Being outdoors is my favourite thing so living in West Sussex is a dream! I’m a stone’s throw from the beach, with the South Downs at my back. My husband and I like to adventure out into the countryside as many weekends as possible and let nature do its work on our wellbeing. It is our time to chat, be silent, be creative and simply ‘be’. We also like to play and we’re working on some games that we can play as we walk – when we’re ready to share them, they’ll be on wonderlandwalks.com.
One of the most special things about West Sussex is how many beautiful little villages there are hidden amongst the hills that seem to be straight out of story books. West Chiltington is one such gem. We hadn’t been to this particular area before and had been told it has all different types of terrain to enjoy – rolling hills, open meadows, tunnels of woodland, even vineyards – we were really excited to explore!
We started by the church and very quickly we knew this was going to be a special walk. There was everything we had hoped for and more – on top of the stunning scenery we saw so much wildlife! Along the route we saw rabbits, goats, sheep, very friendly lambs, cows, dogs, horses and even a squirrel. Some of the open landscapes took our breath away and as we clambered over some huge roots uphill in a forested area, I declared this as my current Number 1 walk! It was so peaceful too. If you stop to listen, the only things breaking the silence are the rustling trees, birdsong, a few insects and occasionally babbling water. If you’re going to do this walk (which I highly recommend!) I would definitely advise you to wear waterproof, comfy boots for the muddy bits and be prepared for some tight squeezes with tall nettles (we used a stick to hack through!) so trousers rather than shorts are also a must. We ended our awesome adventure at The Queen’s Head with a glass of something cold and fizzy. Fantastic day out!
We’ve teamed up with AllTrails to create a smart walking guide to lead you around the walk. Simply visit the AllTrails website to print the guide, or if you want the smart experience, get the AllTrails app (available for Android or Apple devices). The App gives you the full guide in the palm of your hand and also includes a live map so you can follow your progress along the route as you walk. Say goodbye to wrong turns.
