Selhurst Park Hill to Crown Tegleaze

This walk of 7 miles (11.2 kms) runs through downs and woods either side of the East Dean Valley with hardly a house or building in sight.

You might not see another person though you have to cross the busy A285 twice.

This road is one of the most dangerous in England so great care must be taken to look and listen.

We pass two memorials to Second World War air crashes whose pilots flying at night had not realised how high these hills can be.

Parking is off-road at the Forestry commission bays at Droke, on thce minor road between Singleton and Upwaltham at SU 925127.

Take the road east for 250 yards, and look for a yellow footpath sign up the bank on the right into Droke Hanger.

This footpath zigzags uphill to the Benges Wood.

It can be very damp.

At the top of the hill you reach the road that has come from Goodwood Race course.

Turn left along it for 300 yards.

It can be quite busy. Then you have to crossc the A285 at the worst place, a blind hill to the left.

Now enter a stony track into Eartham Woods.

Beech trees make a serene canopy overhead.

Follow this track for nearly a mile to a bridle crossway.

Turn left.

To your left is the memorial to the Dakota transport crew who crashed on this hilltop.

You are now going north-west This track descends into the valley where you pass Upwaltham House Farm.

Cross the minor road to the tiny Norman church of St Mary.

Its millennium west window has pictures of swallows and duke of Burgundy fritillary butterflies.

This small chequered insect is very rare nowadays but does live in a few sheltered places here on the Downs where there are cowslips to feed its caterpillars.

Up the steep hill ahead the bridleway climbs to the spot height of 822 feet: which was twenty feet too high for a Lancaster of the Dambusters Squadron which had just refuelled at Tangmere.

There is a fine view from here with Bignor Hill and Amberley Mount to the east.

South-west is Chichester Harbour.

The bridleway now runs northwest through coppice wood called Crown Tegleaze.

The name may come from the Old English word ‘Teag’ and ‘lea’ meaning an enclosed glade in a wood.

Turn left at the T-junction near SDW following the restricted byway south-west, out of the wood and across a stony field.

There is a fine view to the right. Coming back into the trees again keep to the right on the bridleway where a footpath veers left.

800 yards after that, you will come to a crossroad.

Take the left bridleway.

Follow this for the last mile down through the beech plantation back to Droke.

That name comes from the OE ‘drocen’ which just means dry place.

It is dry and stony with no stream in this valley but very nice for walking.