Route Summary

This "W"-shaped route profile may have been shorter than many recent walks, but it was a hard one. The two climbs were fairly steep and were "strenuous".

Overall the route covered about 6.7 miles.
The highest point was 838 feet.
The lowest point was 363 feet.
The total ascent was (only) 977 feet (but certainly felt like more).

The Gorse Fox really enjoyed this route and would recommend it. (Bring your own defibrillator).

Deer

Leaving Upwaltham, the route now led back up past Combe Bottom toward Upwaltham Hill. The Gorse Fox arrived at the start of the path at the same time as a couple of fellow ramblers. We passed pleasantries, and GF said he was heading the same way... but slowly.

Actually, in comparison to them, he leapt gazelle like up the steep climb, with the sure-footedness of a mountain goat and the elegance of a mountain walrus.

At the top the pounding of his heart disturbed a deer that set off at speed through the woods. GF just managed to capture its image as it disappeared. (For clarification that's disappeared from view, as opposed to a puff of smoke - it wasn't a magic deer).

Upwaltham Church

Again using his new friend, gravity, to assist the descent, the Gorse Fox picked his way down from North Down.

The overnight rain had made the path slippery, but GF made it to the bottom without incident.

At the bottom he passed the charming little church behind Upwaltham Farm. According to West Sussex County Council:
"This is a small 12th century drovers' church with the unusual shape of a rounded chancel and it nestles in the picturesque South Downs. The west window and single lights in the apse are 14th century. There is a full set of chandeliers and a bellcote at the west end."

For more information there is "Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland"

The Gorse Fox thought it was just charming.

Lunch and then onwards

The Gorse Fox stopped at Tegleaze Post by Stickingspit Bottom for a brief rest and a snack. A pasty was extracted from deep within the backpack, and a few dried apricots fished out of a pocket. Sparkling water was opened, and the feast began. (GF would point out that even though this is Sussex, he didn't bother with a table or candelabra, and he had to carry his own food as his trusted family retainer refuses to agree that such walks are part of his duties)

After about 10 minutes all was well and he set off to loop back through Crown Tegleaze towards North Down. He was intrigued, as he marched through the woods, to see this contraption. A ladder to a seat which is attached to the tree, about 12 feet up the trunk... not sure what it's for, but would hazard a guess that it is for hunting deer (there were deer tracks in the wood, but no sign of their nests up in the branches).

Northern Scarp

The view back to the east from Littleton Down (just above Warren Bottom) showed the north face of the escarpment stretching off towards the horizon.

At this range there were insufficient visible landmarks to be able to identify the various outcrops.

Walking from Bignor

After heavy overnight rain, Saturday dawned bright and sunny. Yesterday's walk had got the juices flowing, and with the Silver Vixen out for the day at a quilting exhibition in Selsey, the Gorse Fox thought another walk was called for.

The route started at a car park (far right of map) at the top of the Downs, near Bignor. (Driving through Bignor, turn left at Jay's Farm and follow the single track road to the top). The route then cycled anti-clockwise passing Glatting Beacon, crossing Burton Down, Sutton Down, Scotchers Bottom and down to Littleton Farm before climbing up to Stickingspit Bottom at the top left hand side of the map. From there it wound back through Crown Tegleaze, down to Upwaltham, and then back up past Coombe Bottom to Upwaltham Hill. From the hill it headed due east to a point where it intersected the Monarch's Way, where it turned north-east back to meet the South Downs Way and the car park.