The Serpent Trail is a 106 km footpath from Haslemere (Surrey) to Petersfield (Hampshire), with most of the trail winding its way around Sussex. It’s within the South Downs National Park and is named the Serpent Trail due to the snaking and winding nature of the trail. If you look at the whole route on a map, it is more or less in the shape of a snake, and then within the route, there are constant serpent-like twists and turns. And then, of course, there is the fact that for a lot of it, you’re walking through snake country! The purple waymark (tail) indicates the Haslemere to Petersfield direction, and the green waymark (head) marks the other way.
At the end of 2023, I started walking the Trail with Laura from Friends of the South Downs and Malinka from Rural Strides, breaking it down into sections over several months. As we walked, we were joined by others, and on this section, from Fittleworth to Cocking Causeway, Lesley Foulkes and her dog Rambo from Langham Brewery walked with us too.
This section is roughly 24 km. Elevation for the day was 343 metres and it took us just over six hours (moving time). This was quite slow for us, but there is so much to see in this section. Most of it is on Ordnance Survey Explorer 10, but the last little bit is on Ordnance Survey Explorer 8. There is a car park at Fittleworth at the excellent Fittleworth Store and Café. There is also parking at The Greyhound at Cocking Causeway, but please ask permission first before you park. Better still, there are bus stops at both Fittleworth and Cocking Causeway with a good bus service.
You will find other parking on route at Lord’s Piece (near Sutton End), Burton Mill Farm, Lavington Common and Ambersham Common. There is a shop at Heath End with a toilet. Please note, although on the whole, the Serpent Trail is well waymarked, there are a number of places where markers are missing or unclear. It’s a complex landscape. Things change and it’s easy to get lost. That said, this was the first section that we had done when we didn’t actually get a little lost.
Highlights
I think this may be my favourite section so far for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are lots of different sculptures and unusual landmarks to see on the way, and this starts from the moment you leave Fittleworth. It’s also a particularly winding section and you can’t help but feel like an intrepid explorer. There are large sections where you meet no one and the landscape is as diverse as it is stunning. So, let’s get started.
Fittleworth to Lord’s Piece
As you leave Fittleworth, look out firstly for the local sculpture outside the shop and then for the curious array of clay heads and other sculptures as you walk up a narrow path towards the B2138. This is the work of British Sculptor Jon Edgar, who has other works in Horsham, Pulborough, Slindon, Hindhead and Lewes. It makes an intriguing start to the walk, along with the ancient tree on the other side of the road. Then you’re straight on to Hesworth Common (a 100-acre Site of Natural Conservation Importance). There is heather, gorse, a trig point and views across to the South Downs. You wiggle your way around the Common before descending to Little Fittleworth and the Swann Inn, a 16th century coaching inn (built in 1536).
After a short bit of road work where you cross the River Rother, you head off-road again to Sutton Common and Lord’s Piece. At this point, I thought the conversation had turned to the sound of willow on leather, and much as I admired this stunning heathland landscape with its wafty views, I was struggling to see how it was suitable for a game of cricket! It turns out, of course, I was thinking of the wrong sort of cricket, as Lord’s Piece is actually known as an area where the rare field cricket has been successfully reintroduced, so the hopping and chirping variety of cricket rather than the thwacking and innings variety. In any event, it’s very beautiful here.
Lord’s Piece to Heath End
From Lord’s Piece, the trail heads south a little further before twisting north into the Barlavington Estate. My word, they like their privacy here as you are constantly reminded that it’s “private property”! The signage is a little heavy-handed (in my opinion only), but it was lovely to pass fields of newly born lambs. Before you know it, you’re at the A285, south of Petworth but north of Duncton, and at Heath End store where they sell coffee, snacks and fast cars! It’s roadside, but they have outdoor seating and a toilet!
Heath End to Graffham Common
Turning off the road and back onto the trail, the best is yet to come. Look out for some large chicken wire horse sculptures in a garden before you enter beautiful Duncton Common and make your way to Lavington Common. The Duncton section is all about woodland paths, some flat and meandering, others like old droveways forged through the landscape with steep mossy banks on either side. Look left and right and you may see an old bridge draped in hanging ivy, which spills water into a rather magical pool.
Walking in early April after a wet winter, most of this section of the Serpent Trail was pretty dry, but where it was muddy … it was very muddy! And there was one section here, about halfway from Heath End to Lavington, where you emerge from the woods to a really, really muddy section! Push on through. This was the worst mud of the walk, and it’s an area of no more than about 10 to 15 metres square. You’re soon back amongst tall pines, as you pass along the edge of Merlins Wood here, with its rows of rhododendrons.
Leaving Duncton Common behind, and as you cross the lane, you enter Lavington Common. Look out for the Lavington Lizard sculpture on your right. Lavington Common is managed by the National Trust and is home to three types of lizard. This sculpture is one of seven stone carvings which make up part of a Sculpture Trail (although they’re not all on the Serpent Trail).
Lavington Common is also home to gorse, lots of and lots of wonderful bright yellow gorse. Carefully stick your nose in a cluster of gorse flowers for a sweet smell of coconut, but look out also for peaty pools of water that reflect the landscape in their black surface. It was a bit boggy across here in places, but nothing insurmountable with a bit of dexterity.
Graffham Common to Ambersham Common
There is a short section of road walking once you’ve left Lavington Common and then you turn into Graffham Common and head up to Gallows Hill. After a short climb, look out for the Sheep Pig sculpture – the next on the trail. We had to double back to find it because it’s not actually on the marked Serpent Trail (there seems to be a bit of discrepancy here between the map route and the waymarked route), but it’s on Gallows Hill on the path that runs north of and parallel to the Serpent Trail.
A little further along, there is a post where you are encouraged to take and share photos to record the changing landscape. All the details you need are on the post and it’s a simple but clever idea! Meanwhile, you walk, wind and weave your way through, up and down this wonderful woodland until you emerge to more heathland and gorse-lined paths! Push on to Ambersham Common.
Ambersham Common to Cocking Causeway
We were looking for the trig point on Ambersham Common and you’ll find it to the right of the Serpent Trail in a field of heather. From here, the Serpent Trail twists and turns relentlessly, one minute heading north, and then south, and then north again, briefly meeting the old dismantled railway south east of Midhurst and then turning south again.
You cross Heyshott Common before the last push and climb up Dunford Hollow – which is a big ask of tired legs! And there’s one last treat before you reach Cocking Causeway, and that is the ….obelisk, aka the Cobden Memorial. This is Grade II listed and is inscribed with ‘Free Trade, peace and goodwill among nations’. Richard Cobden was a free trade advocate who lived at nearby Dunford House and died in 1866. The memorial was erected by Henry Court, a tenant farmer.
You’re only a short walk now from the finish point on the A286, where you’ll find the Greyhound and the bus stop.
If you’re thinking of walking the Serpent Trail, you may find the following posts useful:
