The lovely village of Chiddingly is situated in a conservation area and is an unspoilt delight.
Today, come with me on one of my favourite walks that not many people know about as it’s not mapped out, so I suggest you take these directions with you. I also suggest that you wear waterproof boots or wellies if the weather’s been wet as parts can get muddy.
There’s nothing particularly spectacular about it, but it’s relaxing and varied as it goes over stiles, bridges, ponds and through fields and woods. It’s almost 1.5 miles in length and should take you under 45 minutes, depending on your walking speed.
First, head to the Six Bells pub in the village of Chiddingly – postcode is BN8 6HT and What3Words stencil.throwaway.scariest will get you there. With the pub on your right, bear left into the village car park. You should find plenty of space to park for free.
Look to the far corner of the car park and take the path through there towards church and village hall.
Immediately on your left, take the gate into the field and follow the path through the field with the hedge on your right (not the diagonal path).
Enjoy climbing over the stile – a very Sussex thing to do on our walks – and continue along beside the hedge. Climb over a second stile into a lane, passing along with buildings on your right.
Admire the fine example of an oast house with a big dog statue outside. At one point, the dog would be clad in various outfits.
When covid was rife, it even sported a face covering!
After a short distance go over another stile on your right (opposite a house) and follow the path round to the left until you reach the wooden bridge on your left, passing over the pond. Cross the bridge, obviously stopping to have a peer over the edge to see what’s bobbing about on the water, then follow the path straight ahead (it’s marked with an arrow). Follow this path through the woods until you reach a t-junction at a hedge and ditch.
Turn right and walk between a hedge on your left and woods on your right. Continue on to the next wooden bridge. Cross this bridge and walk up the side of the field with a hedge on your right.
At the top right corner of the field go through another stile into the corner of the cricket field, then immediately at a bench on your right, go through a gate into the churchyard.
Head uphill towards Chiddingly Parish Church. Turn left and follow the brick path round the left side of the church.
The church itself is worth lingering over as it dates from the late 11th/early 12th Century.
It’s open every day during daylight so do go in and check out its beautiful stained glass windows, beautiful organ and impressive memorials. The tower, with its stone spire, is one of only three that remain in Sussex.
The churchyard is also fascinating, if you like that sort of thing, as I do.
As you come back to the lane, the path returning you to the car park is on your right, or the pub is round to your left. Interestingly, you can see, below, that the map of the walk is shaped like a bell – very appropriate for a walk that begins and ends at the Six Bells pub.
Of course, we’d expect you to head to the pub at this point for some well-deserved refreshments and, to entice you in that direction, Part 2 will be a review of the pub including its history, atmosphere and wholesome food.
And you’ll be following in famous footsteps because we’ll also tell you about the time Pablo Picasso visited the pub…..
