GHOST BUS

Sussex Border Path leg 4

We are due to walk another leg of the Sussex Border Path and I have just realised that I haven’t yet posted pics from the last leg.  We started from this rather impressive house at the foot of Blackdown.

After a surprisingly easy climb to the top, we sat for a moment to admire the view across The Weald to the South Downs.

From here the path passes down through a centuries-old sunken road, which was many years ago shored up with limestone walling.

We were watched carefully as we emerged at the foot of the hills and made our way out onto open countryside.   There were one or two interesting old houses here.

   

Although the path was not always so obvious. However, we came eventually upon the Midhurst road, with its seasonal (and geographical) reminder.

We walked along the road to Chris Evans' pub, The Mulberry.  I didn’t photograph it for some reason, but it’s here, if you're interested.  After a better lunch than we are used to on these walks, we set off again across the fields, which were now looking good, after the drought and flood scare earlier in the year,

the other side of which we came across a rather unexpected notice.  We looked both ways of course, just to be certain.  And then, seemingly sited at random in the middle of the woods, we see a way sign.

          

Which leads us into the village of Alfold, in time for the bus back to Haslemere.

An hour later, we accept that the bus is probably not going to come.  In fact nothing much seems to happen in Alfold – the pub is closed, no pedestrians pass by, just one resident looks out to reassure us that the bus will come eventually.  But we give up and walk to the top of the road, from where I telephone for a taxi to the station.  The only saving grace is that I know the driver and he drops me off at home without charge afterwards.  Thursday we return to Alfold for the next leg.  I don’t think we’ll try to travel there by bus.