Lordington & Racton Monument
On this walk, children will enjoy telling spooky stories as they explore the ‘haunted’ ruins followed by cake in the garden of Lordington Park.
Racton Monument
The Basics
Time: 1hr 40mins
Distance: 5.5 km
Terrain: Woodland tracks that are muddy in winter, field paths with stile, a slow steady climb up a very quiet country road, around 50m along a fast road with no pavement (see below)
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes, but on close control through Stansted woodland due to deer and on leads through the farmland at Lordington
Refreshments: Lordington Park has a tea room on the terrace/lawn as well as indoor seating. The footpath goes through Lordington Park. Although not on the route, there is a pub in Walderton a short distance from the parking area called The Barley Mow.
Parking: A free parking area just off the B2146 at the junction going towards Walderton on Post Office Cottages (Postcode: PO18 9ED - W3W: boards/spoons/evidently)
One view from the lawn at Lordington Park Tea Room
Do you dare try this walk to the ‘most haunted’ location in West Sussex? Watch out for flying bricks, phantom tractors and apparitions appearing at windows! If you make it back in one piece, you will receive a far warmer welcome towards the end of this walk from the stately tea-room at Lordington Park.
The Route
Leave the car park and head back towards the B2146 Petersfield/South Harting Road. Cross the road and turn right to walk along the pavement. Pass the bus stop and then at a triangle where residents can park, look for Woodlands Lane leading off to your left. This is a very quiet country lane that only really serves a few cottages, so you will be unlikely to encounter much traffic. The lane will climb gradually up hill and you should stay with the lane for quite some time.
Just after Woodlands Cottages, the tarmac lane will come to an end with a number of paths leading off in different directions. You are now at the eastern end of Stansted Park. For this walk, take the first path on your left before the gate. The path will head off in a straight line due south with woodland to your right and fields opening up on your left. When the path finally hits a T-junction, turn left.
This track will lead you past Racton Monument/Ruin (more details of that below). You will find the monument hidden behind trees opposite the grassy mound of a water reservoir.
Continue down the track after viewing the monument until you reach the road at the bottom. Turn left and walk along the road. This section of the walk unfortunately makes it unsuitable for small children as although this is not a particularly busy road, you will meet traffic and it may be going fast. There is no verge or pavement to walk on. The distance along the road is about 200 metres before you will leave the road via a footpath to your left.
The footpath will take you through a little gate and diagonally across a paddock, bearing right into the grounds of Lordington Park. On the other side, another gate will bring you our onto the tarmac entranceway of Lordington Park. You can turn left here to find the tearoom where you can enjoy drinks and cakes on the lawn, terrace or indoors. If you time your visit, the gardens of the main house are sometimes open on the Open Gardens scheme. There is also a summer campsite here, as well as bed and breakfast and holiday lets. Many of our walkers will be familiar with the property as for one week in July, Lordington Lavender opens their fields to the public and people come from far and wide to enjoy the spectacle.
To continue with the walk, return to the point where you joined the driveway and go straight across to join the grass on the other side with a swing to your left. Go over a stile and follow the path in a straight line as it cuts across the bottom of a series of pony paddocks. You will see Lordington House behind you and up to your left. The pony paddocks will give way to larger fields and you should continue following the path in the same direction. The backs of properties that line the B2146 will come into view to your right and you should keep going until the footpath exits the field at a metal barrier.
Turn right at the road and follow the pavement back to your car.
Did you know?
Racton monument (or Racton Ruin) was built as a folly, probably to the nearby Stansted House. It is said the lower floor was used for banquets and it was originally four stories high, giving views to ships coming into The Solent. Now a ruin, the owner of the site has had repeated proposals to turn it into a private dwelling refused by the national park authority. The site has gained a reputation for paranormal activity that is said to include flying bricks, faces in windows and a ghost tractor that drives up behind you, then disappears.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at Stansted House. Stansted Park borders Lordington Park and the two walks could easily be linked together.
