Blog
A selection of articles about aspects of life, nature and the landscape of the Western Weald.
Iron ExplORE
A Rural Strides walk is more than just a gentle stroll through beautiful countryside. It's an invitation to become landscape literate - to tune your senses to the traces of history written in the hills, rivers, trees, and stones around us. These walks are designed to...
Fight For The South Downs
We are all now so used to the idea of the South Downs being a National Park, protected in law from inappropriate development, that few of us remember the great battle that was fought to secure this prize. Unlike the Peak District National Park, which was designated...
The Makers Barn
It’s a miserable, wet, Saturday afternoon in February when I arrive at The Maker’s Barn, Petworth. I am there to chat to dynamic owner Rosie Rendell. I’m greeted with a curtain over the doorway, which enchantingly I have to throw aside to enter. This reveals an...
Western Weald Revealed
Did you know that the South Downs is the UK’s longest National Park? The South Downs Way traces the chalk ridge for 100 miles between Winchester and Eastbourne. Even stripped of all its twists and turns, that’s still 75 miles as the crow flies, so significantly longer...
Taking Action In The Countryside
I have a question for you. You are out on a walk, and encounter a broken stile, gate, or perhaps path obstructed by nettles or a fallen tree….what do you do? Mutter expletives, find an alternative route, try to get past as best you can, or report it online to either...
Pond Life
While walking the South Downs Way last year, I came across the much-photographed pond near Ditchling Beacon. With its lone tree, almost symmetrical shape and expansive view from high on the ridge, I too was compelled to take its photo. However, I was also drawn to...
A Foraging We Will Go
Back in May, The Guardian ran a headline that read “Excessive foraging for wild garlic and mushrooms in UK ‘a risk to wildlife’”. The article spoke about nature’s larder, a finite resource, being depleted by forager’s taking too much, selling the goods commercially...
The Imprint Of History
The Trundle above Chichester does views. 365 views over the city, the coastal plain and its numerous channels, Goodwood and the Lavant valley, the South Downs, Kingley Vale and even as far afield as Blackdown. I’ve been up there a couple of times on clear days to...
Walk The Line
The Downs are an imposing natural barrier to the south of our area, so it is no surprise that for centuries local people have preferred to travel and trade along the flat, sandy soils of the Rother, between Petersfield and Pulborough rather than up and over the steep,...
Smile, It’s A Stile
Now, let’s be honest, if you are out walking and come across a stile, but spy either a squeezable gap alongside or an easier route through a nearby gate, how relieved do you feel? I’m guessing most of us would be glad not to have to perform a public agility test....
The Art of Natural Navigation
When my children were primary age, they had a unit of enquiry at school about learning styles to decipher whether they were audio, visual, reading/writing or kinesthetic learners. At the time this seemed rather sophisticated for 6-year-olds. However, the more I...
Down To Earth
If you thought these articles were only of value to walkers, then think again. While researching this piece about geology it occurred to me that the subject might also be of interest to scrabble players. My companion on this walk and talk was local geologist Maurice...
Mindfulness Walk & Talk
I wouldn’t describe myself as overly competitive. Yes, I like to strategise when playing board games, but if the cards or dice are against me, I don’t get upset about losing. However, take me back to my annual school and village sports days and it is a very different...
Walk & Talk – 100 Years Protecting The South Downs
Walks and talks, as the name suggests, are supposed to include some physical walking. However, as time was short, my recent chat with Caroline Douglas was over lunch at Durleighmarsh Tea Barn instead of outdoors. We did nevertheless talk about walking, amongst other...
Deer Frontier
Out on a walk recently with my dog Ruby around the Mardens, at the west end of the South Downs, we stumbled across a shoot. Whilst their target was pheasant, the sound of gunshot, ringing around the densely wooded hillside, clearly had an unnerving effect on the other...
Walk & Talk with The Ambling Path
Parenting is a tricky and tiring business. In pursuit of much needed respite, many of us will have been guilty of choosing screen time indoors over quality time outdoors on more than one occasion. Alarmingly, this has resulted in a survey recording that 75% of...
Guarding The Trees
Since deciding to organise the first Petersfield Walking Festival, I have increasingly found my eyes drawn to potential blots on the landscape. Naturally, I would like the town to be looking its best when visitors arrive to enjoy a walk around the Western Weald....
The Walker Quadrille
An adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s “The Lobster Quadrille” for slow, silent walkers. “Will you walk a little slower?” said a walker to a friend, “There is no great race to run today, no hurry to the end. Leave a little space between us; let the countryside...
Planning The Serpent Trail
If you have read Snaking Along The Serpent Trail and are now inspired to plan your own adventure along this marvellous trail, you will be needing some route guidance. Depending on how far you enjoy walking and whether you have your own transport, there are two main...