[1] From the bus stop at Golden Cross walk north east up a road signposted to Muddles Green. After just under a kilometre turn right on another road to reach the Chiddingly Village shop and café and Farley Farm.
[2] Walk 20 metres to a road junction. Motorists from car park join walk here. Continue along the road to next junction. Cross the road, slightly to the left and follow metalled track past some buildings. It becomes a bridleway. Follow for just over a kilometre.
[3] Go through a gate. A track joins our route from the south. Shortly afterwards look out for a bridleway sign on the right Take this. Do not take the farm track which continues straight ahead. A couple of 100 metres further look out for small bridge and stile in the hedge on the left. Go over into a field.
Walk ahead, keeping the hedge at the field edge to the left. At the end of the field go through two gates. Follow farm track round to the right on to a drive of the house. There is a footpath sign near the house gate which points in the generally right direction.
Foliage can make the route difficult to find here. Walk north east, gradually moving away from the garden boundary on your right. Follow the clearest route. Keep to the right of the pond. Emerge from the trees into a large field. (remains of the dung heap should have a way through). To the right of is a wood. Walk straight towards a line of trees on the horizon.. Aim for the end of this line (one larger tree).
By the large tree is a junction of paths, at the top of a ridge. There is a four way footpath sign. Follow the path which maintains the same direction. This goes down the hill, across the field, aiming for a bridge at the bottom of the valley.
[4] Once over the bridge, the path curves to the left. The legal right of way goes straight ahead, through the hedge, but it is impassable, so continue left into the next field and then turn right. A small footpath sign on the right indicates keep straight ahead, with the hedge on the left. Follow the route round the left hand side of the house in front and then cross the field to a pinch stile straight ahead. Cross the next field, aiming for the right hand corner, where a short track leads down to the lane. Turn left and follow the lane northwards. At a pond, follow the track to your left.
[5] Pass a house on the right to the garages of the house. There is a concrete courtyard with a tree in the middle, a double garage with white doors on the right and another building on the left. Pass between these two buildings, going through a gate with a footpath sign on it. Continue to follow footpath signs north west, through some slightly scrubby land, to find a stile in the fence ahead of you, that has been constructed with tree stumps. Keep heading in the same general direction to arrive at a small lane. Cross this and take the path straight ahead.. This initially keeps close to the edge of a wood, but when the boundary of the wood turns off to the right, keep straight ahead across the field to enter the garden of the Gun pub.
On leaving the garden, head for the road (The gap in the fence is at the right hand end) Turn right up the road past the pub car park and take the first turning on the left, to Strood Farm. This is not signposted but is a bridleway. Pass through the farm building and keep straight ahead, heading slightly down. The path beyond here can be muddy after prolonged rain. Emerge at a road. There is a farm drive opposite, slightly to the left.
Your ordnance survey map may show the wrong route here. The path to the road has recently been diverted at the request of the owner. The path ahead has been diverted twice, both at the request of the owner. Users of the farm equestrian centre are often confused about where the path goes. Follow the legal route.
[6] Walk along the farm drive and through buildings on either side. Come to a fenced area used for training horses. Turn right immediately before this and follow a track going up to the right. Enter an attractive wood, keeping straight ahead. At the end of the wood, cross a stile and walk down the edge of a field, keeping the hedge on the left. Cross another stile and join a track. Keep going straight ahead. Pass a house and then bear right, along the side of a line of conifers. Meet a drive and turn left on this. Follow the drive to a road.
[7] Turn left here and go slightly downhill to cross a bridge over a stream. About 30 metres after this look out for a footpath sign on the right. It is easy to miss. Go over a stile. Do not follow the sunken lane straight ahead, but turn left up a bank to emerge in a field. Turn right along the edge of the field. At the end of the field, slightly to the left, see a footpath sign, highlighted in yellow, which points across a lane, over a still opposite, and onto a path ahead. You are now on the Vanguard Way which runs from Croydon to Newhaven. The route follows this way to Chiddlingly.
Continue ahead across a field. The remains of a hedge point the way. Continue straight ahead as the route continues between a hedge and a fence. The route emerges at a road. The route through the gate opposite is illegally blocked by barbed wire, so turn right along the road, and then left in 20 metres, to follow an alternative path through a squeeze gate. The path emerges at the attractive Chiddlingly village between the 6 Bells pub and the church car park.
(A) Picasso, who frequently visited Farley Farm, is said to have visited the Six Bells and offered to pay for a drink by doing a drawing. But the landlord said he could pay like everyone else.
(Motorists using the church car park have now finished the walk.)
From the Six bells walk back to where the path emerged onto the road and keep straight ahead to the church. Otherwise turn left at the end of the path, heading for the church. Enter the churchyard and walk to the right of a church and climb over a stile which enters the cricket ground. Do not follow the Vanguard Way signs, but turn left along the edge of the field and then right along the other edge. Continue to the bottom left side of the cricket field and then cross a stile in the corner of the field. Keep ahead, cross a bridge and pass a wood to your left. Emerge at a road.