West Dean, West Sussex; fabulous winter country walk

[@mudassirjaan3693]

I am from Pakistan I love england very much I have dreams to live in British country side and do some farming and enjoy Peace and tranquility and to have small cottage and garden

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

Thank you for your comments. Sadly, the dream you seek is available to a very small minority due to the high price of rural housing. We wish you well with your dreams.

[@JimNicholls]

Another lovely walk -- thank you for sharing it with us. That is a delightful village, together with the surrounding area (and the Weald and Downland Museum nearby.) The weather looked ideal for the walk, but I guess you're not getting many days like that at the moment. The catkins show that spring is on the way, so let's hope it's a good one! Here in NZ the days are getting noticeably shorter and summer has flown by far too quickly.

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

Thank you for your kind comments, Jim. We have deliberately omitted the Weald & Downland Museum from this and our Singleton walk (kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKGTeIWpd9SLftE), as we try not to include anything in our walks that has an entrance fee. As you know, our walks are primarily about the countryside and nature, which we feel should be available to all regardless of economics. The museum is an amazing place. It was a perfect day and, you are right, they are rare at the moment - we have not been able to film since due to weather and work. Yes, definite signs of spring with the catkins and snowdrops. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@JimNicholls]

A good point, and I know that entrance fees for a lot of places have risen enormously since my last visit "home". There are so many lovely places that cost nothing, and thank you again for bringing some of them to us in your videos.

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

@@JimNicholls We realise that running costs for attractions and visitor centres have increased, but we feel that many entrance fees are simply not affordable for the majority.

[@KeirARRT]

Hi John and Diana, another fantastic and calming video. I work for the Arun & Rother Rivers Trust and very much enjoy your films on the Arun, Lavant and South Downs etc!

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

Thank you for your kind words, Keir. We are pleased you enjoy the videos. If the weather ever improves we should be able to get out to make more!

[@gabilang8407]

Another fine video from your beautiful country and ohhhh . . . the sheepies ! Thank you

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

Thank you for your kind comments, Gabi. It was a fabulous walk, and the sheepies at the end was bonus! It will lambing soon, so we will do our best to include some for you. Thank you for watching.

[@suesolly838]

You certainly choose the best days and the best locations to produce best videos. Thank you.

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

Thank you for your kind comments; it was certainly fabulous weather when we did this walk. Sadly, we have not been able to film since due to poor weather and work commitments.

[@dianarolph1770]

Such beautiful countryside- superbly captured! It looked like the cottages & houses were made of flint? I have never heard of the Lavant River - it was flowing extremely quickly & looked like it would burst its banks given a drop more rain! Thank you for naming the birds- a few more around! We still have a very noticeable shortage! The kite is back! I saw him/her in the rain. But just for 1 day only. I love seeing catkins- such heralds of Spring. And snowdrops - ours have decided not to come up this year! And there seemed to be a lot of lichen- which is a good sign of clean air! The church & the college at the beginning really set the scene. Thank you for a lovely relaxing few minutes!

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

Thank you, Diana, for your kind comments. The cottages are typical of traditional West Sussex designs, and are flint-faced. The South Downs is, or was, a vast source of flint for building over many centuries, and consequently used in the local architecture. The River Lavant was certainly flowing - it had all but dried up on one of our visits last summer! Yes, lots of birds, and it was such a pleasure to see and hear them. It may be a while before our next video as we have been unable to walk/film due to weather and work. Thank you for watching this one!

[@axartjm]

Very nice video, I live in Upwaltham so it's great to see the beautiful area around us showcased like this, well done indeed.

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

Thank you for your kind comments. It is a wonderful part of West Sussex, and we try to let the beauty of the landscape and nature speak for itself.

[@yakumorisuke9403]

I might be moving down to West Sussex later in the year and stumbled across your video - thank you so much! You make the region seem lovely and calm, which I needed after being anxious about the possibility. I'm from Manchester so I'm a bit nervous about embracing country life, but your video makes it feel wonderfully inviting!

[@walkingwithjohnanddiana]

Thank you for your comments. As with any area of England/UK, if you like the countryside, then the rural areas are unbeatable. Sadly, as anywhere, the built up areas are over-developed, and down here in the southern half of West Sussex, there is a terrible lack of infrastructure and public services. We are in a "village" that has doubled in size in the past ten years, but with no additional schools or doctors! Good luck with the move, and we hope you enjoy the fabulous countryside. You will find plenty of locations to visit in our others videos too.

[@yakumorisuke9403]

@@walkingwithjohnanddiana Yes - the 'overcrowded south' really lives up to its stereotype, sadly: while the neglected northern areas continue to get poorer. But here's hoping! If nothing else, your wonderfully helpful name labels means I might actually be able to recognise some birds that aren't pigeons!