RST Route 3 Sincox Lane Jct To West Chiltington

0.7 miles within Thakeham and then 1.5 miles plus to West Chiltington. Initially on level ground the land rises from 20 to 80 metres on the approach to West Chiltington. Limited parking is available 30 yards up Sincox Lane. The route is on footpaths and only suited to pedestrians.

The walk starts to the west of the B2139 opposite Sincox Lane. There is a metal footpath sign post but it is often hidden by undergrowth; the location is a few yards south of the Royal Mail post box. The stile at the start is at the time of writing in need of repair and is quite a hazard for the non nimble. Cross the centre of the field heading WSW and aim for the nearest corner of Redland’s Wood then walking with it on your left. At the corner of the field follow the footpath to the left briefly through the edge of the wood and then out in the open take a left turn on the path down to Solelands Farm on the Harbolets Road.

Across the road and the stile head SW along a field with a wood on the right. The footpath turns towards the south to the corner of Stanford’s Wood. Pass through a pedestrian gate and take the left of two paths which leads indistinctly across the centre of the field past a water trough. 100 yards short of the corner of the field take the path to the left which leads uphill towards a wood. Cross a (broken) stile into the wood and follow the footpath uphill for about 200 yards. A gate at the top opens on to the edge of a large vineyard. Turn left and follow round the edge of the field then heading almost due south. At the first field junction High Barn at 80 metres can be seen along a track to the right. Continue south through the vineyard passing the farm complex of Knowe Top on the left. Follow the path southwards and after more than half a mile of vineyard pass through a gate into a pasture. After 100 yards East Street, West Chiltington, is reached a little east of the school.

Clearly the main interest on this route, apart from the wonderful scenery, is the vineyard to the north of West Chiltington. Three vineyards are located in the parish namely Nutbourne Vineyard, Ambriel Sparkling and Nyetimber with the latter occupying in part the site of the former golf course which was reassigned in about 2015. The Nyetimber vineyard is located on both sides of the Broadford Bridge Road including the area crossed by this walk; it is now cultivating 97 hectares of vines in West Chiltington. In total these three enterprises, with Nyetimber the largest, have a production level here sufficient for more than one million bottles annually.

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