Barpham Hill

1 - From the roadside, 400 yards north of the crossroads and bus stop in the community of Warningcamp, enter the bridleway on the east side of the minor road into the woodland of South Woodleighs – there is a welcoming sign from the Angmering Park Estate at the entrance.

Follow the undulating track for one third of a mile in the pleasant woodland to arrive at a five-bar gate. Pass into a steep-sided valley and continue ahead with trees and hedgerow on the left.

At a three-way sign turn half-left to a second sign, a short distance away. Turn right from the second sign and follow the valley-bottom path, continuing to the right of a barbed wire fence after about 250 yards.

2 - On arriving at a bridle gate, after a third of a mile, with woodland on the right, and beside an area identified as The Knell on the left, pass through and continue to the left along the track.

In 150 yards, at a sharp left turning, locate the bridleway on the right and follow this. In about 25 yards, at a fork in the track, take the left branch on the valley bottom bridleway.

Follow this bridleway for 400 yards, climbing to join another track coming from the right. Turn left and, in 50 yards, pass through a metal gate on the right on to the rising bridleway, with training gallops on the left.

The path traverses the valley below New Down, with Tenantry Copse up the slope to the right, beginning a northward climb to a skyline footpath sign. Pass the sign, continuing on the elevated track, with Home Farm away to the left on the hilltop. The route climbs through the valley and after about a mile and a quarter begins a slow turn to the left. With Norfolk Clump, a circular copse on the hill to the left, the track passes through a gate and continues the climb.

At this point on the trail it is worth noting the distinctive lumps and bumps in the surrounding hillsides and particularly the double embankment away to the right. In pre-history times this was a busy landscape and there are tumuli, boundary markers and associated earthworks all around.

The track finally passes through a bridle gate to reach the top of the climb and a three-way marker post, close to the top of Wepham Down.

3 - Turn right on a descending bridleway track and, in 150 yards, turn right through a gate and begin the ascent of the facing hillside. The bridleway soon levels off before the final short rise to a hilltop copse on one of the twin summits of Barpham Hill.

Follow the track between the trees to double field gates, pass through and take a quarter-right line across the plateau towards the higher of the two peaks, indicated by a trig point.

This is a hilltop for walkers, there is no road access and to appreciate the superb 360 degree downland scene requires the commitment only a walker possesses – make the most of it. Keep to the track (you’ve just passed another earthwork, by the way), which now swings to the left on a gravel surface, descending to a gate and a junction of tracks.

4 - Turn right on the track that heads towards the farm at Upper Barpham, passing between the buildings, noting the magnificent flint and thatched barn on the left of the track (pictured).

Continue on the farm track, in 100 yards locate the marker post (blue arrow) on the right, and divert onto the bridleway. Keep to the path for about a quarter of a mile, with a field on the right and increasing woodland on the left, to arrive at a field corner at Upper Oldfield Copse.

The path goes to the left and then right to follow a field-edge path southwards for 300 yards to a junction of woodland tracks. Take a few paces right on the surfaced track and then turn left on to the wide bridleway into Lower Oldfield Copse. Follow the track for nearly three quarters of a mile, passing the isolated dwellings at Wepham Ball.

5 - In 250 yards, after the remote homesteads, at a junction of tracks and forest drives with gates and a stile, turn right through the bridle gate. Follow the wide footpath track ahead that climbs between the woodland of Lower Wepham Wood and Gibbet Piece. Keep to the track, which may have been disturbed by forestry machinery, between the managed woodland, for two thirds of a mile.

On arriving at a metalled track, turn left for a few yards, passing a multi-directional footpath sign.

6 - In a few yards leave the surfaced track and take the narrow bridleway on the right that descends half-left through woodland.

Follow the bridleway to a crossing track, then descend more steeply for 200 yards to a track junction we were at earlier in the walk, close to The Knell.

Turn left and, in a few yards, left again for 150 yards to a further junction of paths beside a gate. Take the rising track to the left, climbing for 250 yards. As the path levels off, with an overgrown, disused quarry on the left, note the marker post on the right of the track (yellow arrow) and take this turning.

Follow the descending path over a stile through the scrub to emerge, for a different view of the valley we walked through earlier. Walk down to the valley floor, going left for a short distance to the three-way marker post.

Turn left for a few yards to a second post, then turn right beside the hedgerow, back to the gate leading into the woodland of South Woodleighs. Follow the woodland path back to the starting point of the walk at the roadside.

* Distance/Time: Six-and-a-quarter miles, taking three hours.

* By Car: Turn north off the A27, 200 yards east of Arundel Station, follow signs for Warningcamp and Burpham. Limited roadside parking 400 yards north of crossroads at Warningcamp. Start point Grid Ref. TQ035075

* By Public Transport: Bus details from www.traveline.info or phone 0871 2002233. Bus stop in Warningcamp at crossroads, then walk along roadside (north-east) for 400 yards to the start point of the walk.

* What’s underfoot: Walking from river valley to downland hilltops with a long, easy climb; return through woodland, with a short climb. Possible with a baby backpack but a long valley climb. Not possible with a baby buggy.

* Thirsty Work: No pubs and teashops in Warningcamp but plenty in nearby Arundel.

* So you don’t get lost: OS Explorer map 121, plus a compass for general direction.