Sussex Scrapbook
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Nature walks throughout the year
Saturday 2nd
September 2006
Duncton - Glatting beacon - Bignor - Sutton - Duncton
8 miles
Well it's official. It's autumn. That was our view when we walked in the Ducton/Bignor
area of West Sussex today. Everywhere seemed to be carpeted with dead leaves and
moss and had the unmistakable smell of autumnal rotting about it. We came across
freshly sprouted fungi on all surfaces, including a perfect "chicken of the
woods", loads of hazel nuts, elder berries, field mushrooms and punnets of
blackberries too (we only wished that we had remembered to pack some tooth
picks). Quite a good bit of hunter gathering!
The walk took us from The Badgers pub near to Duncton Pump House and up onto the
Downs to Bignor Hill via the most perfect public footpath that we have been on
for ages. Then we came back off the Downs, through Bignor to Sutton. This area
is all completely chocolate box views. We were walking in a rainy gale most of
the day and it was still totally picturesque. We can highly recommend the White
Horse pub in Sutton for its tea. £3 got us about 3 cups each. From Sutton we
headed across Burton Mill Pond back to the bike.
The walk was about 8 miles, circular, passes a private chapel (for sheltering
from the rain), visits 2 of the prettiest villages in Sussex, a pub/tearoom,
lakes, rivers, panoramic views, ancient burial grounds, a dismantled railway and
was totally brilliant! Why don't you go yourself?
It certainly didn't seem like there was a drought going on
today. We were constantly surrounded by rain, moss, trickling water, fungi and
the smell of dampness (including our socks).
Parasol
Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)
The private chapel of Burton Park House. We ate our
sandwiches in there out of the rain.
On the wall, the heraldry of Charles I. Above it, the
warning to the locals who may have harbouring thought of revolution:
"Obey them that have the rule over you".
Inside it is very simple and rustic. In this area you can
see churches in every direction.
A lot of fungi around today. Think these are Poplar
Fieldcaps (Agrocybe cylindraecea)
Fairy Inkcaps (Coprinus disseminatus)
I have to take pictures of all of them!
SEE!
As well as public footpaths, we also travelled on the
South Downs Way and the Serpents Trail. We did get a bit wet, but we had dried
out by the time we got back to the bike. It was about an hours ride to Duncton
and the easiest way is to go A272 via Petworth.