A walk amongst the stones: South Downs Way

Friday, 28 November 2025

St Mary, North Marden

I visited St Mary’s on day three of a four-day Pilgrimage back in February of this year. I was following the newly described “Mary’s Crescent” pilgrimage curated by Dr Tim Goulder (2023).

I had seen the book by chance in the local authors section of One Tree Books in Petersfield, whilst shopping in the lead up to the previous Christmas. Having talked for many years about completing a pilgrimage route but holding off due to concerns about the walking health of my right knee, this pilgrimage seemed ideal for a first timer.

Relatively short days walking through a familiar landscape.
I was never more than a short drive (rescue) from home if my knee did fail me.
I could be resupplied on route, so did not need to carry so much food and clothing.
Exploring aspects of my home turf which I had never previously enjoyed.
A quiet time of year, so expecting little company along the way, giving me time to enjoy the route in solitude, and quiet reflection.
Ending the Pilgrimage at Chichester Cathedral.

The pilgrimage is described starting at St Mary, Porchester Castle, and ending at Chichester Cathedral – the walk forming an arc which heads north over Portsdown Hill along the Meon Valley to Droxford before heading east following the South Downs Way to Buriton, then on to South Harting, North Marden, Singleton, ending at Chichester Cathedral four days later.

As my affection for Chichester Cathedral noted elsewhere in this Blog, is given. I will not repeat myself here. However, it is safe to add that walking the final stretch of the pilgrimage on day four from St Mary, East Levant through farmland, the outer limits of the city, then North Street turning onto West Street and then seeing the statue of St Richard beckoning – was a rush. (That I bumped into a work colleague and his partner on North Street and failed to string a coherent sentence together testament to the profound and overwhelming feeling of quiet and well-being invoked by my solo peregrination).

I reached North Marden around lunchtime. I had walked south off of the South Downs Way, past an estate I had not heard of, then down through a hedge of mature Hazel (Corylus avellana) it’s base already showing signs of spring flowers. Then crossing the B2141 followed a farm track, and entered the church yard of this singular building.

Comprising of a single cell with both nave and apse combined, the church’s foundation dated to the 12th Century though modified throughout and up to and including the modern roof and bell-cote, with one bell dating from 1829.

The leaflet found within “Notes on EAST and NORTH MARDEN and their CHURCHES” picks out the variously aged, architectural features, adding meat to the bones of the church’s description within the pilgrimage guidebook.

It is a beautiful and serene space, and on first stepping through the door whereupon my mind was silenced, and I sat for a long time in quiet meditation before exploring the finer details of the churches as described in the literature to hand.

signs of Spring

St Mary North Marden February 13th 2025

Chichester Cathedral - St Richard on St Valentine's Day

Reading:

Goulder, T. (2023) Mary's Crescent Countryside Books Newbury

McLaren, P. (undated) Notes on EAST and NORTH MARDEN and their CHURCHES Midhurst and Petworth Printers

Sunday, 16 February 2014

The Devil's Jumps, Treyford, West Sussex

A gem of a site and one I return to regularly when walking on the South Downs as it is found along a favorite section of the South Downs Way, being between Harting Down and Cocking.

The Devil's Jumps consists of seven Bronze Age bell barrows, of which the five remaining visible are aligned with the setting sun of mid-summer's day. Only two of the barrow's were found to have burials associated with them when excavated in the 19th century.

Recent clearance of the encroachment of woodland on the southern edge of the site and removal of the trees growing upon the barrows themselves - has opened up the chalk grassland surrounding the site, heightening the barrow's visibility within the landscape - better reflecting their original situation when constructed around 3,500 years ago.

It does not take a leap of imagination to picture how these monuments, when first constructed, must have gleamed bright with the newly exposed chalk, amidst the rolling green of the downland.

I've enjoyed many wildlife encounters on this part of the down over the years, including my first ever red kite (Milvus Milvus) as a novice birder some 10 years ago; along with regular sightings of buzzard (Buteo buteo) and kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) soaring or hovering above. Last autumn I watched three wheatear (Oenanthe Oenanthe) as they foraged on the newly restored chalk grassland.

At this last visit, meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) flocked in the adjacent winter seed crop whilst a small herd of fallow deer (Dama dama) grazed openly in a nearby field. Skylark (Alauda arvensis) raised their song in the blue sky and sunshine, of a long overdue mild winter's day.

The site is managed by the Murray Downland Trust - whose BLOG appears at:

http://murraydownlandtrust.blogspot.co.uk/