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