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Sussex Scrapbook ~ Wildlife walks throughout the year
Green Man
Saturday 25th April 2015
South Harting area
~9 miles we think.

Sincere apologies for our absence from the great interweb for what seems like ages. I got swamped down with running both Scouts and Cubs at 1st Crawley and what with the bike needing loads of attention and blah di blah di blah... well, the time just slips by at an exorbitant rate and before you know it it's bloomin' spring and it's all go again! No rest for the truly wicked eh?
Yes!.. So!... Right!? Where was we?

Right, South Harting. Really nice little village tucked away in the far west corner of the county, right at the foot of the downs, big church with a verdigris steeple that you can see from miles around. We used it as a major landmark as we circumnavigated the place taking in West Harting (which is to the north? And no, there isn't a North Harting) and East Harting which quite surprisingly is to the East of South Harting. Confused? Try driving there. Then we wandered aimlessly around the simply stunning area of Harting Downs with our binoculars stuck to our eyes which next time we will have to spend all day doing as it was gorgeous and full of life. Today we hunted down a Cuckoo there and watched it shouting out its familiar call in all directions like some sort of sonic beacon.

Oh yes, we went by bike today. Our first venture out on it since I started a major spring clean on it a few weeks ago. It went perfectly and is almost ready for our next expedition - The Isle of Man in May.



Some locals were chillin' in the church.


That steeple!


Straight into bluebell woods. One target species ticked off.


 


The telegraph wires took us all the way to the top of the downs and to a place called Telegraph House which
from 1796 to 1816 was a station for the shutter telegraph chain, which connected the Admiralty in London to its ships in Plymouth and Portsmouth.


Yep, it's spring alright.


Up the winding track to meet the SDW and Beacon Hill.


Harting Down is now one of our favourite places. Today it was almost completely uninhabited by humans.


A last cuppa and a study of the view before descending back down to South Harting.

Take the time to read the countryside code for yourself and please stick to it at all times.