Cocking Loop

No, that is not a euphemism.  Cocking is a place...yes really...and it's part of the South Downs Way National Park.  I had a restful day in the garden yesterday and thought today would be perfect to venture once again into the countryside for a 5 mile loop up and over two bloody great hills...in the heat of the day....blah blah mad...blah blah beach....blah blah cool...whatever.

Reclining in the garden catching up with my latest Clive Cussler.

 

Well my father and I weren't the only mad people who had decided to give the beach a miss (fyi the queue down the one road to get to the Witterings would have been atrocious today) we passed several walkers (no, not the dead Zombie kind Kim & Carri-Ann), cyclists and even joggers...so my madness pales in comparison.

 The view looking back down the hill, the path in the distance is the South Downs Way also, it stretches 100 miles approx along the coast

The grazing cattle at the top of the hill

It's a moderate gradient to get from the car park to the top of the South Downs Way which seems to continue on forever.  Still it's a fabulous view at the top.  Then it levels off to a leisurely flat chalk stone path along fields of grazing, today mostly sleeping, cattle and woodland.

Tracks descend off the main route in every direction every few hundred yards & a multitude of exploratory walks can be had, leading to the various villages in the surrounding area ( & their local pubs).  Today we strolled for a while along the main path before breaking left across the field and into the woodland, the dappled shade greatly appreciated at this point.

On route we found a most agreeable spot to tuck into our picnic and admire the landscape, even having an impromptu sciencey type discussion about the clouds forming over the north side of the Downs.

Lunch with a view

Upon reaching a crossroad at the bottom of the track we wandered away from the village of Heyshott and walked adjacent to the Downs. 

Dad mulls over which track to take next

 

Looking back up the hill we just walked down

Fields near Heyshott

 

This little fledgling was sitting in the middle of the track, possibly a Blue Tit...not too sure on that...it does look rather disgruntled though

 

We diverted briefly to the 1000 year old church at Cocking which is aptly atmospheric and historic, then walked back over the hill to the car park, where I dumped the last of my water over my head to cool off.

Notice anything slightly Whovian about this piccie?

 How about now....next to a graveyard...seriously!

Lastly here's the 5 mile route

How to Blow Off the Gym With Style

Have I mentioned recently the exceptionally sunny sunshine we've been having during the last month.  Largely I can become very stationary when the weather follows the usual pattern of general dull and suckyness and apart from the gym there has been little to get my juices going and my arse off the comfort of my bed. 

So I decided to make the most of the fashionable early summer.  Never one with much inclination to get involved with the chores of the garden I have actually had fun helping out the parentals.  Digging out bushes with massive routes, digging and leveling soil, trimming shrubs and painting the wood framed greenhouse and trellis (nearly without getting any on me clothes, hands, glasses and the street sign I was using to lean the trellis against)

I cleaned up my bike, which has spent the last year living in the garage, and went out over the busy Easter weekend to have a gander at a car boot sale a few miles away.  It was largely old tat but I did savour the fact that on my return journey I passed a queue of traffic several miles long (all attempting to get away for the weekend) while I happily chuffed on by on my bicycle....suckers!

And of course what would a spell on fabulous weather be without some kind of jaunt into the luscious South Down countryside.

Cocking Down is one of the easiest parts of the South Downs to get to on my own, I just have to go all round the houses on a bus for an hour and 20 mins.  It is however very worth it

Traditions upheld, this kind of fencing has been used on the Downs for decades

You can tell it's still early in the season as the trees in the distance have yet to find their leaves

Aww, ickle cattle

And this is where I stopped for lunch, the Trig marker useful for checking I'm not lost (yet)

Since the South Downs have become a National Park there has been quite a bit of work down, clearing areas surrounding the ancient tumuli and maintaining paths

The protected Graffham Down

 And I guess a less protected...er...whatever this once was (sheep?) the skull left in the middle of the track in a not at all creepy fashion

This is actually looking back upon the hill I just descended and climbing back up the other side (one of 3 hills in this walk)

I had to keep reminding myself in the 27 degree heat that it was in fact still Spring, the trees are still sporting the fresh greens of the time of year.

Keeping an eye out for Hobbits and other such fantastical creatures....

What an epically fantastic place for a rope swing

And finally after 7.5 miles I reach Selhurst Park and this is the view from the much appreciated bench while I waited for my lift home.

Just visible on the top of the hill, Halnaker Windmill

And this stuff will be recognized by any hay-fever suffers out there, Mustard seed looks fantastic in the fields but by-crikey it pen and inks

So there you have Cocking Down to Selhurst Park on the South Downs Way, looking fabulous in the sunshine if I do say so myself....easy to see why I'd rather be up here than down on the beach with only chavs for company.