RICHARD WILLIAMSON Country Walk...South Ambersham

Park at Ambersham and Heyshott Common just off the road between Heyshott and Graffham SU913196, room for 15 cars.

Follow the overhead cables northwest into the heath with its ling, gorse, bell heather and where the rare Dartford warblers breed and are also resident, and where in summer the nightjar reels his endless call and the hobby falcon catches dragonflies. Magical place.

After 250 yards, right on blue arrow into scots pine avenue, soon entering mature woodland of oaks and birch, where you can see the older pine pioneers with their wide branches, and all their thin children.

Near New Road branch left on blue arrow but then keep right to drop downhill to a house in the shadowed valley, called Little London for some reason. You will then come to a four crossway and keep right and pass under the old railway arch. The brickwork is still okay but is being attacked by five little yew trees.

Wood spurge grows beneath on your path. You walk through old chestnut coppice woodland, soon finding a turn left downhill to a footbridge over the Heyshott stream. A group of fine old tussock sedges grow here indicating swamp of fenland soil into which you could sink up to your knees quite quickly.

Climb up the bank turning right, around two 120-year-old oaks, following path past some much older oaks later. The alder woods in the valley to right are home to great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches and marsh tits. Passing a cottage, note birdfeeder with blue tits.

Straight ahead at road to South Ambersham bridges over the Rother, following a lovely ivy and holly hedge in which holly blue butterflies breed. Just before bridges, left through an iron gate and then follow the Rother bank southeast.

Path climbs up past a willow carr and suddenly turns left across a clover field. Aim just to left of antlered oak, noting enormous hazel trunks before you leave.

The footpath turns right at the road, but inside the field and along its hedge.

Then after 250 yards joins the road, passing polo pony stables.

Just before Great Todham Farm, sharp left up the sunken lane under old oaks, holly and hazel right to the top where turn left around a young female yew tree, southeast into a larch and chestnut plantation.

Left at track divergence downhill on this sandy path then sharp right on blue arrow, left at a dead holly tree and under another rail arch.

You now pass to the little stream keeping left around the footbridge. Uphill to the right you will see those power cables again which you should follow back southeast to the car park, in my case last week to an old wooden hen coop on wheels. Only joking.