Walking the Western Weald
Where is the Western Weald?
The Western Weald is just an hour from London, yet few know of this area’s quiet beauty and remarkable natural variety.
Where is the Western Weald?
The Western Weald is just an hour from London, yet few know of this area’s quiet beauty and remarkable natural variety.
Nestled beneath the South Downs, this hidden corner of the National Park, unfolds in waves of wooded hills, clay vales and sandy heaths, interwoven with swift brooks, spring-line villages and time-worn holloways. It is the perfect setting for a walking adventure with Rural Strides.
Back in the 1820s, journalist and political reformer William Cobbett rode through this area for the first time, enroute to Headley in Surrey. In his book, Rural Rides, he wrote of his journey through the Hampshire Hangers:
“… out we came, all in a moment, at the very edge of the hanger! And never, in all my life, was I so surprised and so delighted! I pulled up my horse, and sat and looked; and it was like looking from the top of a castle down into the sea….Thus ended the most interesting day, as far as I know, that I ever passed in all my life. Hawkley hangers, promontories, and stone-roads will always come into my mind when I see, or hear of, picturesque views.”
Sitting atop Wheatham Hill (the site of Cobbett’s Viewpoint) one beautiful summer’s evening during lockdown 2020, surveying Hawkley ahead and Selbourne in the distance, it was difficult to find fault with this description. A stroll or ride in this part of the world is the perfect tonic for body and mind.
Whether you are a walker or wanderer, I warrant that a visit to the Western Weald will be worthwhile!
Walk with us
With private and scheduled guided walks, as well as self-guided routes, Rural Strides offers a Western Weald journey for everyone. Seek inspiration from our blog posts, choose a planned walk below, or request a private guided walk….the choice is yours.
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