Guided Serpent Trail Walks, Summer 2025

About

Join the National Park Rangers in a guided walk of the Serpent Trail! Divided into 7 guided walks over the summer, we will guide you through biodiversity, history and landscape of the Weald along the 106km length of the Serpent Trail. You will learn first-hand from the Rangers about the efforts of landowners, partner organisations and the SDNPA to enhance the habitats of the Weald, and people's connection to them.

Haslemere to Liphook – 20km
Sunday 8th June
Meet point: Haslemere Train Station – 9.30am (to depart at 9.45)
Duration: estimated 7 hours (5-6 hours walking & breaks) + transit
Return: We will return to Haslemere Train Station on a minibus hired as part of the guided walk
Starting in Haslemere, we will follow sections 1 & 2 of the Serpent Trail through some of the best-connected heathlands in West Sussex. We will first walk to Black Down, the highest point in the South Downs National Park, before continuing through Marley Common to Lynchmere and Stanley Commons, owned and managed by the Lynchmere Society since the 1990s.
Book a place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1375957318379?aff=oddtdtcreator

Liphook to Rake Hanger - 10km – featuring guest Anne Bone, local archaeologist
Sunday 22nd June
Time - 9.30am (to depart at 9.45)
Duration: estimated 5 hours (2-3 hours walking, 1 hour archaeology talk, 1 hour lunch) + transit
Return: We will return to Liphook Train Station on a minibus hired as part of the guided walk
Starting at Liphook train station, it is just a short walk out of town to rejoin the Serpent Trail where we will follow its 3rd section. At Chapel Common, we will be joined by Anne Bone, a local archaeologist with over 40 years of experience in cultural heritage. She worked for South Downs National Park Authority as Cultural Heritage Lead from 2011 to 2017 and before that in museum and heritage in western Sussex. Anne's particular interests are in the Roman period and in landscape archaeology, and she was involved in the Heathland Reunited project led by SDNPA. Book a place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1375972022359?aff=oddtdtcreator

Rake to Henley – 15km
Tuesday 1st July
Time - 9.30am (to depart at 9.45)
Duration: estimated 6 hours (5 hours walking, 1 hour breaks) + transit
Return: We will return to Liss Train Station on a minibus hired as part of the guided walk
Starting at Liss train station, we will walk 2.5km to rejoin the Serpent Trail at Rake Hanger. We will then follow sections 4 & 5 of the Serpent Trail to Henley. This will take us through some of the more wooded parts of the trail, before reaching the grazed heathland mosaics of Woolbeding Common. Book a place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1375995863669?aff=oddtdtcreator

Henley to Fittleworth – 20km
Saturday 19th July
Time – 9am (to depart at 9.15)
Duration: estimated 6 hours (5 hours walking, 1 hour breaks) + transit
Return: We will return to the South Downs Centre on a minibus hired as part of the guided walk
After a short minibus ride to the trailhead in Henley, we will follow sections 6 and 7 of the Serpent Trail to Fittleworth. This will take us through Verdley Woods, Bexley Hill, Petworth Park and the worked woodlands of the Leconfield Estate to our end point in Fittleworth.
Book a place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1376022172359?aff=oddtdtcreator

Fittleworth to Heath End – 10km – featuring guest Kate Drake, SDNPA Health & Wellbeing Officer
Wednesday 23rd July
Time – 9.30am (to depart at 9.45)
Duration: estimated 6 hours (3-4 hours walking, 1 hour heath & wellbeing activity, 1 hour breaks) + transit
Return: We will return to Fittleworth Village Stores on a minibus hired as part of the guided walk
Following section 8 of the Serpent Trail, starting in Fittleworth we will first visit Hesworth Common and see the recent habitat improvements made by the Parish Council's new Countryside Stewardship agreement. We will then walk onto Lord's Piece, home to the endangered Field Cricket. The trail will then take us through Bignor Park Estate and Sussex Wildlife Trust's The Warren, before we take a small diversion off the trail to Lodge Copse, where Kate Drake will lead a health and wellbeing activity. We'll get back on the trail again to finish our walk to Heath End past Chingford Pond.
Book a place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1376170536119?aff=oddtdtcreator

Cocking Causeway to Heath End – 13km
Saturday 2nd August
Time - 9am (to depart at 9.15)
Duration: estimated 5 hours (3-4 hours walking, 1 hour breaks) + transit
Return: We will return to Midhurst on a minibus hired as part of the guided walk
Starting at Cocking Causeway, we will follow the head route of the Serpent Trail's 9th section. This will take us through some of West Sussex's best heathland sites: Ambersham Common, Sussex Wildlife Trust's Graffham reserves, and Lavington Common & Plantation. You will find out about the SDNPA's efforts, working with multiple landowners and partner organisations to improve the habitat connectivity between these special habitats.
Book a place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1376207055349?aff=oddtdtcreator

Cocking Causeway to Petersfield – 20km
Sunday 17th August
Meet point: South Downs Centre, Midhurst 9am (to depart at 9.15)
Duration: estimated 7 hours (5-6 hours walking, 1 hour breaks) + transit
Return: We will return to Midhurst on a minibus hired as part of the guided walk
After a very short minibus ride to Cocking Causeway, we will rejoin the tail route of the Serpent Trail for its final 10th and 11th sections. This will take us first to Midhurst Common, shortly followed by Iping and Stedham Commons before reaching Nyewood. We will continue onto Petersfield, where we will get a minibus ride back to Midhurst.
Book a place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1376254998749?aff=oddtdtcreator