Robust Rambles

Section 25

Ashington to Storrington

Walk Details

Walk Instructions

GREATSTONE TO GILLINGHAM ROBUST RAMBLE

Section 25  Out

Ashington to Storrington, Smock Alley

Map: OS Explorer 121 Arundel to Pulborough

Distance/Time: 4 miles/ 2 hours

Start: The Red Lion, Ashington; on street parking available or ask at pub.

Comment: A pleasant and enjoyable walk with contrasts of open fields and secluded wooded paths. Unfortunately, there is an unpleasant section north of Ashington, around West Wolves Farm, which involved climbing a fieldgate, and a tough path just beyond, only 30 centimetres wide, through great banks of brambles. Take secateurs ! Usual plethora of stiles.

From the front of the Red Lion, turn right, to go down the road running along the side of the main building. At a Y-fork, bear right on an unmade residential road. At the end, turn right into the car park of Ashington Village Club.

Join an enclosed path at the top between fences. Emerge at Ash Parish Church. Bear right along the road, past the church. At a bend ahead, leave road, to go straight on on a footpath up the side of a playing field, ignoring a path off left.

At the top cross a road and continue on a footpath between hedges. Reach and cross another road and continue between fences and a ditch. At the end reach a T-junction with a road.

Turn right for 15 metres, then turn left, down the side of a large white house, on a rough vehicle track. Where this track swings left, go straight ahead through a wooden kissing gate, and down an enclosed path.

At the end of woods, cross a stile and continue up the side of a large paddock. Cross a farm track and go through a metal fieldgate and on as before.

On reaching a wooden fieldgate, do not go through, but turn left down the side of a field; rather rough going and little used. At the bottom, go through a wooden kissing gate and over a footbridge to a vehicle track. Turn left on the track towards the buildings of West Wolves Farm.

Go through gates into the farm yard (there are some very aggressive dogs kept here). There are three tracks ahead. Go down the centre one. There is a locked fieldgate and a broken stile so some climbing is required. Go forward on a grassy way.

Soon cross a concrete track and continue on a muddy farm track. Pass a footpath off right by a large oak tree and continue ahead up the side of a grassy field, with trees on your left.

At the top corner cross a stile by a metal fieldgate. Turn right along the field edge and soon left at a corner to continue along the side of this very large field with trees on your right.

At the far end leave the field via a very narrow path through thickets of brambles, to reach a stile. Cross into an area of scrub and up to a grassy farm track. Bear left on this to go on in the same direction between hedges.

Follow this green way through a metal fieldgate and out to a road. Turn right up the road to a T-junction by the church of the Holy Sepulchre at Warminghurst. Turn right to pass the entrance to the church (this is a preserved church, usually open, and wonderful inside).

In a few paces turn left up the drive to Manor Buildings. Continue through a wooden kissing gate by a wooden fieldgate, and continue by a hedge on your left for a good way.

Eventually the track becomes a drive and passes Thakeham Place. In sight of a church up on the right, reach a cattle grid and a junction of paths. Turn left here, up a bank on a bridleway, to an equestrian gate. Go through and continue on a path between fences.

In 100 metres, by double fieldgates, turn right through a wooden gate and up by a hedge on your left. At the top of the rise, by a large oak tree, turn sharp left to a stile by a metal fieldgate. Continue down the side of the field ahead, to a stile in the next corner.

Go down steps to a plank bridge and junction of paths. Turn sharp right along the field edge to a stile in the corner ahead. Over this turn sharp right along to a playing field.

Go straight on across the top of the pitches to a house. Turn left on a concrete track down the side of the playing field. Just before the village hall car park, look for a gap on your right through trees to a main road.

Turn left on the main road a short distance and cross to turn right along a side road, High Bar Lane. Keep along this road for a good way, passing a play area. At the end of the road, where it finally swings left, go forward on a tarmac drive, then soon on again, on a grassy bridleway between fields.

The path enters woods and is very easy to follow. Finally emerge at a road junction. Turn right uphill for 100 metres to reach the Five Bells pub at Smock Hill and the end of the section.

GREATSTONE TO GILLINGHAM ROBUST RAMBLE

Section 25  Return

Storrington, Smock Alley to Ashington

Map: OS Explorer 121 Arundel to Pulborough

Distance/Time: 4 miles/ 2 hours

Start: The Five Bells, Smock Hill, Storrington; parking at pub by arrangement.

Comment: A short return for a winter’s walk. Excellent countryside with some impressive views of the South Downs. There is a road crossing that needs great care as it is on a blind bend, and a short steep climb. Always stiles.

With the Five Bells behind, turn right to walk back down the road to the Y-fork at the bottom. Bear left here up Threal’s Lane and follow it for some way.

At the end pass Threal’s Barn and go forward on a bridleway enclosed between a brick wall and bushes. keep on for ¼ mile, ignoring a cross path halfway.

Emerge onto a busy road at a blind corner. Listen carefully and don’t cross if a vehicle can be heard. Cross to go up Northlands Lane opposite.

After ¼ mile, just past a cottage, turn left through a wooden kissing gate into woods. The path winds round and emerges into a field corner. It is fenced and easy to follow along the field edge then uphill.

At the top reach a stile into a corner of an open field. Go straight along the edge with a hedge on your right. At the end corner turn left again down the side to a stile in the bottom corner. Cross into an enclosed path.

Continue down to a road. Turn right on the road for 100 metres. Take care as there are no verges. Just before a T-junction with a main road, turn left down the old road. Soon turn first right up to the main road. Cross to a bridleway going up a farm drive opposite.

Keep on for some way. Ignore a path off left at Greenhurst Farm and continue forward on a concrete track.

At the end of the concrete, reach a bridleway cross track. Ignore this and go forward into a field. Bear slightly right to follow the field edge. If possible, go into the field on the right and follow the bottom edge.

At the far end look for a wooden power cable pole in the corner. Here turn right, uphill on feint path, into trees. Halfway up, cross a stile, then on to the top. Climb steps and go through a wooden gate into the corner of a field above the treeline.

Turn left along the field edge for some way with trees on your left and a panoramic view of the South Downs on your right. At the end drop down steps to a road and turn right.

Go uphill for 150 metres. Just before a house drive on your left, look for an equestrian gate, set back from the road, near a metal fieldgate. Go through the equestrian gate, to follow a bridleway with a ditch on your right.

Follow this easy path for some way. Halfway along, ignore a path off right and continue through an equestrian gate to eventually reach the end of the bridleway by a cottage on your right.

Here turn left on an enclosed footpath between wire fences. Stay on this as it winds around between fields. Cross a footbridge at the end. Immediately turn right at a Y-fork and follow a path between grass and bushes with houses on your left.

Emerge into a unmade road. Walk up this and continue to a T-junction with a main road. The Red Lion pub in Ashington is on your left and the start of the section.