South & Central West Dean Estate Walks
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SOUTH & CENTRAL WEST DEAN ESTATE WALKS INTRODUCTION Covering 6,400 acres, West Dean Estate is owned by the Edward James Foundation, a registered educational charity which runs West Dean College and West Dean Gardens, and sits entirely within the South Downs National Park. dward James inherited West Dean In Edward James’ parents’ day, West Dean Estate when his father passed away Estate was known for its high quality shooting Ein 1912. With no children of his own, and its impressive guest list: King Edward VII Edward James set up the Edward James was a frequent visitor. A day’s shooting on Foundation in 1964 and gifted the majority West Dean Estate is still valued today. of the Estate to it, the remainder passing West Dean Estate supports a wide variety upon his own death. of flora, including many varieties of orchids Many of its cottages and older farm buildings and lichens and a colony of wild daffodils. are built from flint, several cottages are A wide range of insects has been recorded thatched and many are listed Grade II. The on the Estate and the Edward James Grade II* mansion house, now home to West Foundation and Butterfly Conservation have Dean College, is made from knapped flints. been working together in recent years to maintain and improve the habitat favoured Let farmland makes up around two-thirds by the rarely seen Duke of Burgundy KEY TO MAPS: of the Estate and a range of arable crops is fritillary butterfly. The Estate’s wild mammal grown. Areas of permanent grassland are Point of interest Trail point Woodland population includes dormice and bats. grazed largely by sheep with some beef cattle. Pub Trail Buildings A good network of public footpaths and Timber is grown commercially on the bridleways makes it an inviting prospect Refreshments Road All routes can be found remaining third of the Estate and since for those who enjoy exploring on foot and on OS Explorer 1981 heating and hot water for West Dean Toilets Railway station this booklet contains six walks to give you OL8 (formerly 120), College and some nearby properties has Parking Bridleway some ideas. One route is also suitable for Chichester, South Harting been provided by one of the UK’s first exploration by cyclists and horse riders. Bus stop Footpath & Selsey woodchip-fired district heating systems. N WEST DEAN VILLAGE A stroll along the lanes in the village, returning WEST DEAN PARK along a woodland edge via a well-defined footpath. DISTANCE: STILES: One West Dean. Alight at 1.5 miles / 2.5km The Dean Ale and WEST DEAN BUS: A regular bus Cider House stop. GARDENS ALLOW: 45 minutes service, Stagecoach 60 runs between Bognor Regis and PARKING: GRADIENT: Midhurst via Chichester, Available on roadside WEST DEAN Mostly flat with one stretch stopping at various points near river. COLLEGE of steady uphill. along the A286 including 5a Leaving Harcourt House To visit St Andrew’s The two flint and galletted 1behind you, follow the 5 Church, turn left at (small slivers of flint pushed 5 road as it bears right the end of Cemetery Lane into the wet mortar during towards the A286. and follow the Park Wall construction) terraces at the WEST DEAN until you arrive at its gate. foot of the dip were built in On reaching the A286, Otherwise, turn right at the 1812 and are Listed Grade cross, turn right, walk to WEST DEAN 2 end of Cemetery Lane and II: ‘A good quality terrace STORES AND the crossroads, then turn HIGHDOWN follow the Park Wall back of agricultural workers’ PLANTATION TEA ROOM left and walk up past West to the start of the walk. houses for the period.’ The 4 CEMETERY Dean Primary School. 1 Warren has become quite Continue up the road, POINTS OF a community in recent HARCOURT 3under a low railway INTEREST: years with the addition of THE DEAN HOUSE bridge, past a group of two Housing Association ALE & CIDER houses on your right, and Harcourt House, the large HOUSE developments which turn right onto a well- house on the corner, is a provide affordable housing defined footpath heading Grade II Listed building. The for local families. diagonally back across a field western part of the house 2 was built pre-17th century The cemetery contains THE MANOR A286 towards the A286. WARREN FARM and the eastern half in the the James family graves, When you reach the 18th century. One of the tended by a local resident. 4 A286, cross and continue largest residential properties The lych gate was recently straight ahead down on the Estate, Harcourt repaired and restored and Cemetery Lane, passing the House also has a priest hole. is Grade II Listed. cemetery with the James family graves within. 0 0.25miles 3 0 0.5km N BRICKILN FARM CHILGROVE A circular walk taking in the southern edge of Kingley Vale 6 National Nature Reserve. Good views over the Chilgrove Valley. DISTANCE: GRADIENT: PARKING: CHILGROVE HILL 4 miles / 6.3km Mixture of steep climbs, Park on the roadside descents and level sections. near Brickiln Farm. 7 ALLOW: 1 hour 45 mins Carefully cross the busy Turn right to a marker POINTS OF B2141 and follow the 3post and wooden gate. 5 bridleway uphill between INTEREST: Turn right, passing 8 the hedges. 4Blackbush House, and Kingley Vale National As the bridleway enters continue along the bridleway, Nature Reserve contains 1 woodland, turn left and leaving the Nature Reserve. one of the finest yew forests enter Kingley Vale National in western Europe, including At a T junction with Nature Reserve which a grove of ancient trees another bridleway, contains one of the finest 5 which are among the oldest turn right. yew forests in western living things in Britain. Europe. The bridleway Cross the busy B2141 In years gone by Blackbush B2141 follows the bottom of a 6with care, turn right and House, now a family home, wooded hill with good take the green path running played an important role views ahead and to the left. alongside the B2141 to the in the development of the 1 As it bears right it passes far end of Chilgrove Green. inoculation against smallpox, a badger sett on the left Turn sharp left up a serving as an isolation unit before rising steeply into minor road, continuing for patient trials. yew woodland. 7 GOOSEHILL straight on at a crossroads. CAMP Continue along the At the T junction of BRICKILN bridleway, passing 2 minor roads, turn right, FARM Goosehill Camp, a multiple 8 4 2 signposted ‘Chichester’, to BLACKBUSH enclosure fort, on your right, return to the start HOUSE until you reach a crossing of the walk. point of two bridleways. KINGLEY VALE 3 NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE 0 0.25miles 0 0.5km M I N O N R R O SANDY’S BOTTOM A D OF F B 21 41 YEW TREE A circular walk for the most part in woodland of varying ages COTTAGE and species, taking in West Dean Woods Nature Reserve and a 1 considerable stretch of the Andy Goldsworthy Chalk Stone Trail. CHILGROVE DISTANCE: GRADIENT: PARKING: 4.5 miles / 7.3km Mixture of climbs and Park on the roadside near descents, none of them Yew Tree Cottage, Chilgrove. 12 ALLOW: 2.5 hours particularly challenging. 2 ALSO: Suitable for COWDRAY cyclists and horse riders. ESTATE 11 3 With Yew Tree Cottage At the next marker post, West Dean Woods 1behind you, turn left on 9turn right to stay on the Nature Reserve is to the minor road, then left bridleway for some distance managed by the Sussex onto the bridleway. until reaching a T junction Wildlife Trust. In a with another bridleway. At a marker post, non-intervention area, 2turn right on to the Turn left on to the old lichen-covered oaks lower bridleway, entering 10bridleway to re-enter grow through a colony of Cowdray Estate. West Dean Estate and pass wild daffodils which spills 4 West Dean Woods Nature 10 Follow the bridleway out onto the glade. This is Reserve. 3right at a marker post. kept clear by West Dean 5 On reaching a minor Estate to encourage it to Stay on the bridleway as road, turn right. do just that by removing it bears left. 11 WEST DEAN 4 competition from brambles, At the junction with WOODS NATURE At a marker post, turn another minor road bracken and the like. RESERVE right onto a different 12 5 bear right to return to the The main purpose of the bridleway which bears left start of the walk. Reserve is to preserve the towards another marker post. old management system 6 At a crossroads with a POINTS OF of hazel coppice with 6chalk stone, go straight oak standards. across, remaining on INTEREST: the bridleway. Andy Goldsworthy RENTON Continue straight ahead. sculpted and installed WOOD 9 7 7 13 chalk stones in 2002 to form a 5 mile (8km) At the next marker post, trail between West Dean 8 8turn right on to another bridleway. and Cocking Hill on 0 0.25miles Cowdray Estate. 0 0.5km N B2141 MONKTON VALLEY A circular walk with good views, taking in a mixture of farmland, woodland and archaeological sites. HOOKSWAY HOUSE DISTANCE: GRADIENT: PARKING: 5 miles / 8km Mixture of steady climbing Park on the roadside near and level sections. Yew Tree Cottage, Chilgrove. ALLOW: 2.5 hours STILES: Four 4 Take the footpath in front Turn left and follow the POINTS OF 1of Yew Tree Cottage and 3bridleway downhill to the follow it to Old Monkton in Royal Oak public house.