September: Lichen, moss and toadstools begin to take centre stage.
It’s amazing to discover how hilly Horsham district is – or perhaps ‘mountainous’ (that’s certainly what it felt like as I was pulled up the very steep hill at the start of this walk by my trusty whippet!). The hill in question is fairly thickly wooded, so the walking path does not offer great views across the town – but this section of the route does offer a good work out, so it’s a fair trade off!
Not a good route to pick in wet or very dry weather, when the clay slopes would likely to be very slippery. There are several styles along the way, and a section along a country road, but other than that, it’s a cross country / through woodland route, which shows a very much more rural side to Horsham than the central starting point.
A good place to start is Blackhorse Lane, where free parking is available – just make sure you pick the correct bays, and complete your walk before or after 2-4pm, when ‘residents only’ restrictions are in place. (See point ‘B’ on the map). Or use the pay & display car park in Denne Road (Map point ‘A’).
For the route, click here. The link will open in Komoot – from here you can either print the directions, or follow live via your phone, with live instructions as you walk to save you having to look down and read – useful when navigating uneven or root-ridden ground!
Hedgerow Harvests
Along the route, late summer is the perfect time for snacking upon, or gathering blackberries, sloes and seeds.
Sloe Gin
We pick as many plump, rich purple sloes as we can, and steep big in sugar and gin for a minimum of four months, up to a year; shaking the bottle weekly to help the sugar dissolve into a heady syrupy liqueur; rich in colour, taste and warming properties; the perfect winter medicinal!
Ingredients:
500g ripe sloes – prick over with a metal skewer, or freeze first; either helps the juices run
250g golden caster sugar
1 litre gin
Method:
- Sterilise your bottles in the oven, or with Milton or other food grade sterilising solution.
- Tip the pricked or frozen sloes into a 2-litre glass jar, or divide between two smaller jars – I collect jars from a delicatessen. (They often have food delivered in lovely big screw top jars & are very happy to give the containers away once empty).
- Layer in the sugar as you pour in the sloes. Fill with gin, then seal the jar. Shake well.
- Give the jar a good shake daily for the next 7 days.
- Store the jar in a cool, dark place and leave for two to three months. Or longer!
- Line a plastic sieve with a square of muslin set over a bowl (or use an old cotton shirt tied at each corner onto the legs of an upturned stool or side table; forming a funnel above a large bowl. Strain the sloe gin through the filter funnel.
- Decant into the clean, dry bottles, then seal and label.
- The sloe gin is ready to drink after 2 or 3 months, but it’ll improve and mature over time – so, if possible, make it one year to drink the next. Small bottles make wonderful home made cracker fillers or larger ones for Christmas Presents…
“One of the things that strikes me most forcibly is the extent to which the majority of the population has lost any real connection with the land…
The rich, natural tapestry that is the countryside we value so highly does not just happen by itself. But that delicately woven tapestry is facing unprecedented challenges…
Start pulling out the threads and the rest unravels very rapidly indeed, and is very difficult to put back again – no farmers, no beautiful landscapes with hedgerows and stone walls; no thriving rural communities, no villages or village pubs; no local markets, no distinctive local foods. Somehow we need to find a way to put a value on our countryside, with all its facets.”
King Charles III, then The Prince of Wales, writing in a foreword for Country Life magazine to mark his 66th birthday. 2014.
The Oaks 
Horsham looks like such a beautiful place!
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Enjoyed that – thank you, Emma. A confession – when I think of Horsham I am reminded of a project I did – a few years ago – with Sun Alliance. I prefer the idea of a walk through the country. And I really should get round to trying to make sloe gin!!
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Living in the Surrey Hills and often visiting Box Hill and Leith Hill, I have to agree that walking up to the top can be quite strenuous! I love sloe gin, although I haven’t made any for years. I haven’t forgotten about our proposed walk, either! 😉
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The sloes seem plumper than ever this year!
Looking forward to a good walk soon –
enjoy the end of this beautiful summer 🙂
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Woe is me- I’ve never tasted sloe gin, let alone made it. What have I been doing with my life? In my defence, Emma, I’m not a gin fan but I’m assured that the taste is much different? Perhaps I’ll just settle for a few brambles.
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The taste IS very different, Jo – it is a liquor not an aperitif… a winter warmer syrupy drink that’s good to taste a nip of after dinner or just before bed in the depths of winter (which may be very deep this coming winter!) Having said that, you can’t go wrong with brambles!!
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Especially in a crumble, with custard, Emma.
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Of course!👍👍
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So glad there is sustenance on the track. A hill start is best then the walk back isn’t so puffing. Lovely images Emma 🙂
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Oh so agree with you – I love a hill start 👍🙂🌻
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Not I! I need a level warm-up terrain for starters, especially in my 80s.
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Good for you!👍
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Beautifully described and photographed, with a useful timing tip and an engaging quotation from our new King who certainly has no need to stop making such observations.
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Thank you Derrick – and agreed!
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This is an engaging post, reminding ne to get out there and pick our sloes to freeze for a short while before getting to work. Mountains though? Horsham? Come on, get real!
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Well Margaret, I can only tell what I experienced and I’m telling you that they did feel like mountains (albeit admitting that I’m no mountaineer.. !). Making Sloe Gin to keep us all warm this winter is a must though – glad you agree there!
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No sloes around here, but plenty of blueberries already stocked in the freezer compartment. Now, to find late blackberries!
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I hope you find some – ours all seem quite late so there are plenty around here… good luck! 🙏🌻
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