The South Downs Way is often described as one of the UK’s most beautiful long-distance paths. Its charm coming from the panoramic views from the chalk ridge and the way the landscape slowly varies from west to east. No other walk finale can also match the roller-coaster ride along the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head. However, the logistics for a walk of this length can prove challenging to many. So, a shorter, equally beautiful trail, mostly accessible by public transport, and set entirely within the Western Weald end of the South Downs National Park, is the 64-mile-long Serpent Trail.
A Chance Meeting
Over the past 6 months, I have been walking the Serpent Trail with 3 friends. I say friends but the truth is we only came together for the first-time last November for the purpose of walking the trail. In fact, our first meeting was in a cold, dark, woodland car park on the border between Hampshire and West Sussex. What does all the advice say about meeting strangers?! It was a combination of delightful coincidence and a shared love of all things South Downs that brought us together to complete this journey.
The 4 Amigas with Gerald Gresham-Cooke – our guide around Petworth
As the name suggests, the trail was created to link together the Western Weald’s lowland heaths. These man-made areas are a habitat ‘rarer than rainforest’ and home to a number of endangered birds and reptiles, including several snakes. These were either sensibly asleep or in hiding as we walked through. However, you are reminded of their presence by the snake, dragonfly and sand lizard sculptures of the heathland sculpture trail which pepper the route.
Snake Heathland Sculpture, Woolbeding
Snaking Around
You can walk the Serpent Trail in either direction. We chose to start in Haslemere and finish in Petersfield, following the purple snake path markers. It is green snakes for the opposite way around. I can’t help but think that planners missed a trick not using a green ladder instead! From the outset it was clear path signage was not wholly reliable. However, don’t be put off by this. The path snakes around so much, criss-crossing others, that it is very easy to get back on track. The twists and turns also worked to our advantage. Without a little detour on day one, we would not have found the beautiful church in Linchmere. Part of our enjoyment of the trail came from personalising each day to suit our interests. We were forever diving off left and right in search of things that had caught our eye. So, with no Serpent Trail police checking your route, why not walk like a snake and bend a little!
The 7 Deadly Sins – Linchmere church
Our merry band of women were all quite strong walkers, so we broke the path into 5 days rather than the South Downs National Park’s suggested 11 stages. These were:
- Haslemere to Chapel Common (14 miles)
- Chapel Common to Leggatt Hill, Lodsworth (13 miles)
- Leggatt Hill to Fittleworth (10 miles)
- Fittleworth to Cocking Causeway (14 miles)
- Cocking Causeway to Petersfield (13 miles)
Reflecting on these sections, trying to choose a favourite, is simply impossible. They were all so different and scenic in their own right. Though, perhaps we felt the variety more because we had gaps of around one month between each stage. I wonder if we would have noticed the differences so keenly if we had walked the sections consecutively?
The View
The highlight of day one was without doubt Blackdown. Tennyson wrote of the view over the Weald from Temple of the Winds that: “you came and look’d, and loved the view long known and loved by me: green Sussex fading into blue, and one grey glimpse of sea”. Well, we looked and definitely loved the view. This was despite the freezing November wind’s best efforts to turn us into another stone sculpture for the trail.
View from Blackdown on a warmer day
Woody Western Weald
After all the gorse, heather and birch of Blackdown, Marley, Linchmere, Stanley & Chapel Commons, it was immediately apparent that day two was going to be a celebration of the Western Weald’s woodlands. As we walked over the edge of Rake Hanger we slowly sank into a cool, leafy underworld, that cast a long shadow over the area’s industrial heritage. Had we not known, there would have been no guessing this tranquil backwater had once been the site of noisy, polluting furnaces and forges associated with the Wealden iron industry. It was only from the top of Older Hill that we were able to fully appreciate the vast treescape we’d walked through. Tennyson would surely have written about this view had he visited.
View from Older Hill
Shimmings Valley
In complete contrast to the previous two days, the third section of the trail had an air of stately elegance. This was because it circled historic Petworth. If I’m completely honest, before walking this leg I had been a little dismissive of the Shimmings Valley to the east of the town. I had heard many exclaim its beauty but couldn’t myself see how their descriptions aligned with the map. I hope Petworth will forgive me if I now say that I take it all back. The climb up the valley provided the most striking vantage point from which to survey all we had walked. A view made even more memorable thanks to the company and knowledge of unofficial Petworth ambassador Gerald Gresham-Cooke.
Shimmings Valley, Petworth
Mirrored Pools & Hallowed Turf
Others might be inclined to suggest that day four is similar to days one and two, combining heath and woodland once again, but that would be an over-simplification. Lavington Common, in particular, has a distinctly different feel to the other heaths. It is altogether boggier and wilder; its dark, mirrored pools taking on a mystical quality that is both enchanting and sinister in equal measure. The essence of Lavington Common can be seen in the work of local artist Ivon Hitchens. Instead of being influenced by the majestic lines of the Downs, Hitchens was captivated by the shifting perspectives of these beautiful woods and heaths. We certainly felt their charm. Hopefully you will too.
On the subject of art, I should mention that there are several interesting pieces of sculpture for you to find along this section of the trail. They are just not as obvious as the large heathland trail ones. In contrast, however, you won’t need any help noticing the multiple ‘Keep Out’ signs placed around Burton Park. There are so many, even the most law-abiding walker is likely to feel compelled to set a defiant foot on their hallowed turf!
Jon Edgar Sculpture, Fittleworth
The Rother Valley
As we set off on the final leg, we didn’t want the Serpent Trail to come to an end. It had forged friendship, fed curiosity and connected us to the landscape as well as those it had inspired. However, there was still the Rother valley to explore. While this looked flat and relatively featureless on paper, the reality proved both sensual and serendipitous.
The Rother has a distinctly agricultural feel to it, quite literally. There is something about shimmering, golden, fields of barley that us humans just can’t resist, whatever our age. They are magnets to our hands; enticing us to stroke their soft, wispy ears. We naturally obliged and smiled as the barley’s ‘hairs’ tickled our skin.
View towards the Downs from Midhurst Common
As we drew closer to Petersfield, a serendipitous meeting with renowned sculptor Alison Crowther completed our trail before we’d even reached the end. We were bowled over by her generosity of spirit; happily explaining her work to four complete strangers and allowing us to look around her workshop. Her beautifully, sinuous carvings in wood breathe life back into fallen trees and seemed to trace our winding, snake-like journey across the Weald too. Our hearts were so full of the joy of human kindness, the beauty of nature and thrill of creativity, that we virtually skipped the final couple of miles into Petersfield afterwards, and the end of our journey along the Serpent Trail.
Alison Crowther’s studio & work
A Landscape Pilgrimage
In naming the Serpent Trail the creators made the idea of walking this path a challenging sell. Folklore is littered with tales of evil snakes and for many, the mere thought of a snake is enough to send shivers down the spine. Deciding to walk 64 miles through reptile habitat is therefore perhaps a little daunting. However, this trail is about so much more than the wildlife. The beautiful and varied landscape of the Western Weald filled the four of us with a sense of reverence and awe, making the path feel more like a landscape pilgrimage than ordinary trail. Perhaps it was therefore fitting to recently discover that other cultures view snakes as guardians of sacred places. Why not set out on your own Serpent Trail adventure to discover if the Western Weald speaks to you spiritually or in Parseltongue.
Do you feel inspired to walk the Serpent Trail yourself? Take a look at Plan Your Own Serpent Trail Adventure
Serpent Trail walkers
