December's Long Man circuit

December has come all too soon, and despite weather conditions worsening on the east coast with surge floods threatening the shore line, the forecast was good for this area, so 3 intrepid explorers convened in the car park at Long Man, Wilmington at 9.30 and started to stride toward Windover Hill to pay our respects to the Long Man who was looking crisp and whit against the grass slope.

Further up the hill, dogs overtook us as we took the views across towards Firle Beacon.

The sun came into view as we reached the summit of Windover Hill and kept a respectful distance from a flock of sheep who were looking in prime condition for motherhood. We then headed south with a view of Lullington Heath ahead of us.

We encountered few other walkers as we descended toward the northern edge of Friston Forest. A couple of galloping horses disturbed the silence for a short while as we reached the junction where several paths and bridleways converged.

We changed direction and set our steps westward toward Littlington, and after another another 20 minutes were walking outside the Plough & Harrow. We were aware that the aforementioned surge flood warnings may be affecting some of the Kent and Sussex coast, however we weren't that prepared for what we then encountered as we witnessed masses of drowned worms washed up from previous high tides that had burst the banks of the Cuckmere River. It was time to reconsider the options of how to return into Alfriston. We crossed the bridge and consulted three female hikers coming in the opposite direction, assuming they had managed to walk on the bank we were heading. They confirmed our assumptions, however then witnessed them struggling to keep their footing on the slippery bank. In fact one of them disappeared from sight as hoots of laughter were heard from the other two. We were pleased to have chosen the west bank, even though we had to weave our way through several sections for optimum foothold benefits.

We arrived in Alfriston and sat for a while outside the church on one of numerous commemorative benches.
The final leg back toward Milton Street and the ground was significantly improving. A field of sprouting turnips were regimentally carpeting the field we walked through and with Wilmington Priory coming into view our walk was coming to an end.

The Yew tree in the churchgrounds of Wilmington Church directed our safe passage back onto the road and into the car park again. It was around 1pm which around 8 miles completed.

The Battle of Mud Walk

Our numbers were to have swollen to 4 today, having recruited a new member to our group, however one of our regular walkers was unable to join us having been struck down with 'man flu'
Our original plan for Robertsbridge was therefore postponed and the 3 of us drove to Battle to set the coordinates towards Seddlescombe village. Once there we parked and invested our savings with the local council obliging to 'Pay & Display' as the sign suggested.
The slate grey skies looked heavy with rain as we commenced our ritual of doning waterproof trousers and raincoats in the car park. The nearby twitten beckoned our adventure to start and were soon heading down the first lane, preparing to encounter a few rain soaked paths. Little did we know just how the state of the footpaths would turn out.

The walk passed under the main Hastings to London railway line and absorbed the damp air within it. The aromatic senses were swiftly tested as we passed alongside the sewage works then toward a field containing unharvested sweetcorn with a double rainbow arching its colours across the darkened skyline.

Crossing Marley Lane, the walk then went across the bottom of numerous gardens. Rain showers were becoming regular but not so bad as to deter our attention from the evidence of wildlife alongside an adjacent stream. Horses were ready to greet us on the final field thinking we may be able to liberate them at the gate. In the distance, a heron was taking flight and as we caught sight of the traffic on the A21, sheep were running around in an attempt to avoid our closer attention.

They succeeded and the final stile was climbed over before the final muddy path into Seddlescombe.
We sat at the shelter in the central green. Locals were going about their business. The bins were efficiently emptied by our side. (not certain why it took 2 council workers to undertake such a task).
Rested after 15 minutes, we re-traced our steps back towards the lane we entered the village, but then turned left and crossed the A21 about half a mile south from where we'd crossed it before.

It was time to ready ourselves for the more muddy trek through the Great Wood after walking through a narrow wooded gully where more evidence of badgers could be seen. Our sticks held tightly and with map in hand we navigated our way along the formal trackways which, due to the recent heavy rainfall and even heavier machinery that had been maneuvering felled trees, challenged every step with mud splattering in numerous directions. Stamina was our only saving grace and we kept the pace going through sections of the wood which we later discovered had been closed for public access.

Back out onto Marley Lane and we explored the interesting variety of houses. The level crossing remained open as the climb up towards the centre of Battle came into sight. Like Pilgrims walking through the well dressed residents of Battle who nodded in respectful acknowledgement of what could have been a walk that had taken 3 days, not 3 hours. The walk was actually 6.2 miles by the way.
Arriving back in the car park, we disrobed and drove out of Battle to stop off for a liquid lunch at the Bull in Boreham Street.

November Market Walk

There are occasional days at this time of year when the forecast can be trusted and the instinct of a good day is guaranteed, you just have to put everything to one side and decide a walk is the only medicine.
Hardly a whisper of breeze and the climate temperature could not have been improved upon.
A familiar gathering in the car park at Butts Brow, after ascending the leafy and at times slippery lane, the usual suspects were acknowledging the direction to head. The Market at East Dean was a regular Wednesday morning gathering, where local traders put their produce, crafts and bric a brac on display.

The blue sky was hardly interrupted as we headed towards the first gate and sheep looked on as farmers were inspecting the livestock in a different manner to how we were admiring their stance. The trees across in Friston Forest were adjusting their camouflage to an amber dark brown with an expectant yellowing and eventual falling of leaves with the next few weeks.
Our descent into East Dean through houses that soaked up views across to Bell Toute and beyond.
A flurry of traffic, which seemed like East Dean's late 'rush hour', gave cause for us to take avoiding action until we reached the main road and crossed over and into the lane opposite.

The Market was now in sight and the cars were maneuvering for spaces. Such was the demand for spaces, 2 car park attendants were regularly directing cars into the best spot to find a place to park.
Although tempted by numerous items of craft and produce, it was only a £3 bag of kindling that attracted the attention of us, however realised it was a little too bulky to place in the rucksack and return to the car with.
After a short period of negotiation, it was agreed that the trader would keep the sack of kindling back in order to collect later. It was 10:50 and the trader would be packing up at 12.30 and we therefore had little over an hour to return to Butts Brow, collect car and drive back to collect the bag of kindling.
The second half return walk was unintentionally spurred by these facts in the hope that £3, (which had been handed over) was not wasted. It didn't distract from further views and other observations that gave cause for conversation. The fields were active with more sheep and barns being prepared for their gathering.

We then passed through the golf course where numerous golfers were hardly challenged by the weather conditions. They appeared focused in their attempts to work on their swings and putting techniques as we walked along the concrete path to the top of the course.
We turned left and were on the home straight for the car park. It was dog walkers again that filled the paths in this final section. All shapes and sizes were enjoying the day.
We'd almost walked 7 miles and the clock was moving toward 12 noon as we kept a relentless pace on the final stage toward the car park. Would the kindling still be there?

epilogue
Well, it was a happy ending for the return to East Dean. The trader was just packing up, and the kindling was collected. Its likely to be a cold night again tonight, so there's a good chance there'll not be as much left by morning.
 

CLOCKS go Back

The clocks have gone back... and the days are therefore shorter, so there's some respectful advice about making sure people are safe when they go out walking...

Advice LINK

Cowbeech Harvest Time Walk

Its a walk we admit having done before and could refer you to a previous account of this walk, in April 2012. However, like many repeated walks, the journey takes on different scenes, smells and conversations least alone the challenges that were to confront us.
The usual clockwise direction having parked in the Merrie Harriers pub took us along what you'd expect to be quiet narrow country lanes... but no. On repeated occasions we were stepping aside to make way for all manner of vehicle. We were about to start the off road track when we encountered a map and indications that the usual route being closed. We concluded that it was closed to more ambitious vehicles and maverick horsemen and that our wandersome approach through the commercial orchard would not create too much damage.
We entered the orchard area as 4 men were exiting. We nodded graciously as they consulted their map and headed in the opposite direction from where we had come from.
The next 10-15 minutes we indulged ourselves in close inspection and tasting of the fruit which had fallen from heavily laden pear trees.

We then moved on to inspect the apples which were even more abundantly loaded. The reports of a good crops of fruit were confirmed by these specimens. Empty boxes were awaiting the workers to start loading the 'fruits of their labour' (literally)...

The nearby allotments were providing as much evidence of a good crop of pumpkins ready for recipes and carving, not to mention the chicken and ducks that also occupied the allotment.
We strolled out of the orchard without hinderance, thinking that our rucksacks may have been scanned for scrumping booty.

The sky was blue with scattered clouds by this time and we spotted planes crossing vapour trails in the sky. The far horizon of Old Heathfield Church caught the sunlight. It was all looking autumnal when through the next gate we then saw the more distressing sight of a dead sheep that had been attacked and partially eaten side.

We crossed the road and entered the second phase of the walk through harvested sweetcorn fields. We then spied the 4 men we had earlier seen at the far end of the field and we were converging on the same point. They were taking a seriously meaningful regimental stride and seemed like a race, as we took a more relaxed amble approach to the same point. They beat us by a few seconds, and the last straggler of the group nodded in acknowledgement. The other 3 kept a purposeful pace into the wood.

Meanwhile we took more interest in the fauna and fungi that carpeted the woodland floor, whilst the sound of a chainsaw became louder as we go to the far end of the wooded area.

The 4 walking men were almost out of sight by the time we walked across the next field, then saw them continuing along the lane as we turned back toward Blackford Farm.
The sound of pheasants echoed around the woods from all directions. Admittedly, we startled a few as we descended down the concrete drive from the farm. They ran with crazy excitement, often in circles and no sense of what might happen next. Fortunate for them, we were unarmed and had no reason to take home a brace for the table.

The warmth of the sun had come as a complete surprise and although Autumn was forecasting colder air by the end of the week, we were soaking up the remnants of what little summer climate was remaining. Our 2 hour walk concluded in observing the Cowbeech phone-box which now provided an alternative communication point by offering a small village library of books, a plant and magazines and the walking route that we had just completed.
Boots off and the walk completed.

Pheasants and Mushroom around Crowhurst

The grey misty sky was attempting to clear as we made our rendezvous at 10am in the Recreation Ground Car Park in Crowhurst.
The boots and backpacks were checked and with map in hand we ventured across the road and were soon exploring across a field of sheep after stumbling over our encounter with the first stile of the day.
We walked in the direction of the Church which was quietly keeping company alongside a ruin of a substantial manor house built in the 13th century. We walked to the right of the remaining wall and into a field whose footpath followed the powdermill stream for approximately half a mile.
The pace was bordering on somewhere between a stroll and an amble as we spotted the occasional mushroom and encountered scampering sheep. There was no rush as we followed the directions on the sheet printed from E Sussex County Council.

We had decided to extend the walk as the circular walk was only 3.5miles and considered our levels of fitness and desire to go 'off piste' outweighed the need to rush around. We'd already parked further away than the directions had suggested (Crowhurst Railway Station), and the weather was brightening up with glimpses of blue sky and sunshine.

More pheasants were appearing and close inspection on the numerous feeders we saw, suggested that they were being fattened up for the shooting season. Soon these paths would be full of gun-shots and dogs retrieving the same birds.

We waved graciously at the driver of a pick up van as it drove near us along the track. We had orientated ourselves back towards the Woods into which were aiming for.
Fore Wood is an RSPB nature reserve and signs suggested that Woodpeckers inhabited the area, although confessed to seeing very little bird life.

We climbed up through the woods on well defined paths and found a bench upon which we took a 10min (or was it 15) break for refreshments. The sun shone through the trees and lit sections of the wood.
We realised how close we were to the railway line as 2 trains were heard only a couple hundred yards from the woods and observed Hastings to London commuters. We descended next to a steep deep ghyll and eventually exited the woods into a field within sight of the path we had walked about an hour previously.
The final section of the walk directed us back towards the church and as we walked next top the church found the large and very old Yew tree. The information suggested that the tree was somewhere between 1000 and 3000 years old. The twisted sculptured branches were going in every direction and the sun captured the different colours of the bark throughout its height.

We finally retraced our steps across the field we initially walked at the start of our walk. With the extended diversion we had completed 4.5 miles as we entered the car park.

2 for the price of 1

 Part 1 - DEVILS DYKE walk
Another of those long haul apologies as I realised after getting out on the walking lanes of the Weald (E Sussex), I had failed to report on a previous venture a month or so ago.
So this first report is from Friday 12th July when we explored a short part of the South Downs Way, whilst trying to discover the source of a Spring that surfaced some where near Fulking.
It was a Devils Dyke venture that started in a car park overlooking the northern part of the landscape north of Brighton.

We were following a route which took us down into the valley, named as Devils Dyke, and eventually surfacing after a short walk through a wooded area, out onto the road in Poynings. A short roadside walk and we disappeared into fields of sheep and then wheat.

An opportunity to circumnavigate the area as we then shifted our direction south towards Fulking. We came out onto the same road, only a mile or so west but next to one of the ornamental springs, which sadly had no water running from it.
A short walk around the corner, the pub, The Shepherd & Dog, and there was another spring, gushing with water..., however a quick examination behind showed that it was again an ornamental front piece into which a stream behind ran through. The source was obviously a distance higher up under the chalk downs.

Not to worry, our ascent back onto the top of the hill meant we were able to survey the vista across to the north for many miles. We were now walking on the South Downs Way back towards the car and eventually retracing our steps.

Part 2 - HADLOW DOWN - BUXTED walk

So this was a walk that occurred yesterday (22 Aug) and was almost postponed. The weather forecast had been OK up until 48 hrs earlier and there was threat of rain during the morning. A few phone calls just after 8 enabled us to reorganise our plans and postponed the starting time in Hadlow Down back to 11.30am

The clouds were prominent but with blue skies breaking through, we ventured on to the first footpaths being pursued by an inquisitive rescue dog and her owner.. a white bulldog/mastiff mix that gave us constant monitoring. We soon parted company as we headed across the second large fields that gave views of the North Weald area towards Crowborough and beyond. The sun was bursting through and first layers were removed as the heat was penetrating. A walk along a drive of a farm was followed by a more adventurous trek through wooded glades and gulleys with minimal sight of the bracken covered track. Eventually coming out into daylight, the clouds were mounting and a spot or two of rain was felt overhead. The rain, as we dropped down onto another lane, became a little heavier and we had put our rain coats on.

The rain worsened and as we entered the next wooded glade, after a couple of fields of disregarded broad beans, it seemed like we would need to take a break a shelter within the wood. A torrential 10 minute downpour followed and the shelter in the wooded area was not adequate as the rain filtered down through the trees. We headed to a tree in the middle of the field and stayed close to the trunk. 'lets hope there's not a lighting storm' I suggested...

Eventually the rain stopped, even though we only realised it after walking from under the tree.
The venture went a little off track after this.. not surprising as we kept our heads down and hoods up. We'd reached the railway line which was too far. We'd missed the footpath then lane to take us into Buxted. We consulted the map and decided to head south along the Vanguard Way, back to the main road then cross over to re-join the original path we were set to go.
A half hour or so later we were heading down narrow country lanes and picking up a footpath which once again had us walking through hidden wooded footpaths after seeing this sign next to Warren Farm and taking a short break to re-fuel.

We arrived back at the car having completed (after the detour) a little under 6 miles

Micro Brewery + not so Micro Walk

Its been a while since we'd manage to get out on the trail of the local footpaths.
The weather and physical ailments had put a hold on many winter and spring plans. The long cold Spring was eventually put to rest recently and with the heat of the day threatening we had been invited to look at a local Micro Brewery between Framfield and Black Boys.
The Isfield Brewing Company was set up around a year ago and with a selection of well received ales they are growing in local popularity.
Toad in the Ale, Straw Blonde, Flapjack and IPA to name but a few. The Head Brewery and owner of the brewery gave an insight to the marvels of brewing and the passion with which he delivers his brews to local public houses.

After the early call to the Brewery we decided to park up in Black Boys and take a walk around some local footpaths. There was growing heat in the land as we strolled through an allotment and then through some wooded areas where both the Wealden Way and Vanguard Way shared signposts and paths. A typical area where the iron foundries were embedded several centuries ago reflected in the information on the OS map.

The farms and narrow lanes linked up conveniently and found ourselves (more by design than accident I admit) back through the farm buildings where we'd left the Isfield Brewing Company approx 1½ later. We were a little confused as to how to pick up with the footpath again, and therefore asked directions from the Brewer. We must have looked suitably desperate as we suggested that as we'd been too early for a tasting earlier, it was more appropriate as it was almost midday. An agreement was made and we sat and supped some fine 'Toad in the Ale' beer.
It was one of those moments that caused us to reflect on the hardship so many others strive for in order to achieve such moments. Yet, here it was... the countryside beckoned and the beer was looking at us.
We bid our farewells (again) and headed through the grand estate farmland where pens of pheasants were being fattened for the hunting season.

A few stiles and gates later and we were heading back towards the car where the heat of the day caused the welcomed air conditioning avoided further overheating and dehydration.

Ramblings - Radio 4

Here's an interesting listen if you've got half hour to check up on your walking technique and being in the moment - walking for Spiritual Renewal click here

Out of Hibernation

Its was long overdue, but thought that we should come out of hibernation even though the forecast was looking a little unpredicatable.
The 3 faithful 'all-weather' hikers were on hand to meet up at Butts Brow yesterday morning and discuss the options at 9.30.

We made a slight modification to the route, as it allowed one of the walkers to check out that some recent foot problems would stand up to a rigorous walk that was planned... well actually, we were making it up as we went along.
The weather was damp and misty and with that in mind, we headed west and downwards towards Jevington. The first gate we encountered was flooded and was to be the trend of what was to become a very muddy walk.

A brief glance at the newly refurbished 'Hungry Monk' cottages and we headed back up the hill from where we'd walked down, heading east, and steadily trekked along part of the South Downs Way. We checked out if the injured party was feeling able to continue.
"Yes" was the response and we continued with what was to become a figure of 8 route, as we would pass the same spot after continuing towards the Golf Course to check if there were any hardy golfers battling against a fairly strong wind.
A few brave dog walkers and joggers were out braving the elements, however as we progressed the sun was breaking through and more blue sky was evident.

We stopped at rested a while at 'Kirsty's Kitchen', A small shed on the Golf Course which was closed and shutters well secured. Lucky for us, we had our own refreshments and proceeded to pour from our flasks and re-fuel our energy stock.
Continuing towards East Dean, we observed fields of sheep, some in areas that appeared to have little more than mud to wander around on, with nothing more than a hay dispenser for food. Other fields meanwhile were stocked with sugar beet in abundance.

We reached the lowest point of the walk at the end of Downs View Lane in East Dean and started to walk across to the opposite side of the valley.

It was warming up by the time we'd reached the next gate and the waterproof coats were not really necessary and consideration given to putting on sunglasses, but we didn't have any. Yes, the sun was getting strong and made the final mile or so, a very pleasant experience and one we couldn't have expected a few hours earlier.
We arrived back at the car park at 1.00pm and calculated around 8.5 miles completed.