RICHARD WILLIAMSON Country Walk...Haye's Down, West Dean

Park at Seven Points, east of Trundle Hill, SU872109, in bays overlooking coastal plain and the Isle of Wight.

Walk west, past the white house called The Rubbing House and take right fork on blue arrow to follow the arboretum flint wall downhill to village. This is Monarch’s Way.

Path is hard stone, built for carriageway to horse races, Edward VII being a frequent friend of the James family.

Arboretum was Edward James’ favourite place to run wild. He is buried here, but many specimen trees he collected were thrown by hurricane shortly after his death.

Note holes let in to bottom of wall every 50 yards or so. These were to let rabbits out at night to graze the downs when they would be trapped on return, so safeguarding the trees.

Wall repaired by college students on wall-building courses.

View left after passing Calhouns plantation (Calu, old English meant ‘bare hill’) shows sweetcorn strips to hold pheasants; copses the Edwardian equivalent. Note trailing plant with small mauve flowers growing in wall cracks is ivy-leafed toadflax (Mother of Thousands).

The great wall of West Dean gets higher and higher and soon sports an archway where the Lavant prepares to flow its course. At the bridge a royal gate with fleur de lys opens the view into West Dean Park.

Continue right along road, then turn left to village stores which serves food until 4pm, but 1pm on Tuesdays and Sundays. 
Then left to A286, noting Queen Victoria plaque on school wall.

Crossing main road is very dangerous, better to take village road back, finding Centurion Way which follows A286 south-west to Preston Farm which is now called Farbridge Conference and Wedding Centre. Note the hornbeam trees along path.

Wood once used for oxen yolks and gunpowder manufacture.

An old horse chestnut tree has the umbellifer; alexanders, growing beneath. Black seeds used as pepper taste in meat stews.

Left at Binderton cottages to cross the Lavant and the old railway line then climb Haye’s Down on blue arrow, half left up steep incline, so leaving Centurion Way.

Downland turf here grazed by sheep – orchids and cowslips in spring.

A mile south-east of here was site of Lavant caves; Bronze Age underground grain store also used by Romans and Tudors for storing wool.

Follow path uphill, east, across stoney fields where stone curlews used to breed until 1970s, where Morris awaits with splendid views through windscreen of Chichester Cathedral, Chichester harbour, Solent, sea, and sky.

Nothing better in this world.