Plumpton east circular

By Ben Perkins

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Blackcap on the summit of the Downs

Starting from Plumpton at the foot of the Downs, this walk turns its back on the hills and heads northwards to explore a patchwork of woods and fields in the Low Weald.

It is a walk without significant climbs, following generally wellmaintained paths, thanks to the work of a group of volunteers known as the Monday Group. At under five miles, it is a short walk but can be conveniently linked with the walk from Ditchling Beacon, published on March 11 of this year and available for download from The Argus website.

This would extend the walk to about 11 miles, the most convenient link point being the T-junction with the track at GR371144 beyond point 5, from which you can follow most of the earlier walk via East Chiltington, Streat, Westmeston, Ditchling Beacon and the South Downs Way back to the Half Moon and the start of today’s walk.

1. From the lay-by along Plumpton Lane, turn left to head north but, after a few yards, go right over a stile. Cross the right side of a paddock to a gate and continue with a high wall on your right to reach a stile.

Cross a drive and another stile and then head slightly left, diagonally across a field to stile in the far left corner. Now go ahead along a headland track with a wood on your left and a fine view towards the downland escarpment over to your right.

In the field corner, follow the track round to the left and, in the next field corner, cross a drive and veer half-right across the next field. Go over a stile in a hedgerow, cross another drive, go through a swing gate and forward along a headland track to join a lane.

2. Turn left and, after 60 yards, go right along a drive laid with concrete strips. Pass to the left of the farm buildings at Warningore Farm and, after a few yards, fork right through a bridle gate and drop down across the middle of a field with an electric fence on your left to reach a similar gate. To your right, you get a good view of the hilltop clump of Blackcap on the summit of the Downs.

Through the gate, go half-left across the middle of a field to another gate from which a clear path winds ahead through trees. When you come out into the open, bear right to follow a wide, grassy strip across a field, walking beneath minor power lines.

Just short of a gate into a field, turn left along a track which heads north through Warningore Wood, gradually gaining height. Ignore all side and crossing paths.

3. Emerging from the main bulk of the woodland go forward along a grassy track with a wood on your left only. At the corner of the wood, follow the track as it turns right and subsequently left beside a left-hand fence before dropping down through an area of patchy scrub and bracken.

Continue along a left field edge and then between hedges. Where this track comes out into the open, turn sharply back to the left along another track.

After a few yards, just short of the buildings at Spooner’s Farm, fork right to follow a left field edge, using a trodden path which skirts to the right of the buildings and then bears right to head out across the middle of a field.

4. On the other side of the field, go ahead through a strip of woodland where you will cross a culverted stream. Leave the wood over a stile and maintain your previous direction across another field to find a squeeze stile behind a prominent red-brick house.

Follow the concrete drive from this house, ignoring a signed path to the right. A few yards short of a “Private Road” notice, fork left over a small ladder stile and head for the Downs, following the direction of an arrow down across pasture.

Go over a squeeze stile, left through a gate and ahead across a field to find two more squeeze stiles sandwiching a sleeper bridge. Now go forward along a left field edge.

In the field corner, go over a stile and plank bridge hidden in the hedge and, ignoring a gate on the left, go ahead along a left field edge to join Novington Lane and turn left.

5. After about 400 yards, just past a cottage on your right, turn right over a ladder stile, go ahead for 30 yards and then veer half-right across a meadow to find two more stiles taking you through a belt of woodland.

Cross the next field, slanting half-left, go over stile beside a gate, forward for a few yards along a track to a T-junction with another track. This is the link point with the earlier Argus walk. For the earlier walk, turn right but to complete today’s circuit, turn left.

After about a quarter of a mile, pass to the right of Stable Cottage and, ignoring the drive from the cottage, go ahead through a gate and across two paddocks with a stiled fence between them and heading for the Downs once more.

In the far right corner of the second paddock, cross a hunt jump and after a few yards bear right over two stiles with a shaky plank bridge between them. Bear half-left across the next field, to join Plumpton Lane over a stile, and turn left for about 400 yards back to the start.