Garston’s Farm and Old Mill House.

Distance about 4 miles. 8 stiles. Allow 2 hours.

Start at the Post Office and walk down to the A272. Cross over the road and over the stile into the field straight ahead. Walk south along the hedge line to another stile. Cross the stile and continue with woodland on right and hedge on left. In about 200 metres cross another stile and proceed along side of field keeping hedge on your left. At the bottom of the field find a stile on your left. Climb stile and immediately turn right. On your right you will see a plank footbridge and another stile. Cross and proceed along the field towards Garstons Farm keeping the hedge on your right.

As you approach the edge of the field bear slightly left to a metal gate. Go through the gate and follow the hard track to the farm. Go through another metal gate and bear right, keeping the farmhouse and farm buildings on your left. Follow the farm road round to the left and continue through a small metal gate next to the main gate. Continue straight ahead to the public road.

Cross this road (Bolney Chapel Lane) and go through the metal gate into a field. (There could be cattle in this field). Keeping hedge on your left continue through a metal gate. Now keeping the hedge on your right proceed over a stile and pass under the power lines close to a pylon. Keeping the hedge on your right head for a footpath finger post by a small metal gate. Go through the gate, turn left and continue keeping the hedge on your left. In a short distance you will reach another stile. DO NOT CROSS THIS STILE. Instead, turn sharp right along the edge of the field keeping the hedge on your left.

At the end of the field turn right, keeping the woodland to your left and follow the path round the woodland. (In May this woodland is a carpet of early purple orchids.) This path leads through a gap in the hedge onto a metal road (Coombe Lane). Turn right and follow the lane for about 400m to a footpath sign on your left. Proceed along a well defined path. Shortly after the path swings to the right you will find another footpath sign. Now leave the path you have been following and walk straight ahead into the field. Keeping the hedge on your right continue through the field until you come to a large gap in the hedge. Bear slightly left round a small copse and emerge through hedge onto A272 opposite Homewood House. Cross the road and turn right along the verge. In about 100 m at end of Homewood House tree boundary turn left at footpath sign, bear slightly right and keeping the hedge on your left walk uphill through another hedge into an orchard. Keeping the hedge on your left skirt two sides of the orchard. As you approach the end of the second side look for a large gap; leave orchard through this gap. At the footpath finger post turn left up the metalled road. Walk past the old farm buildings, cottages and Old Mill House on your right.

Immediately past Old Mill House turn right, over a stile and walk along path to another stile. Continue straight ahead over another stile and follow path into woodland. Cross the footbridge over a stream and turn sharp left up the hill. Passing a pylon on your left follow the path round to the right. The path now is contained between post and rail fencing. When the fencing comes to end walk straight ahead and emerge onto Cross Colwood Lane at the junction with Lodge Lane. Follow Lodge Lane back into the village.