Downs Link - Horsham to Southwater

It had been a cloudy but dry day so far, cold with the snow still on the ground.  Needed to get out and do some walking , so decided that the Downs Link would be nice and not too muddy where the snow had started to thaw a little.
 
Walked up the Guildford Road to Broadbridge Heath, through the Village, the via the underpass under the A 281 into Wickhurst Lane.

Very upsetting all the building that is going on on GREEN fields - there is so much derelict land around, why build on green fields? - (sorry rant over).

The frozen Mill Pond is now only a few hundred yards from the building site :(










Crossed over the River Arun and continued to follow the path through the woods, which in a few months time will be covered in bluebells.

In a short while pass the old Itchingfield tip and join the road at Westons Hill - You are now on the Downs Link, although this part follows the road, as this section of the old railway line has not been converted to footpath / bridleway etc. At the next junction turn left on the Christs Hospital Road.

Follow the road over the railway bridge of the current railway, with the playing fields of Christs Hospital School in front of you.  Turn right and follow the Downs Link signs onto the footpath that runs along side the current railway line.
Shortly you will see a post saying Southwater 1  1/2 miles - its actually nearer to 2 miles !!

When the path divides, take the right hand path trough the woods, which is in fact part of the old railway cutting. There was still quite a lot
of snow here.

You come out of the woody area, and go under the road bridge with the Bax Castle pub on the left hand side.

No stopping here today, as its shut in the afternoon during the week in the winter, and also the light will be going soon.

Less than a mile now to Southwater, and there is now dampness in the air.  Crossing the last field before Southwater it was now sleety rain, and I was glad the end was in sight.

Arrived at the old Southwater Station and the weather was getting worse.  Was just about to phone Martin to come and get me, when he turned up in the car, so did not have to wait.

Apart from the last few hundred yards it was a very good 5 1/2 mile afternoon walk, and just great to get out for a couple of hours.

Warnham Circular Walk - 6th January 2013

Martin had gone out cycling for  the morning, so although it was very misty, I decided it was time to start walking again, so this is the first reasonable distance walk of 2013.

I was going on a regular walk of just under 6 miles.

I left home at 09.20 and followed the route along the river path, across the golf course to the entrance to the Warnham Nature Reserve.

This was how foggy it was on one of the fairways, there were a few people trying to play golf.

The footpath then goes across the golf course and up to the A24 dual carriageway.  After crossing the road and going through the oak tree plantation the path joins up with the old A24 which you follow for a few hundred yards before the path turns left.

The footpath then got quite muddy, but when it then went across a ploughed field there is only one word to describe it - YUK!!!!  it was clay and just stuck to my boots.  The fog was getting worse and you could not see the hedgerow and the end of the field.

After trudging through this field the path was still muddy, but a lot easier to walk on as I approached Warnham Village.  It was then nice to walk on the road for a while, and on a dry path alongside some of the deer enclosures of Bailing Hill Farm.

After crossing the road and entering the Deer Park I was wondering why I had even bothered to carry a camera this morning as is was so foggy, then there was my answer - there were 2 red deer stags under a tree and another walking towards them.

I have walked through the Deer Park many times, but have never seen them this close before, it was nice to to stand and watch them for a while.

After being out for nearly 2 hours the fog was probably worse than when I left, and there was no one playing golf as I crossed the fairway to return to the river path and home for a nice hot coffee.

Although foggy it was an enjoyable walk, very still and quite mild for 6th January - about 8 deg C.