INTRODUCTION This booklet has been produced to help guide visitors through a beautiful and unspoilt part of West Sussex within the South Downs National Park. The Octagon Parish is made up of eight villages with churches: Stansted, Racton, Stoughton, East Marden, North Marden, Up Marden, Compton and Forestside and two villages without churches: West Marden and Walderton. Blessed with wonderful walks and fine views down to the south coast, its small ancient downland churches are noted for their spiritual peace and tranquility, some dating back to Saxon times. There are two stately homes in the area: Stansted House and Uppark. To mark the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2012, The Octagon decided to establish a long circular walking route using existing footpaths and bridleways to link all the villages together. This is called The Octagon Way and is about 18 miles long. There are also eight circular Octagon Short Walks of 2–4 miles each. GET THE No 54 BUS Why not reduce parking pressure and help • Please take your litter home with you. to conserve this beautiful National Park by • Wildlife: Please do not disturb or harm using the local bus service. The no.54 bus any wild animals. passes through the area – 5 times daily • Photograph wildflowers but leave them except Sunday – making it possible to bus unpicked and untrampled for others to and walk. Find out more about local buses enjoy. in the contacts section at the back. • Take care on public roads. Some routes do involve walking along or Parking: Apart from Stansted Park Garden crossing roads. Centre there are very few official car parks in The Octagon. This booklet gives guidance • Remember that wild animals, farm where you can park for each walk. animals and horses can behave unpredictably – so give them plenty of Environment: Please help us to care for space. this beautiful place by following a few simple guidelines: • Remember that footpaths are only open for walkers • Close gates behind you. , whilst bridleways are open to walkers, cyclists and horse- • Keep your dogs under close control at riders. all times to protect livestock, wildlife and your dog! Page 2 OCTAGON WAY ROUTE: 4. Cross field diagonally. Pass through gate and cross next field to corner by 1. From Stansted Park Garden Centre car a former watermill. Cross stile. Turn left park, walk 90 yards towards main onto lane. Cross small bridge, and entrance and turn left at footpath turn right onto grass path parallel fingerpost. Cross meadow, enter new with River Ems. Lordington House, an planting of broadleaved trees. At 3-way elegant 17th Century house (not open to fingerpost turn left , pass through public) is on left. Cross two more stiles kissing gate. Follow path diagonally over and continue straight ahead for 100 field, cross stile and continue ahead. yards. Cross stile. Walk down slope to 2. At next kissing gate turn left onto lane. Woodlands Lane. Turn right . Continue uphill to Racton Monument (on 5. At main road, turn left . After a few right). yards, cross the road into Cooks Lane Note: Racton Monument was built and walk into Walderton. between 1766 & 1775 by the owners 6. At first footpath fingerpost turn left up of Stansted House. It has a history of a narrow footpath between houses. Turn lavish parties, smuggling and was right along Monarch’s Way. Cross used by the Home Guard in World lane and continue uphill to Inholmes War II. Wood. Walk downhill with St Peter’s Church 7. At edge of wood turn right on below (on right). At end of lane pass bridleway down to Stoughton. Bear left. metal gate to main road. Note: To visit St Mary’s 11th Century Note: To visit St Peter’s Church Racton: Saxon church turn sharp left up turn right and walk 250 yards church path. along the main road. 8. Walk to village notice board; continue 3. Turn left along main road for 220 along lane past pub out of village. yards – beware there is no pavement and there may be fast-moving traffic. 9. After 500 yards turn left at footpath Turn left at footpath fingerpost. Cross fingerpost. Follow path uphill for 500 stile into field – please keep dogs on yards towards Inholmes Wood. leads and don’t feed or disturb horses. Page 6 10. Turn right at footpath fingerpost. box turn left at footpath fingerpost Continue for a mile along headland, and sign to church. then through woods. Note: St Mary’s 12th Century 11. Turn left onto bridleway and continue Church North Marden: originally a to edge of wood. Turn right at chapel of ease to East Marden footpath fingerpost. After 300 yards go 17. From church (on right) follow path steeply down to the lane. downhill. At bottom right corner of field 12. Cross lane at diagonal, follow footpath pass between wire fences (keep wood fingerpost into field. Turn left , then on left). At footpath fingerpost turn left diagonally across field towards distant . After 150 yards turn right . electricity pylon. Cross stile and follow 18. Leave woods, continue uphill with hedge path with hedge (on right). Cross two on left of path. Follow edge of field more stiles. After second, follow hedge to gap in hedge at field end. Ignore (on left) to East Marden. footpath on left and continue uphill along 13. Cross stile, then through farmyard to path through narrow woods between fingerpost. Turn left . Follow farm track fields, to stile. 40 yards to next fingerpost. Turn right 19. Cross stile at 4-way fingerpost. Turn left . Follow path between houses to post along edge of pine copse. At end box on lane. Turn right . of field cross stile into Long Lane. Turn Note: To visit the 12th Century right . After 150 yards turn left at Church of St Peter’s in East Marden footpath fingerpost and pass through turn left for 100 yards. The thatched kissing gate. village well was the sole source of 20. Follow fence line (on right) steadily up water until 1924. It has an unusual Apple Down. The small copse on top of square winding wheel and is 200 ft Apple Down marks the site of an Anglo deep. Saxon cemetery – replaced in Victorian 14. Follow lane 70 yards up to footpath times by a water reservoir. Cross stile fingerpost. Turn left and follow path at end of field. On clear days there are through hedge. Cross stile and bear fine views south to Portsmouth and Isle of diagonally across field. Cross another Wight. stile and farm track then continue ahead 21. Continue across large arable field to on path climbing gently along left-hand distant right corner of tree line near Up edge of the large open field. Trees on Marden. Do not turn left at footpath left give way to open fields. Continue marker post. Continue ahead with uphill to top of slope. hedgerow on left. At far left corner of 15. At hedgerow, cross stile and enter Long field join bridleway. Lane along which it is said Roman tax Note: To visit St Michael’s Church Up collectors used to pass. Turn left and Marden turn left along bridleway continue to ‘Fourways’ crossroads. then right after cart shed into 16. Turn right follow lane uphill and churchyard. through North Marden. Just after post Page 7 B2141 KEY OCTAGON WAY Public house Bus stops Incline Uppark North View St Mary’s Marden Church Walk B2141 Footpath B2146 Bridleway Walks Walk Four Ways Crossroad Long Lane Compton Apple Walk Telegraph Down St Mary’s Hill West Hanger Telegraph House Wood St Peter’s Village Well East Marden St Michael’s Walk Up Marden West Marden Locksash Lane Walk Oldhouse Lane Inholmes Wood Forestside Lodge Farm Walk B2146 Christchurch Forestside h’s arc St Mary’s Mon Walk Walk Stoughton Monarch’s Way Walk Cooks Lane ms Woodlands er E Woodlands Riv Stansted Lane Lane Stansted House Walderton St Paul’s Chapel Stansted Park Start/Finish Garden Centre Lordington Rowlands House Castle rail station Racton 1½ miles Monument Racton from Stansted House St Peter’s B2147 B2146 Funtington B2147 B2141 Uppark North St Mary’s Marden B2141 B2146 Walk Four Ways Crossroad Long Lane Compton Apple Walk Telegraph Down St Mary’s Hill West Hanger Telegraph House Wood St Peter’s Village Well East Marden St Michael’s Walk Up Marden West Marden Locksash Lane Walk Oldhouse Lane Inholmes Wood Forestside Lodge Farm Walk B2146 Christchurch Forestside h’s arc St Mary’s Mon Walk Walk Stoughton Monarch’s Way Walk Cooks Lane ms Woodlands er E Woodlands Riv Lane Stansted Distance: 18 miles. Lane Time: 8 to 9 hours. Stansted House Walderton Access: An undulating walk with St Paul’s Chapel over 20 stiles, various gates; some steep ascents and declines. Stansted Park Start/Finish Garden Centre Lordington Getting there: The Octagon Rowlands House Way begins and ends at Stansted Castle House – you can get there by car, rail station Racton Monument bike or even walk the 1½ miles from 1½ miles Racton Rowlands Castle rail station. from Stansted House St Peter’s Parking: When starting from B2146 Stansted House, use the Garden B2147 Centre car park, open 0900 – 1800hrs after which you can drive out but not return. Bus stops: Racton, Walderton, WestFuntington Marden, Compton and Littlegreen. B2147 22. Turn right , downhill towards Compton path on left through woodland bearing with view of Uppark (on right). right at marker post. 23. At bottom of hill path bears left and 31. Follow marker post straight across right at fingerpost, then uphill between field, with hedge close to right-hand fields.