A few weeks ago, I wrote about a movement in and around Petworth to open up a new walking route from Haselmere to Arundel via Petworth as an alternative to the Midhurst Way. It’s temporarily called Petworth Way, Gerald’s Way or even the Petworth Rail Trail. I promised further details and as this is an absolutely stunning walk, here is the first instalment.
Haslemere
You can travel to Haslemere by train or by bus and there is a fabulous visitor and information centre right next to the train station.
Haslemere to Lurgashall
At about 11 km, the first section is a spectacular section of this walk.
From the station, do not follow the Serpent Way which will take you a rather circuitous route to Blackdown. Instead, either walk along the B2131 (heading east) and take the first footpath to your right or cut off the corner by walking up steep Sandrock (which wakes up the legs nicely), then via the Haslemere Recreation Ground.
If you take the footpath route, you’ll walk up to Scotland Road which you will cross. You’re looking for a footpath on the other side (in between Old Haslemere Road and Denbigh Road). Follow this footpath cross country to the little hamlet of houses and lakes at Stedlands Farm. Here you turn left and after a short walk along Bell Vale Lane, you turn left again (look out as it’s easy to miss, and you almost double back on yourself as you climb a narrow path) and start the climb up towards Chase Wood and Blackdown.
There are multiple paths across Backdown to the Temple of the Winds and if you get lost, most passer-bys will be able to direct you. As you walk, you notice the landscape starts to change, with sandy paths, gorse and heath, tall pines and stunning views. This is God’s own country indeed, and look out for the famous Belted Galloway cattle which graze here and which you may meet on your way.
It’s roughly 5 km to the Temple of the Winds making it the perfect spot for your first break. On a clear day, you can see the sea, or as Tennyson so eloquently put it, ‘You came, and look’d, and loved the view long known and loved by me: green Sussex fading into blue, and one gray glimpse of sea’. If it’s not a clear day, it really doesn’t matter. Blackdown is beautiful, wild and ethereal whatever the weather and always seems to invite you to stop, breathe and appreciate all that is good.
Temple of the Winds to Lurgashall
From the Temple of the Winds, you are heading south west and downhill, and you want to take the footpath to Fernden Lane, where you turn left and walk along the lane for a short while. Where the lane bears left, you go straight over the stepped stile next to the grand gates. Prepare for one of my favourite parts of this walk.
This quiet private lane will take you all the way down the hill to Jobson’s Lane and the old Winery and wow, what a walk. Gently sloping vistas take you past glimpses of the 17th century manor house of the Weyborne Estate (now a vineyard) and on to Blackdown Ridge Vineyard. The path is dotted with the occasional sculpture and more imposing gates. After the lofty heights of Blackdown, you gradually gain a real sense of coming back down to reality and terra firma.
At Jobson’s Lane, turn left and then shortly afterwards, turn right. You’re on a bridlepath now but when you come to a footpath / bridlepath crossroads, you want to go straight on to the footpath which will take you (via ancient apple orchards) to Lurgashall – a good place for some lunch. There’s a pub and a village shop which both make good options.
Lurgashall to Petworth Park Deer Park
This second section is approximately 9 km. You leave the village via a footpath that you turn right on to from the lane that goes to Northchapel – the footpath is just as you leave the village. Then just follow the footpath. You’ll cross Upperton Road (right turn and then left turn) and from there, continue on the footpath all the way to Pheasant Copse.
You should be able to walk via the woods at Pheasant Copse straight into the Petworth Park Deer Park but on the day we walked, the gates were shut for culling and we had to detour via the the A283. I would not recommend this because although you only walk along a short section of road before you can access the Deer Park, there is no pavement and the traffic is fast and furious.
Alternative route
If you’d rather avoid the risk of having to dice with death, then when you leave Lurgashall, head south on the lane until Mill Farm (there is a section of off road footpath you can take). At Mill Farm, turn left and follow the footpath which will take you south to to River Park Farm. Carry straight on until you reach a crossroads at the edge of a wood where you turn left for Lodge Farm. Here you are on a section of the Serpent Trail and you follow this east until you reach a folly (once painted by Turner).
Turn right and walk down this sleepy lane until you reach Upperton. You should be able to get into Petworth Park here and if you do, walk diagonally across (direction south east passing the large pond) until you get to Cowyard tunnel as above. If for any reason you cannot access the park at Upperton, follow the Serpent Trail into Petworth.
Petworth Park Deer Park to Petworth
There is so much to see in the Deer Park and if you enter via the car park there is sometimes a mobile coffee shop too. Happy days. The park covers 700 acres and was designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
Look out for:
- Herds of fallow deer that have called Petworth Park home for over 500 years
- Ancient oak trees, one of which was a sapling during the Norman conquest of 1066
- Sweet chestnuts up to 600 years old
- A hollow common lime tree, at least 500 years old
- Constructed in 1766, the Rotunda a small monument similar to the Temple of Vesta in Italy
- The Doric Temple based on the Doric temples of Greece
- The boat house and sculpture of the Dog of Alcibiades
Eventually, leave the park via Cowyard Tunnel. It’s just north of the main house and will bring you out via the yard into Petworth. Rest and recuperate in Petworth overnight, before you start your onward walk to Arundel.
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