Clayton circular

By Eddie Start

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Clayton Village is a small community at the foot of the Downs’ scarp slope – the stubby bell tower of the church of St John The Baptist crowns the partial Horsham stone roof of this typical downland structure.

If time allows, a diversion to view the church’s medieval wall paintings will add an uplifting start to the walk.

On this walk we climb to the top of the Downs and pass Jack and Jill windmills, two of its most photographed features.

After navigating your way around Wolstonbury Hill you’ll return to get a glimpse of the crenellated entrance to the village’s famous railway tunnel.

1.From the delightful village recreation ground, opposite the church, leave through the entrance to the car park at its eastern end, behind the pavilion, and cross the minor road to a bridleway access point next to the gate for Clayton Court Stables.

Follow the path as it immediately begins to climb beneath hedgerow towards the steeper face of the hillside.

In 200 yards the path turns left and at a bridle gate continues ahead more steeply, trending leftward to a fence corner on the right in 100 yards.

Turn right up the field towards the Jack and Jill windmills, making for the gate into the car park, a few yards short of the bridleway gate and sign a few yards ahead. Walk across the parking area to its far side and turn left up the flint track.

2.Keep to the main track, taking none of the left turns, and climb to a path junction in 300 yards.

Take the right branch in the path, on to the South Downs Way which leads towards New Barn Farm. Pass between the farm buildings, climb to a metal gate and in few yards arrive at a four-way footpath sign.

Turn right down the SDW, walking on the enclosed bridleway beside the golf course that is on the left. Follow the path for three-quarters-of-a-mile, finally crossing the golf club car park and coming to the A273 road at Clayton Hill. Cross the road and turn left on the hedge-lined path to a junction in 150 yards.

Turn right up School Lane into the village of Pyecombe to a minor crossroads in 200 yards.

3.With the tiny village church diagonally to the left, take the right turning up The Wyshe, between a small estate of houses, towards the rising bridleway beside a grassed playground. Climb on the bridleway in a tree and shrub tunnel for 600 yards to a junction.

Pass over the crossing track and in a few paces, at the top of the opposite bank, turn left through a bridle gate.

Follow the obvious track ahead as it gradually climbs above Wellcombe Bottom and passes through a gate in half a mile. Follow the descending track around the southwestern flank of Wolstonbury Hill for nearly half a mile.

4.At a point where the track divides with a branch to the left, and with the obvious earthworks on the right above, take the right fork. Pass beside a hawthorn bush on the right and in five yards take the indistinct path on the right which heads towards the marker post (a yellow arrow) about 100 yards away.

Follow the path as it contours around the northern face of the hill, crossing an intermediate stile and heading for trees.

Enter the tree cover and in a few yards, beside a large sycamore tree drop to the left. Branch right and in a short distance take the descending path on the left with open hillside on the right.

The path finally comes to a stile and crosses down to join a wider track. Take a few paces right and then locate a path on the left that leads out from the wooded cover to a track junction in 50 yards, beside a metal gate. Turn right along a bridleway to arrive at a minor road in 400 yards.

5.Turn left up the road for 400 yards, coming to a brick-built Victorian mailbox post on the left and the obscured cottage gate to number two Beard’s Folly on the right. Walk on for a few paces and take the surfaced drive signposted to Hautboyes on the right.

As the gated entrance to Hautboyes is reached divert left through a squeeze stile, along the right fence line to a second stile that leads across a grassed area beside stables and then into a meadow. Follow the line of the path ahead towards the next stile at the corner of woodland, cross the stile and keep to the left, making for the far left corner stile at Coldharbour Farm.

Immediately turn left behind stables and climb on a track to a right turning at the top of the wooded area. Walk for a few yards to a decked area, cross a stile and turn right along the right field edge. Follow the path for 350 yards to the road.

Take a few paces right and then cross the road to pick up the signed path beside a paddock at Bonny’s Wood. Follow the path through a metal squeeze stile and keep to the left fence line, heading for the left corner of the narrow field, with the woodland on the left.

6.Cross a stile and then walk over a brick-built railway bridge to a path junction beside Lag Wood.

Turn right along the partiallypaved, enclosed path and follow this for a little over a quarter of a mile to emerge at the roadside, with the imposing entrance to Clayton Tunnel opposite. The Jack and Jill Inn is a few paces to the right, over the road bridge.

Turn left along the roadside to a junction with New Road, cross with care and then go right, passing a prominent road sign. In a few yards take the signed path on the left which leads across the recreation field to our starting point.