Section 34
Trotton to Rogate
Walk Details
Walk Instructions
FOLKESTONE TO FARNHAM ROBUST RAMBLE
Section 34 Out
Trotton to Rogate
Map: OS Explorer 133 Haslemere & Petersfield
Distance/Time: 5.5 miles/2.5m hours
Start: Ayling’s Garden Centre and Tea Rooms in Trotton
Comments: Bracken – check for ticks. Varied countryside and some splendid trees. Some country road walking at the start to avoid the dangerous A272 through Trotton. Even the short sections involved here are very dangerous for walkers. A HiViz waistcoat is recommended. The White Horse at Rogate has been closed for some time but plans are in hand to re-open it.
With the Garden Centre behind, turn right, back along the main road a short distance to Chithurst Lane. The lane splits into two branches as it meets the main road. Cross the first branch and go over the grassy patch to the other branch.
With great care turn left to cross the main road to a bridle path opposite going into woods.
Go down to a T-junction with another bridle path. Turn right and keep along to emerge onto a road called Terwick Lane. Turn left on Terwick Lane for ½ mile with care.
On reaching buildings at Dumpford, turn right up a bridleway on the drive, called Mill Lane (1-7). Keep down, past houses, to a Mill. Wind down through the buildings, to cross the River Rother at a weir. Go through a swing gate, to enter a rough pasture.
Bear right, diagonally uphill, towards cottages at the top. Exit through a wooden fieldgate, onto a drive, in front of the cottages.
Keep along the drive, called Rother Lane. Where it swings left stay on it, ignoring a footpath off right, by a rusty fieldgate.
Emerge at a T-junction on a bend of the A272.
Opposite is a hedge. There is a footpath the other side of this hedge on which our route turns left. If no gap in the hedge is evident then it will be necessary to turn right along the main road looking for a way up onto the path (the actual start is waymarked just before Trotton Farm on the left at the entrance to the village)
Climb up, off the road, going left onto the grassy verge-side footpath. This soon has a hedge on your left, to separate it from the road. Keep along by the hedge, on the left, for ¾ mile.
Go gently upwards, along the edges of three fields. Meet stiles in the hedges, which separate each field; these may be very overgrown (the second one goes off left, well before the end of the field).
At the top edge of the third field, go through the hedge, and turn immediately left, to a road. Turn left, down the road for 100 metres, looking for a rough drive on your right, leading to Cumber’s Farm.
Walk along this drive. After passing through farm buildings, the track continues as a grassy path, between earthen banks.
Eventually, reach a T-junction. Turn right, uphill. At the top, emerge onto roads at a junction.
Ignore the first turning left, and walk up to the higher road going left, with a fence and small pasture, on your right. Walk a short distance along, to a wooden fieldgate, on your left (before the road begins to go downhill).
Go through the gate. Ignore the vehicle track, and turn sharp right, on a footpath between two oak trees, close by a fence on your right.
After some way, reach a crossing of paths in a small clearing, by holly trees. Go forward, as before, on the middle way, ignoring a path going up left, and another going down to the right.
Next, reach a junction, by a tall pine tree. Ignore a turning left, and bear right, to continue in the same direction as before.
Soon emerge at a major crossing. Turn left, on a bridleway, going uphill, by a row of trees. Go uphill, then down, to a road.
Ignore a footpath opposite, and turn right, on the road, for ¼ mile. Walk along with a large private estate on your right. Pass several entrances. The main one is called ‘Green Ride’.
Here, the woods on your right give way to horse paddocks. Keep forward, along the road (ignore a bridleway off left).
A little further on, leave the road. Turn off left, on a footpath going by a metal fieldgate, with a block of concrete behind. Keep downhill, through marvellous woods and pines.
As woods end, the path becomes enclosed. Eventually pass farm buildings on your right (ignore path coming in on the right).
At the end of a garden, on your right, bear left, over a stile, into a large field, and keep on downhill, to a kissing gate, in the bottom right corner.
This leads out of the field, to a road. Turn left into Rogate. At a major junction in the village centre, turn left, to the ‘White Horse’ pub building and the end of the section.
FOLKESTONE TO FARNHAM ROBUST RAMBLE
Section 34 Return
Rogate to Trotton
Map: OS Explorer 133 Haslemere & Petersfield
Distance/Time: 5.5 miles/2.5m hours
Start: The White Horse pub in Rogate
Comments: Bracken – check for ticks. A long section so allow plenty of time. Some possible boggy sections. Short sections of road walking. The final section back to the garden centre in Trotton has to use the outward route along Terwick Lane to avoid the busy A272 road.
With the White Horse on your left, and the church on your right, walk east, out of the village, along the main A272 road (there is a pavement but keep well back from the road edge).
Keep on, downhill. Cross a side road, and keep on, to soon reach the hamlet of Fyning.
Just after a bus stop, where a brick wall starts, turn right, down a farm track, into a field.
Go forward, along the field edge, with trees on your left. Where trees end, reach a Y-fork of paths.
Take the righthand one, basically in the same direction, crossing the field to a corner of woodland. Go ahead, along, and just inside, the edge of the wood.
At the next corner, by a giant oak, bear right, along the hedge on your right, across a marshy space, to a stile into further woodland.
Keep forward, eventually to reach, and cross, a substantial footbridge, over the River Rother, into a marshy pasture.
Turn right, along by the river, looking for a broad, grassy track, rising gently uphill, to meet the hedge at the top.
Keep forward, with the hedge and fence on your left, to a stile by a metal fieldgate. Cross, and keep on, to drop down to a road.
Turn left on this road for some way. Pass cottages and turn left, up a bridleway on a gravel drive. This soon becomes a grassy way, wet and muddy in places.
Climb steadily, to reach a wood. Here, follow the track around to the right (ignore a metal fieldgate on left), following the edge of the wood on your left.
At the top corner, by a metal fieldgate, meet a footpath. Bear left, still with the wood on your left, with views of the South Downs on your right.
Keep on for some way, until the end of trees on your left (ignore tracks off right). Turn right, on a sandy track, towards a pylon. Go under power lines to a corner of woodland.
Do not enter woods, but stay on the track, as it bears left, then soon right, and drops down to a road. Turn left on the road for ½ mile.
This is a pleasant road, with high banks and trees. Zig-zag over a river bridge, and pass Dumpford Farm, then a large conference hotel, the Southdown Hotel.
A short distance beyond, where woods begin on your right, cross a stile, on your right, into mud and trees; go forward.
In about 25 metres, look for a footpath going off left, to a footbridge. There is a finger post, but it points over a very boggy route. Go forward a few paces, to a large Beech tree and turn left here on a more definite path. It is still boggy.
Soon reach, and cross, a footbridge. Go forward, up a bank, bearing right, to a pasture. Turn right, along a fence, then soon left, on a path between fences and horse paddocks.
At the top, cross a stile, into a pasture. Bear diagonally left, to the far left corner. Cross a metal fieldgate, and immediately, turn right, over a stile, into a garden. Follow the fence on your left, to emerge onto a gravel drive.
Bear right, up towards a brick wall. Follow the wall, on your right, past a shed, to soon reach a stile in a corner. Cross to a road and turn left.
At the bottom, reach a junction. Turn right on Terwick Lane for ½ mile (this is the same route as the outward section).
Near the end, by houses on the right, in trees, and a left bend in the road, find a bridlepath going back sharp right off the road.
Follow this a short distance looking for another bridlepath off left. Follow this out to the A272 opposite Chithurst Lane. Turn right with care to return to the Garden Centre and start of the section.
