Written by: Roger | Wednesday, 6th November 2024 - 10:00

Category: Walks | Tags: walkmeal

23 walkers gathered at the Sussex Oak pub in Warnham for the monthly walk, on a cool and somewhat foggy morning.

A mixture of short, interim and long walkers set off towards Warnham Manor via the Hills Farm plantation & bridleway, with some of the short walkers departing via Warnham and back to the pub.

Skirting the very impressive Manor & ponds, towards Rowland Wood and onto the West Sussex Literary Trail to Byfleets Rd.

Pausing for Graham to take the mandatory group photo, one of the more recent short walkers appeared coming up the hill toward us. Name withheld for security reasons. Plausible excuses were provided, but all sounded questionable, so we continued into the first part of the Warnham Park Deer Farm, with a warning from leader Roger that the three deer in that area were quite docile, but to make sure you were fleet of foot if need be.

At the Balling Hill gate, the nameless short walker plus one interim walker headed directly back to Warnham, not to be seen again until having lunch in the pub.

The remaining walkers, whose numbers I had completely lost count of by now, crossed the main part of the park, where a very large herd of deer plus a particularly large stag took flight at our appearance and kept well away from us as we departed onto Robin Hood Lane. A short road walk took us onto the old A24 and around Warnham Park onto the Shelley Cycle trail and back to Warnham Churchyard, with the Sussex Oak opposite.

Local resident & Honorary lady, Cherryl had already joined the short walkers in the pub and with the arrival of the long walkers, a total of 24 walkers enjoyed good food, service and good friendship over lunch.