COWDRAY PARK & WOOLBEDING NATIONAL TRUST CIRCULAR WALKS
Now that a permissive path joins these two large bits of West Sussex countryside together - Cowdray to the east and Woolbeding to the west - walkers have the opportunity to traverse a number of circular routes with Midhurst at the centre. We list here the principal routes with links to their respective pages

These pages are brought to you courtesy of Violet Designs - The Kitchen People, as are all walks and local info in Midhurst Pages - Midhurst Town & Community.

Editor John Trueman's Comment:- Feedback on routes would be appreciated. Email me please.

1. Midhurst Town Circular Walk and Town Trail 0.75 mile, GU29 9DW - Start Point: North St Car Park or Touirist Office . The Causeway, Cowdray Castle environs, River Rother Path, St Ann's Hill, The Old Town, Knockhundred Row, North St . Max 40 mins .Click links to view pages.
River Rother Pictures
Doggy Days Out
Dog Friendly.

2. Midhurst Town Circular Walk with Extension to Easebourne. - 2 miles. GU29 9DW. Same as the above to Cowdray Castle. Thence over the Cowdray Estate track, past the Polo Grounds to The Cowdray Farm Shop and Cafe. Return the same way to the castle. Thence via The River Rother Path to St Ann's Hill, etc Max 1 hr. Dog Walks to/from Easebourne

3. The Queen Elizabeth Oak Walk - circa 7.5 miles 3 - 3.5 hrs. From either North St Car Park GU29 9DW or alternatively Cowdray Farm Shop A272 Free Car Park GU29 0AJ - 100 spaces - The Race, Cowdray Golf Course, The Queen Elizabeth Oak, Cowdray Park, Gosdensheath, Moorlands Barns, Ambersham Bridge, Little Todham, Great Todham, Kennels Dairy , The River Rother Path, Cowdray Farm Shop or North St Car Park. Path Description click here.

4. The Midhurst River Walk (short version - 2.75 miles direct or 3 miles via Woolbeding Lake) - circa 1 .5 hrs - 2 hrs. Start A272 North St Car Park GU20 9DW, River Rother Path to Woolbeding Parkland, Half Moon Pub, June Lane, North St. Midhurst River Walk Description, Picture Pages 1, 2 and 3 The River Walk Story - How it all came about. Alternative circular walk to the above: start at the National Trust A272 car park GU29 9RL - see map.

5. Midhurst River Walk (Long Version 6.5 miles - 2.5 - 3 hrs). The Cowdray (Easebourne) Midhurst, Woolbeding Circular Walk. Click Map to Enlarge for Download. (Explorer Map 133) Allow time for just standing and watching the wildlife or taking photos.

Start : Cowdray Estate 100 Space A272 Free Car Park at Easebourne, GU29 0AJ, opposite The Cowdray Farm Shop Café - see blue CP on the above map far right, , Estate Rd to Cowdray Castle environs. Thence to Midhurst North St Car Park/ Tourist Office, pavement to North Bridge Weir, River Rother Path to Woolbeding Parkland - you have two route choices: footpath through Whiphill Wood or round The Lake - Woolbeding Bridge. Woolbeding Meadow to Woolbeding Wood full of ancient trees on the river scarp. Thence along wooded track to Brambling Farm, field edge path to Woolbeding Cross Roads (entrance into field from lane), a short stretch along the road to Easebourne. Thence along the field edge path to Hollist House (look for entrance from lane into the field), Hollist Lane to Easebourne Cross Roads, over the main rd and down Wheel Barrow Castle to the junction of the A272 at Old Easebourne, a short pavement walk past the church to the entrance to the Cowdray Estate and the Farm Shop & Café. Duration of walk circa 2.5 - 3 hrs.
Click for Ordnance Survey Map

In further explanation of the above route. Please refer to the map and find the letter C in CIRCULAR WALK and follow the fence line north west to the end of the trees. This is where Woolbeding Parkland begins.

LAKE DIVERSION: When you come to the gate to Woolbeding Parkland with an NT sign (Whiphill Wood is 200 yards uphill half lef) follow the fence line west directly ahead past the yew trees overlooking the River Rother towards Woolbeding if you intend to see The Lake.(See pics, click here) or the River Rother, illustrated below.

View of Woolbeding House from the River Rother

There is a gate through the fence as you approach the river which bends south-west at this point immediately opposite Woolbeding Church and Woolbeding Gardens (Woolbeding House NT ).There is a path round the lake. Just keep going through the next gate after leaving the lake - see picture with meanders below - and, with the River Rother to your right, walk up the slope - or along the river bank if you prefer , then up the slope - in the direction of A272. After 400 yards, drop down the slope towards the river on your right hand side. Your exit point is the gate into the tree-lined public right of way, close to the river, which leads to Woolbeding Bridge. Alternatively, enter the gate into the right of way further uphill as we've indicated on the map and turn down hill from there. Cross the bridge and immediately enter the meadow through a NT gate on the left hand side.

Woolbeding Lake

Walk 400 yards aproximately across the meadow, through the next 5-bar gate close to the river and shortly after turn up right into the ancient Woolbeding Wood and follow the path to Brambling Farm.Exit into the lane and find, a little way down, the footpath entrance into the field on the right hand side. Don't be tempted to walk down the lane as it is narrow, busy and quite hazardous, especially in the summer with large farm vehicles ever present. The view south west from the field edge path is spectacular. Follow the field edge and descend some steps into the lane at the crossroads, almost opposite the entrance to Woolbeding House, walk up the spur, half left, towards Easebourne and after 50 yards enter the field on the right up a short slope. Follow the footpath along the field margin to Hollist House, exit into the lane and walk the rest of the way back to Easebourne on the road, cross the main road, thence via Wheelbarrow Castle to the A272 turning, Easebourne Church, The Cowdray Estate entrance and free car park.

River Rother Meanders from Whiphill - Note the Gate.

6. In the Footsteps of H.G.Wells.
The Walk Description, Map, H.G. Wells Quotes and Pictures. Click for details.

7. The Midhurst Way. Haslemere to Midhurst Section and Easebourne to Tillington Section. (Midhurst to Arundel circa 19 miles).
Good non-circular walks iinclude (a) The Cowdray farm Shop to The Duke of Cumberland Pub in Henley, and return, and (b) The Cowdray Farm Shop to The Hollist Arms at Lodsworth An alternative, is to walk The Midhurst Way to the Horseguards at Tillington, and return by bus on the A272. There are numerous other combinations which are effectively circular walks. Arm yourself with Explorer Map 133 Haslemere and Petersfield. For a long walk The Midhurst Mountain Bike Route is wonderful.
1.Easebourne to Haslemere via Henley Start: A272 Cowdray Free Car Park
2. Midhurst and Easebourne to Arundel via Tillington. Click for details.

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