Owner:
squiz
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Member#: 218 Location: Registered: 11-05-2003 Diary Entries: 42
Mood: don't like winter.....too dark
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20th April 2019
Hiking - Walking: Bignor Hill circuits Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: Sunny and hot :) Max Speed: Distance Covered: 4 miles (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Saturday 20th April – walks ***** Bignor Hill circuits – sunny and hot
:)
Our second top night at the National Trust car park at Bignor Hill on top
of the South Downs in Sussex and we woke really early and I snapped the
sunrise at 5.10. It was the start of yet another clear blue day with
temperatures getting to 25 degrees just down the road in Hampshire
according to the radio:) Mag made a cuppa and we read and dozed for several
hours before getting up for breakfast around 8.30, we love this campervan
life:) We then spent another morning enjoying the superb views reading, Mag
is now on her fourth book this trip already! Then at eleven with tuna wraps
made (the salad has all gone with supplies getting low!) we set off on
another walk. We have done most of the routes from here so decided to head
up past the small dew pond and Glatting Beacon, the tall radio mast. Here
we were greeted with yet another scene of tree devastation with loads of
trees being cut down. We now know that all the cut trees are diseased ash
which have been badly affected here:( We had already seen our first red
kite of this trip and the buzzards were putting on a good show too as we
started the long journey down! First through a meadow with amazing scenery
ahead with some impressive brown cattle but no sheep this way. We came to
gate which lead to a rough stone track still going down passing a few
hikers coming up slowly in the heat! The footpath then turned right and
narrowed into the woods. The walking sign was leaning against a tree so we
were not sure of the way? After seeing a private sign, we retraced our
steps and found a deep path down a leafy gorge which was a bit spooky and
was actually a bridleway, I pity the poor old horse that is ridden up
there! We then came to the best bit as we turn off the bridleway onto a
step windy footpath down through the most fantastic wood, where the whole
forest floor was covered in a blanket of wild garlic with white flowers
everywhere and the odd bluebell thrown in for good measure, it was another
pinch yourself moment as we couldn’t believe we had stumbled on something
so pretty:) It was a great place to have our picnic surrounded by the smell
of the wild garlic. Rested we now had the uphill bit ahead but not before
the only flat section through a field of sweetcorn set for the birds, then
a rape field, nowhere near as yellow as in Suffolk. We reached a tarmac
lane which lead to a very grand old farm house complete with barns and
tennis courts which lead to the very steep bumpy track back to our car
park. We had only covered just over two miles but it was some serious down
and up and we were knackered so our cuppa was very welcome:) Relaxing
afternoon in the van then pondering should we stay another night or head
for home and avoid the bank holiday traffic queues? We decided to stay and
go for another walk as we had the place all to ourselves. Leaving the van
at 5.45 we walked up the South Downs Way to the top of Bignor Hill for some
of the best views in Sussex before turning right and walking down the side
of the farmers field hoping to reach the footpath, we used yesterday
evening. We then entered yet another lovely wood spooking a deer and
finding out we were nowhere near the expected footpath! On leaving the wood
we had to double back and soon found the path coming out near the Neolithic
causewayed enclosure and then yet another climb back to the van. Another
two miles walked which really finished us off. Yummy corned beef, beans and
mash for tea as we are joined by another VW staying the night. Then as the
sun was setting a knob in a big white elephant (that’s code for big white
campervan) arrived and with nearly the whole carpark to choose from parked
really close to the other VW, some people just have no idea. Still they are
behind us so don’t affect us at all and it wont spoil our sunrise view:)!
We were hoping for another view of the fantastic pink moon but assumed it
was a no show as the evening went on and nothing :( Then at 9.30 (an hour
and a half after last night!) there it was – glorious again:) So we plan
to have an easy relaxing morning tomorrow before risking the trip home with
fingers crossed we can get around the dreadful M 25 with no holdups????
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