A Circular Walk South from Harting Down from above South Harting, West Sussex

Distance 15 Miles


The car park is a turning left (when heading south from South Harting) off the B2141 road.

Head east from the car park on the South Downs Way over Harting Down and down between bushes, passing through a gate at the top and one at the bottom. 
(photo:  Looking back north on the South Downs Way down the valley below Harting Down)

150505b.jpg (71134 bytes)
In the valley below Beacon Hill, follow the track up the side of Beacon Hill, still on the South Downs Way, to reach a gate at Telegraph House.
(photo: Leaving the colourful trees near Telegraph House)
150505c.jpg (82003 bytes)
Leave the South Downs Way, passing through a 5-bar gate, then follow the tree-lined access road past Telegraph House. Where the road bends right at the farm cottage, go straight on to join a footpath.
(photo:  Looking back up the track before turning south to Hooksway)
150505e.jpg (57697 bytes)
Pass through the next gate, then go left on the path going down hill on the track that leads to the disused Buriton Farm. In the dip at the bottom, leave the track and take the path off right going south through the middle of the field. Pass through the gate and continue on to reach The Royal Oak pub at Hooksway.
(photo: View back to Staple Ash Farm)
150505h.jpg (85318 bytes)
At the pub, go down the path opposite the pub entrance, which passes down the side of a garden. When a fingerpost is reached (on the right) go off left and follow the path up though the woods. Soon at a clearing, cross over the wide track and go down the path. Cross the next field, over a stile and up alongside the right-side of the next field.
(photo:  Cocking Down from the main road to Cocking Village)
150505k.jpg (76487 bytes)
The path leaves the field and becomes enclosed by hedgerows, eventually exiting on the access road to Brooms Farm up from Chilgrove. Go right, then left at the junction and continue for about a mile on the lane around to Staple Ash farm.
(photo:  South Downs east from Cocking Down)
150505l.jpg (55728 bytes)
Keep left up the road after the farm, and where the road bends left, go straight up onto a footpath. Follow the footpath to the next narrow lane.
(photo:  Long and windy road ... the South Downs Way)
150505m.jpg (65860 bytes)
Go right at the lane, and once around the bend off left on the wide track leading up to Westdean Wood. Follow the track into the wood, the middle of the three, and continue up passing a charcoal burning area. (All tracks are marked with ‘no entry’ signs other than where the footpath is.) On reaching a clearing, go left then on the footpath right passing down back into the woods.
(photo:  And back east along the same stretch)
150505n.jpg (45576 bytes)
(photo:  Southerly view towards the old Buriton Farm) 150505o.jpg (67576 bytes)
The path eventually leaves the wood and goes down the side of a field outside the Westdean Wood. The path soon passes down between hedgerows ... and is very overgrown with nettles ... to reach the A286 Chichester to Cocking road.
(photo:  On the way up to Pen Hill)
150505q.jpg (80931 bytes)
Go left up the road for a short distance to reach a small car park on the South Downs Way. Go left onto the South Downs Way, following it over Cocking Down, Linch Down, Didling Down and Treyford Hill then down to join the track leading to old Buriton Farm.
(photo:  East along the South Downs Way from Pen Hill)
150505r.jpg (60669 bytes)
Continue straight on, still on the South Downs Way, passing over Pen Hill then on to Beacon Hill ...... having left the South Downs Way. (Here, for some reason it skirts around Beacon Hill.) Pass over Beacon Hill to below Harting Down, now back.
(photo:  And west along the South Downs from Beacon Hill)
150505s.jpg (54483 bytes)

Copyright © 2005 'Sandy Saunders Productions'. All rights reserved.