Walk ONE Friday 1st May
4 members 5.5 miles (8.84kms)
Our walk started from Ashfold Crossways SE of Horsham.
We parked at The Wheatsheaf, walked round Furnace fishing pond and then up Coos Lane, Carterledge Lane taking in a section of The High Weald Trail. Our route then took us through the welcome shade of Lester Woods and Warren Woods where we spied The Three Wise Monkeys (we couldn’t find any explanation as to why they were there), then back to our starting point for refreshments.
Walk TWO Friday 15 May
4 members 6 miles (9.6 kms)
Today’s walk started from the tiny rural village of Alfold, Surrey, on the W Sussex border. This area was once renowned for glass making, since thee was an ample supply of wood and sand, both essential ingredients. In the mid 16th C there was an influx of French Huguenots seeking escape from religious persecution. Many were skilled workers who set up dozens of furnace operations here and in Alfold churchyard there is a plaque commemorating one such worker, Jean Carre.
Our walk took us over fields as we crossed the Wey and Arun canal, skirted woods, walked along part of The Wey South Path before ending up at the lovely, convivial, Alfold Larder.
Walk THREE Friday 22 May
4 members 5 miles (8.14 kms)
On the hottest day of the year so far we walked from Dragons Green, W Sussex via Shipley to the Knepp estate. There is folklore aplenty about dragoons in this area but no one knows for certain how Dragons Green got its name. Only a few dozen people live in the tiny hamlet but the residents are obviously readers judging from the library telephone box which was bursting at the seams today. Nearby Shipley is a slightly bigger place with its own church but no shops or pub. Hilaire Belloc lived here for many years and the old windmill was featured in the TV series, Jonathan Creek.
We walked as far as the hammer pond at Knepp, passing impressive long horned cattle on the way, everything looking glorious against the bright blue sky. We then walked back to the George and Dragon for long cooling drinks to quench our thirsts.
The pub is unusual in that there is a marble cross and gravestone in the front garden which commemorates Walter Budd. He was born in 1867 and his parents owned the pub at that time. Sadly, their son suffered from albinism and epilepsy, conditions which were viewed with suspicion in Victorian times. When Walter became a young man he was falsely accused of theft which led to him taking his own life in 1893. Walter’s parents accused locals of driving Walter to his death. He was buried in the local churchyard but the vicar took exception to the controversial gravestone inscription which led to Mr and Mrs Budd removing it to the front of their pub, where it remains to this day.
