Wildhams Wood
Children will enjoy exploring the open access woodland on this walk.
The Basics
Time: 4 km
Distance: 1hr 15mins
Terrain: Woodland paths and forestry tracks, sometimes uneven. Mainly flat, with one steady descent. A very short section on a quiet country lane with grass verges.
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes
Refreshments: None on the walk but the popular Hare & Hounds in beautiful Stoughton is a two minute drive away. There is also a grassy patch beside the car park where you could lay a picnic rug.
Toilets: None
Parking: Stoughton Downs car park on the large bend along Wildham Lane a mile out of the village free (Postcode: PO18 9JQ - W3W: irrigated/publisher/impact)
Wildham Wood is situated just east of the beautiful village of Stoughton in spectacular West Sussex countryside. Although the area is popular with cyclists and walkers, the woods have a wonderfully isolated atmosphere. In May the forest floor is thick with wild garlic and bluebells creating one of nature’s most breath-taking scenes.
The Route
Leave the car park along the wide gravelled path heading away from the road. There will be beech trees to your right and a field to your left. The field will end and be replaced by woodland on either side of you. Bear left at the fork and then look out for the rusted metal skeleton of an old vehicle and soon after a huge tractor tyre. You will need to take the next left after the tyre.
This path will gently climb into the woodland. Turn right at the top of this section when you come to a cross path.
This path will begin with woodland either side and then narrow and become more enclosed. You will have the woodland to your left and a field/hedge to your right. There are gaps in the hedge that reveal nice views of far woodland. The field on your right will come to an end and you will once again be surrounded by trees. Soon after this, look out for a huge yew tree. It is quite distinctive as there are no other yew trees around it and it has a large trunk. Turn left after the tree onto a forestry track.
For much of the rest of the walk, you are going to stay on this same track. It will begin to curve around to the left and then follow the top edge of the woodland. Don’t take any paths to the left or the right and eventually the path will curve all the round to almost reach the road. Here you will see a barrier and the path will become surfaced just before this. Turn left here at the cross path.
Follow this track with woodland to your left and the road just about visible through trees to your right. This path will end when it reaches a field straight ahead. Turn right here out onto the road and then turn left. It is a quiet country lane and there is enough verge for children to be off the road. You will see the car park in the distance and should head towards it.
Did you know?
If you fancy making your walk longer then just across the lane is Inholmes Wood, which is also open access and also contains wild garlic.