The Gravetye Estate in West Sussex is home to some fabulous walks, along with unusual trees and incredible birdlife. It’s also home to endangered wildlife such as Hazel Dormice and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers. The William Robinson Gravetye Charity now owns and manages the estate and there are well-marked trails and QR codes positioned around the estate to provide more information. And I recently headed off for a (roughly) five-kilometre circular walk through the woods.
Gravetye includes 637 acres and is centred around Gravetye Manor, a 16th-century Elizabethan manor which was once the home of William Robinson (from 1885–1935). William Robinson was an influential gardener who pioneered wild gardening. Gravetye Manor is now a four-star, luxury hotel and restaurant.
Walk logistics
You can park for free in one of three car parks: Kingscote Drive lay-by, Vowels Lane and Gravetye Drive lay-by. The lay-by parking is limited.
Gravetye Estate walks
There are four official trails, all waymarked with coloured icons: blue, red, green and yellow. There is also a 2.6 km Bluebell Trail around the lower lake. I parked in Kingscote Drive lay-by and set off on a km circular walk which starts in a woodland avenue and is sign posted from the lay-by. The most notable thing at this point was the birdsong which accompanied me all the way. The path soon twists and dips, crossing small brooks, climbing softly through woodland but it’s easy to follow.
When the path opens out onto a lane, bear right and catch some heady views across to the woods beyond. When I walked, we were right at that point between winter and spring, with the woodland showing its first mix of bright greens against the darker tones still clinging on from the colder months. It’s a short stretch along a very small, quiet lane, but you pass an art gallery en route, Sally Oasis Paintings, which was open when I visited. I couldn’t resist popping in for a look.
A short distance past the gallery, you bear left which leads you gradually down the drive towards Gravetye Manor. At bluebell time, these woods are magnificent, with a carpet of blue stretching beneath the trees. As you reach the manor gates, the path takes you to the left side and downwards but it’s worth turning back for a moment as there are some fabulous views of the manor from this angle.
At the bottom, as you cross a small brook, look out for a little sunken doorway leading off to one side. It takes you into a curious, almost hidden watery world. It’s not a long detour, but it’s a charming and slightly unexpected one. From here, the path begins to climb, steadily at first through a short section of woods and and then more steeply up through open fields. As I crossed from one field to another, I encountered a large muddy patch, which I suspect in winter could be almost impassable. In mid-April, it was manageable, and I found a way around it before continuing the ascent up another steep stretch.
At the top of the hill, pause again and look back. The views open out across the valley, with Gravetye visible in the distance and the North Downs rising beyond.
From here, turn left onto the sunken lane and then bear left and leave the sunken lane almost immediately as the path almost doubles back on itself and begins a gentle descent across open fields. This brings you down to the far side of the lower lake. A particularly pleasant stretch of woodland follows, before you emerge into a field of grazing cattle and find yourself back at the base of the lane where you began (if a little further down from the lay-by).
At this point, your choice is simple. Turn left and head back up the lane to your car, or, as I did, cross over the lane, slip through a small patch of woodland beneath the railway, and make your way to Kingscote Vineyard for a well-earned lunch.
A ploughman’s lunch here includes warm, freshly baked bread, local smoked Ashdown cheese, chutney and a homemade sausage roll – all paired with a glass of the Kingscote Bacchus. Excellent.
Nearby, runs the Bluebell Railway. You pass beneath it on the route, and if you’re lucky, you’ll hear the distant, unmistakable sound of a steam train cutting through the stillness.
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