South Downs Waywards

We Waywards have been thinking about a new walking project since completing the Way. We were keen to embark on the King Charles III coastal route, but information is still difficult to come by and only a few stretches appear to be fully open as yet. We decided to wait until it was a bit more established. Have guidebook, will travel Meanwhile, I had happened upon a copy of the West Sussex Literary Trail book in our local Lions bookstore and, being a literary sort, was intrigued. Thus, we embarked on the first leg on Friday 16th February 2024. We started in Horsham where the trail begins, but in the absence of the Shelley fountain, and until the Shelley Memorial Project comes to fruition with a new memorial in the town, we avoided the town centre and commenced our walk from Spencer’s Place.  We crossed part of Rookwood Golf Course and, after a short while, entered Warnham Deer Park where we encountered several of the red deer for which the Lucas family are famous. The Deer Park...

 And we're back! The Waywards Return After multiple aborted attempts we finally made our return to Exton to continue our walk last Sunday, the 25th April; nearly five months after the first leg. (The less said about our last minute realisation at the beginning of April - that even though we could walk together under the two households rule, we couldn't actually travel in a car together - the better. Who needs to know that we were unceremoniously dumped at the side of the road a mile from home?)   Pounding the chalk paths once more   This time it was all smiles. There was the Shoe Inn, and the stream and all the lovely cottages of Exton that we remembered, and now bathed in warm spring sunshine. It was all worth the wait: we had picked the perfect day to carry on pounding the chalk paths of the South Downs Way. Who cares that we weren't entirely sure which way out of Exton we should head?  View of Old Winchester Hill And this walk really was spectacular. I had no idea...