Chanctonbury Hill, Washington
For Beltane Min and I took the van to Washington Campsite to celebrate the day with a bit of fire while enjoying the outdoors. It’s a lovely campsite just off the South Downs Way and allows firepits which is always an added blessing. We’ve camped there a few times but I’ve never really ventured out from there and with it being so close to the South Downs Way I’d started plotting some routes to see what was viable from here, I know my fitness isn’t as good as what it was so I went for (what I thought was) a leisurely walk along the route.
So at 6am I got myself up and ready and by 6.30 I was making my way out of the campsite and on my way into Washington, passing the Frankland Arms which looked like a nice pub to visit, and had I been doing a later walk would have made for a great finishing pint and meal. The start of the walk was very easy as it was road, then a nice open field, before hitting a stile which was a bit of a steep climb. Just before this stile I set up my GoPro and started to film, it was a lovely walk through a wooded area and at this time in the morning the birds were chirping away and many bunnies were stirring. I soon came across the South Downs Way Trail sign, a welcoming sign.
I continued on along the South Downs Way, Min had recently told me they had read an article about this stretch of the South Downs Way and how the path had had a bit of a refresh, it definitely felt newer than parts I’d walked previously. While walking this stretch I watched a bunny bouncing along ahead of me, which came back and said hello before vanishing into the nearby bush. Fortunately I had my GoPro in my pocket so I took a moment's break to film.
I continued up to some steeper inclines before hitting the peak of the hill and was greeted by some beautiful panoramic views, it was well worth the climb, and on a day like today you could see for miles. From here it was a steady flat(ish) walk on to Chanctonbury Ring Fort which was my main reason for coming this way, and I was not left disappointed. The ring fort is a prehistoric hill fort that has been used through the Bronze, Iron, and Roman periods, and taking a walk around it you can understand why as on a clear day you have such an extensive view. In the mid-eighteenth century birch trees had been planted around the perimeter which made me feel at peace when entering, and the shelter from the sun was most welcome up here! As I walked around the North side of the ring I was met with a clearing and a view that literally took my breath away! It’s here I settled down and had my breakfast while enjoying the view.
In the past I’ve done a few hills, but this was the first time I’d found the going down bit the hardest, the route I’d picked was quite a steep incline and I was very grateful for the fact I’d brought my sticks with me. By the end of it I could feel my legs shaking and was quite aware that I was using muscles that I wasn’t quite familiar with! However once I was at the bottom I came across a field filled with sheep and a lot of lambs which were really cute, one of which was a black lamb which I’d never seen before, and I was rather smitten by it.
Now that the hill was done, the rest of the walk should have been a breeze but I did get a bit ‘tunnel visioned’ and followed the path before me, forgetting I had a right to take, so rather than taking the easier route across the fields into Washington I went back up the hill. By the time I’d realised this I was half way up, and the idea of going back downhill after the last downhill section wasn’t appealing, so up I went. Fortunately it connected to the new bit of the South Downs Way where I’d met the bunny so it was familiar ground and easy to walk, it was also nice to walk back on myself and get a new perspective of a path I’d walked a couple of hours ago.
I came back to the field I’d started in which now had some horses in the neighbouring fields, and a woman nearby was sorting out two other horses with some very fancy looking manes, they were lovely to see. I’d made a mistake in my navigation but if I hadn’t made that mistake I wouldn’t have seen the horses. From here it was an easy walk back to the campsite and upon returning I could see the ring fort in the distance, seeing the height of it from the ground really did make me feel like I’d accomplished something.
