Walks And Walking – West Sussex Walks Slindon Estate NT Walking Route

Walks And Walking – West Sussex Walks Slindon Estate National Trust Walking Route

Slindon Estate is a 1,400 hectare National Trust property containing 25 miles of public footpaths and bridleways with open access woodland just inside the South Downs National Park. I plotted out this walking route as it was only a 15 minute drive from where I was staying in Bognor Regis and had an interesting Roman Road that I was quite keen to explore. I originally planned to do 6 miles as my blisters had only just recovered but I had such a great start to the walk I decided to extend it.

I strapped my feet up with zinc oxide tape on my heels and put my The North Face walking boots on with my windproof walking jacket in my rucksack just in case it rained. The weather was clear and bright although a little windy and I was really looking forward to another walk in the glorious West Sussex countryside.

Walks And Walking - West Sussex Walks Slindon Estate National Trust Walking Route Map

I parked in the Duke’s Road car park entrance to the Slindon Estate in Fontwell, just off the A27. At the rear of the car park there was an Information Board which had leaflets explaining what you can expect from a visit to this National Trust site. The Flint Folly looked quite interesting so I headed up towards that using the map in the leaflet. I set up my ViewRanger using OpenStreetMap and set off through the kissing gate up to the wide tree-lined track through Slindon Park Wood to join a gravel track on my right hand side to a kissing gate and metal gate where I then walked up the lane turning left to the road and then right where I then turned left down the track to see the Folly through the trees on my left hand side.

Walks And Walking - West Sussex Walks Slindon Estate National Trust Walking Route - Tree Lined Track

Walks And Walking - West Sussex Walks Slindon Estate National Trust Walking Route - Flint Folly

I then turned left at the Public Footpath signpost and then right at the yellow waymarker where I then saw a red fox scampering up the track ahead of me. I then joined the track which took me up towards the Folly. At the Folly I took a couple of photographs and had a quick break before continuing up the track with the Folly on my left hand side and Glatting Beacon now coming in to view ahead of me to the right hand side. I walked left through the metal gate and then walked right at the wooden barrier by the yellow waymarker keeping right at the Bridleway signpost downhill turning right at the next Bridleway signpost downhill continuing my walk straight ahead with open fields now on my left hand side. I then spotted a single Deer on my right hand side and just managed to get a quick photograph before it spotted me and ran off being joined by 3 other Deers. Bonus!

Walks And Walking - West Sussex Walks Slindon Estate National Trust Walking Route - Deer At North Wood

At the end of this track I turned right at the Public Bridleway signpost turning left up to a crossing of pathways where I walked left on to the Bridleway across the field towards Glatting Beacon as the track climbed gently uphill. I continued my walk straight ahead through the wooden gate to the next wooden gate and into woodlands keeping left at the Bridleway Waymarker keeping right at the fork and walking straight ahead as the track continued to climb steadily uphill. I then walked left at the junction at the top by the Public Bridleway signpost to now join The Monarch’s Way on the left hand side at the Public Bridleway signpost to Gumber Bothy. A Bothy, as I recently found out, is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge and quite popular with long distance path walkers. I then walked downhill through the wooden gate to the next wooden gate and straight ahead along Stane Street Roman Road through the next gate where I then saw my next group of Deers on my right hand side. Double bonus!

Walks And Walking - West Sussex Walks Slindon Estate National Trust Walking Route - Deer By Stane Street Roman Road

Walks And Walking - West Sussex Walks Slindon Estate National Trust Walking Route - Stane Street Roman Road

I then walked straight ahead signposted Halnaker as I entered Eartham Wood to the road where I then walked left and then turned left at the Bridleway signpost and the entrance to the Forestry Commission buildings at North Wood. I continued my walk in to the woodland keeping right at the Bridleway signpost and climbing steadily uphill turning right at the top to briefly rejoin the path from earlier on. I then turned right at the Bridleway signpost and climbed steeply uphill and then straight ahead before heading all the way downhill to the road on a scenic track between the trees looking back out to the Folly on my left hand side. I then turned left and then right through the wooden barrier to follow the track to the junction of paths where I walked right to rejoin the wide tree-lined track all the way back to the car park after 11 miles and just over 4 hours of a thoroughly enjoyable walking route.