The days are getting earlier and the journey to the start a little longer as we arrive at Whiteways Lodge cafe. Just a loo stop as the paper-cup coffee didn't inspire. Its back on that overgrown path again adding another mile to the day before we even meet the SDW marker and there, off we go again.
We soon pass Toby's Stone a monument and a poem about a guy that goes to sea and wishes he was back on the downs, that features in our 'coach quiz 'today. 
Pause for a drink as the day is already pretty warm but no complaints......no rain so far has to be good, as we really get into a good stride along level paths, as other walkers seem now to be few and far between. Just when the sun begins to really beat down we pass a car-park & enter into the open area where the Roman road crosses on its way to Chichester.....and, more importantly, the ice-cream girl is selling her wares again.
A lovely stop for a tub of honey and walnut that is really delicious. We arrive thankfully, just before a group of school children that had all been promised an ice-cream from their teacher!
Onwards and the heat is starting to make it quite tough today and the landscape is now far from flat, undulating would be the polite word as we walk towards Teglise and into its welcoming and shaded forest. 
Like others we pause under the trees for our much needed lunch stop and drink break. Chatting to others it seems to be a challenging but never the less, pleasant day for all.....so far! Somewhere in this forest a few years ago we had walked from Amberley station for an overnight stop at the nearby pub, The Fox Goes Free, on a 'practice' walk before we later walked the New Zealand, Milford Track. However, every track off looked like the one we took off the SDW and down into the valley below at Charlton. Unlike today, we were carrying a full pack, it rained hard the whole day but we were 15 years younger! Coming out of the thick forest we had only a couple of miles down to Hill Barn Farm near Cocking for our day's stop and coach pick up near by.
The farm-shop and cafe were open for tea and cakes.Lesley also popped round to the farm-shop & purchased the 'famous' sausages, Keith appeared to have a vested interest in, as he mentioned them so much. Tickets handed out as we were called in turn to our co
ach and the last few hundreds yards to the road at the bottom of the hill. The journey back today was long, as the A27 was it's usual grid lock self just before Arundel and through Worthing. We were pleased to be home for a rest and recuperation before another long day that would now take us over the border and into the Hampshire countryside.