Victoria Inn to Up Marden Circle

 

Stats Dist. in miles 3.74 Total Height climbed 193 meters

time in minutes 125 mins

West Marden to Up Marden Circle. Great views, a beautiful church, deer, hares, foxes, badgers, buzzards, and red kites what more could you ask for. This walk is not all that long but your legs will tell you otherwise at the end. The strange thing is that despite its being out in the open it is a relatively sheltered walk.

Directions Start at West Marden farm and cross the road at the cross roads to Locksash lane. Walk straight up the hill towards Locksash Farm where you will pass a lane on the left this is point 2 on the map (Point 2 which is 1/3 of a mile from W. M and is fail safe point 1). Walk straight on up the hill and after another 1/3rd of a mile you will see another lane on your left this is point 3( fail safe point 2). carry on up the hill still going to Locksash farm, for a few yards and then you will enter Locksash Farm. Walk through the farm with the hedge to your left. At 500 yards from point 3 you will see a finger post pointing to a lane going down the hill, this is point 4. Walk down this lane for about 300 yards to the bottom of the hill.(please note this lane can be very slippery.) there is a machine cut lane through the field walk up this lane for about 500 yards to a finger post pointing into the forest. Walk into the forest and after about thirty yards you will meet a “T” junction this is point 5. turn left at this point and walk up a slight gradient until you reach a finger post pointing out of the forest towards a field; this is point 6 and is about ¼ of a mile from the “T” junction. On reaching the field turn right and follow the edge of the field to point 7 a distance of 3/8 of a mile. Turn right at this point and walk a few yards up the hill to Up Marden Barn (See note A in observations) behind this barn is St Michaels Church (See note B in observations). Opposite the church entrance door is a short path leading to a field. In that field is a timber building this houses a village well. (See note c in the observations). Return to the church and the barn and go down the hill to point 8 which is about 3/8 of a mile. This marks the start of the longest hill on the walk and leads to point 9 up the hill for about ½ a mile and rises 54 meters. At point 9 turn left and walk along the top of the hill for about ½ a mile to point 10, turn right at this point. And walk for about 100 yards to point 11 which is a lane to your right. Ignore this path and carry on past point 11 to point 2 and along this path you will begin to see the village of West Marden to your right. At point 2 turn right and walk back to the village.

Fail Safe Points

1…..From this point you could turn left and follow the path to point 11 and again turn left and on down the hill to Compton tea rooms for a great cup of tea

2…. From here again you could turn left and follow the path up the lane with great views of Compton valley but in order to get back to West Marden it would mean returning to point 10 and then down to point 2 and home.

Observations.. (A) This barn has recently been restored from a dilapidated ruin by the Weald and Downland museum in Singleton along with the South Downs national park. The workmanship reflects the attitude of the man who carried out the work, he was a very conscientious man (B)When I first came across this church it was actually raining tiles because the roof was in such a poor state. The bells were stored outside in a rough shelter and the path was wall to wall mud. This Church was loved back to life and what you see today is the most charming plain straight forward church that you could ever wish to see in such a busy world. (C) This hut houses a well that was still used up to 1965. Most of the mechanism is still in place. It’s actually locked to the general public for safety reasons but it can still be seen very well.

A free laminated map is available at the pub. All we ask is that you return it when you have finished with it or pass it on to a friend. It would be a crime to bury it away in a drawer and forget it.