Chiddinglye Loop starting from West Hoathly

This circular walk starts in West Hoathly, a village on a high ridge in the Weald, 4 miles south-southwest of the ancient market town of East Grinstead. The land rises to 600 feet (180 m) just outside the village, and outcrops of sandstone are nearby.

On leaving the car park, the walk heads down past Philpot’s sandstone quarry on a bridle path to join the High Weald Landscape Trail (“Trail”) taking us through a sandstone gorge. With numerous springs the path can be muddy but was dry when recced on 4th April 2025. The path through the woods is pretty, bordered by bamboo. We continue on the Trail climbing up through Chiddinglye Wood before leaving the Trail by crossing the B2028 and walking along the North West boundary of the National Trust property Wakehurst Place, a wild botanic garden, managed by Kew and home to the Millennium Seed Bank

We are now on the High Weald with good views to the North and North West. After walking across open fields the path continues into an ancient woodland which is full of bluebells, albeit a bit too early to see in flower. The path descends steeply over a sandstone ridge and care is needed not to slip – in one short section erosion has left a gulley circa 2 – 3 meters long which we have to descend using a hand rail. Having all safely descended we stop for coffee on an old log in the ancient woodland.

After a steep ascent out of the wood, the walk then takes us through a lovely wooded valley over a bridge and up into some typical Sussex fields and farmland with occasional walking on quiet tarred roads. We finish our walk across the fields back to West Hoathly village passing the church, pub and the Priests House museum.

For those wanting refreshment the village pub is “The Cat Inn” which provides food up until 14.00 (but not cheap snacks) https://www.catinn.co.uk/the-pub. A picnic is also possible at the recreation ground albeit I did not see any seats.

Other attractions:
(a) Nearby Wakehurst Place, free for those with National Trust Membership.
(b) The Priest’s House Museum. Copying from its website “The Priest House stands in a traditional cottage garden..[and] .. was owned in turn by Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell, Anne of Cleves, Mary I and Elizabeth I. It is now furnished with 17th & 18th century country furniture and domestic objects collected by John Godwin-King, who gifted these and the house to us. Over 170 culinary, medicinal & household herbs are planted in the garden. The resident curator gives fascinating tours of the house and garden upon request.” https://sussexpast.co.uk/attraction/the-priest-house/.

(c) St Margaret’s Church – Quoting from Wikipedia - "is an Anglican church in the village of West Hoathly in Mid Sussex, By the late 11th century, a simple single-room stone building existed on the high, open ridge upon which the village developed. A series of medieval expansions doubled its size by the 15th century, and the present building has changed little since then—despite a Victorian restoration overseen by architect R. H. Carpenter. A major addition was the heavily buttressed Perpendicular Gothic west tower, topped with a tall broach spire and containing a peal of ancient bells. The large, steeply terraced churchyard also serves as a public cemetery and has far-reaching views across the Weald. The original dedication to Saint Margaret of Antioch fell out of use for many centuries until a researcher rediscovered it. The church serves a large rural parish which was reduced in size in 1882 when two residents of the hamlet of Highbrook paid for an additional church to be built there. English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.”