The Walk from Cocking to Bignor, West Sussex

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He said:
Great hiking today, the temperature was comfortable, no clouds, the scenery wonderful, plus a large, well preserved Roman Villa.

We set out for our walk along a rough back track that headed up the hill.  The trail was an old road that over many years had become sunken and was overgrown with trees and thickets on both sides.. Every year, soil and rock get washed down the road making it sink a bit more.  The farmers seem to dump rocks along it every year or two to try to maintain their route up to the upper fields.  After climbing this rough road, we were at the saddle of the downs and we soon found our South Downs Way path.

Although we passed many farm fields during the day, very few had cows or sheep, we soon came upon one of these fields to see the cows happily chewing their way along the fence near the path.  It turns out that the majority of fields do not have grazing animals in this area, and are instead planted with wheat (mostly), but the wheat looks just like grass at the moment since it is not very tall.  Clearly the growing season has been delayed this year compared with past years due to the heavy rains of November through April.

Hiking the South Downs Way is a pleasure, but it would also be great to cycle it; most of the route is easy for bikes, the hills are not so steep, and the views are great.  There have been a few times when cyclists come up behind us at speed without much warning.  It's generally a wide path, but due to the rocky surface, some sides are better than others and both walkers and cyclists alike go for the easiest path.
Although the day was one that makes us feel happy to be out walking in nature in good weather, we eventually came to the place where we had to hike off the path and down to the village for our next B&B.  So, down we went along a dead end road, but before going to our place, we visited an excavated Roman Villa from about 400AD.

Bignor Roman Villa

This was one lucky and wealthy Roman family back in the day, the place was huge.  They had large living areas, rooms with heated air from underground channels, mosaic floors, a cold plunge, baths, etc...  These were not the normal living conditions for a typical family of the time.


After a complete tour of the villa, it was a short walk to our B&B which has a large back garden.

Stane House back garden, Bignor

She said:
Cocking (The Bluebell) to Bignor (Stane House)
9.5 Miles

We had a nice chat with our innkeeper, Simon, before we left The Bluebell this morning.  He just purchased the inn in November of last year, and has been doing a great job refurbishing it.  He brought the chef with him from his last gig.  I believe The Bluebell will become famous in the area.
Simon also told us that the artist who made the dramatic statues of the ladies that we admired yesterday is Philip Jackson, the same artist who did the amazing statue of the ArchAngel Gabriel in the church at South Harting.  He is quite famous in England and owns a large property in Cocking that he is redoing to, as you can imagine, a very high standard.

Lord and Lady Cowdray are also large landowners in the Cocking area.  All of their holdings are identified by the color of their window sashes and doors - golden yellow.  And, there are lots of buildings around town and in the countryside with golden yellow sashes and doors.  Lady Cowdray is working towards making their holdings sustainable, which is probably a huge task given the size and number of them.  She has adapted some into holiday cottages, arranges for mindfulness, yoga and Pilates classes in others and has converted another into a spa.  The Cowdray's also host Polo matches.

As we walked along we came upon one of many fields full of cows.  We stopped to talk with (at) them, as we often do for no reason at all.  We noted that they have given us so much and that they are noble and calm.  We hoped that they didn't know what might be in store for them (they were beef cows).

Both yesterday and today (Sat. and Sun.) there was a huge up tic in the number of people we saw along the path.  Most were bike riders, enjoying well maintained paths with plenty of ups and downs.

We also came across more Bronze Age burial mounds.  Always at the very top of a Down and always in a row.

Several badger holes, too.  You can tell a badger hole by the huge amount of rocks and rubble excavated from the hole and left right at the entrance.  Not very tidy.

R mentioned that he is happiest with his Guinness or a local stout (The Conquerer) but not the local bitter (Punters).

At one point, I turned around just in time to see, at close range, three colorful and handsome male pheasants flying low across the field.  And, these particular fields in this particular farm are part of LEAF, an sustainability initiative Linking Environment And Farming.  The farm was so well laid out and smelled crazy like manure which was way better than the slight chemical smell we smelled earlier walking past a huge pig farm (ugh).  Interesting signs here and there describing the benefits of hedgerows and insects and birds to the landscape and health of a farm.  (And, this farm supplies the milk to Marks and Spencer!). Most grain crops now are wheat and barley, with some flax thrown in.

We had 1st Lunch up on the Down under a Yew tree.  Cheese and tomato sandwiches - heavy on the cheese.  But, for dessert - the most delicious brownie I have ever eaten.  Well done, The Bluebell.

After lunch, we had a lovely, shady walk down from the Down.  We emerged intohuge fields of blue flowers - magical.  We learned later from tonight's host that those beautiful blue flowers are flax, a new cash crop.

We walked right by our B+B for the night, Stane House, as it was a bit early and a very short walk away was a well excavated and preserved Roman Villa. Yes, the Romans were here from around 100 AD to about 400 AD.  And they built giant, amazing villas (which really means estates - homes, farms, gardens, etc.). The Bignor Villa has the best preserved mosaics of any Roman ruin in Britain (and we've seen a few along Hadrian's Wall and in other areas of England.)

The Villa remains are enormous - the house and immediate grounds  (house, kitchen gardens and baths) are probably 2-3 times the size of the Gamble house and gardens.  That doesn't include the cultivated land around the house - acres and acres of that.  The mosaics are on all the floors - very intricate.  Beneath the floors and exposed now to see, is the Roman heating system - the original, radiant heat.  Flues carried the heat from the "basements" and into each room.  At Bignor Villa, there are corridors of mosaic floors 75 ' long!  When the site was excavated, they even found intact painted walls.

Bignor Roman Villa

The reason the mosaic floors survived is because plows 200 years ago (when the villa was first found) only plowed down about a foot and the mosaics were down about a foot and a half - so close!  It is so interesting to think of their lives - the heating, the baths, the long corridors, the fancy dining hall and entertaining rooms.  From the size of the estate and the jewelry found there (though I can't imagine why they would leave behind their important jewelry, but, whatever) it is believed that the Villa belonged to a very important Roman, perhaps a Senator and his family.

Our B+B, Stane House, is a period Victorian house that has been lovingly preserved and restored by our innkeepers.  The gardens here are very beautiful and the owners have attempted to recreate a Victorian garden in all its splendor.  They have succeeded.  Though the work involved is a job in itself.  So much for retirement.
Nick and Angie Symes are our host and hostess.  Nick drove us down to the pub in the next town (Bury) as the pub in this town closes on Sunday nights.  The Squire and Horse is the classic country pub, all low beams and plaster walls and a snug bar.  We just had drinks as our lunch from The Bluebell was giant so we saved half of it and ate it when we arrived at Stane House.  Drinks were perfect - as I continue to branch out.  I thoroughly enjoyed a Viognier - very delicious and Chardonnay-like.  R stuck with his pint of Guinness and a swift half of the local ale.

A cat was curled up on a bench in the pub.  I asked the barmaid its name and she said it wasn't even their cat - it is the neighbor's cat who shows up every day at opening time and leaves when they close!  Sure looked like he belonged there.

Nick collected us and we are back in our room on our puffy bed.

I am loving this trip, as I always do our walking trips.  There's nothing like walking every day in the fresh air.  Seeing new sights.  Staying new places.  Learning new things.  We are so lucky.