impressive stone-carved monument to Sir John Jefferay, Chief Baron of Exchequer to Elizabeth I.