Fishing for Footpaths around Crowhurst & Catsfield

We should have known something wasn't going to go to plan as our arranged rendezvous point in Crowhurst was delayed by part of the group failing to find the recreation car park at the proposed time.
We'd already seen several female walkers with Hi-Viz vests, looking rather efficient in their purposeful stride, which we concluded were preparatory agents checking the footpaths in the area in readiness for the 1066 Walking Festival.
We eventually set off across the first section of the field with good intent to find our way across fields, pastures and woods toward Battle. The 5 of us arrived after the first half mile through a gate, onto the paved road for a short distance, then into a driveway and passing ruins of an old Manor house.
The path led us toward powdermill stream and after considering options of some footpaths maintained our stance on the same side of the stream which directed us into the corner of the next field, over a stile and across a footbridge.

We were well into our stride and making good progress as we retraced our steps that 3 of us had taken last September. We found our way to the corner of another field, as directions suggested and then found the small pond and walked to the right of it.

But at this point our attention was focused on the enclosure of pheasants which were being primed for the forthcoming hunting season. We thought we were following the only natural looking footpath uphill and through a thicket/wood however upon reaching the opposite side of the wood where a field awaited, we found it necessary to consult both the OS map and the Sat Nav positioning on a mobile phone. Each of these were inconclusive as to exactly which way we should then head. "Millers Farm" was our next land-mark and it seemed that for the following 10 minutes worth of walking, we ended up reaching a point further from it than we were previously. With much scratching of heads and compass pointing we could see that Battle was off limits and an alternative route needed to be planned.

Traffic could be heard along the lane which we'd driven earlier and was our only chance to gain any chance of making a new circuit pathway. We almost reached the summit of the hill and could see many landscapes to all directions. We even saw Millers Farm in the distance, but we were destined to get to Glebe Farm instead and disturb a flock of sheep that were being carefully separated by the farmer who watched us carefully open and close gates as we finally reached the lane.
Two of us had Hi-Viz vests and took up positions and the front and rear of the group. We were heading into Catsfield, but before the school a familiar footpath lured us back onto grassland and toward Powdermill wood, via Powdermill lane.

We considered further options to ensure that both stamina and time were not compromised. The nearby fishing lakes and camp site was our preferred option and turned back into a very underused path and eventually down the drive towards the lakes.
There was an air of quiet tranquility as fisherman sat in their tented shelters around the lakes, not daring to speak as their mobiles gave contact with another world.

Good advice notices were everywhere and it was evident that the good fishing code of conduct was being observed throughout the site for some very reasonable fees.

But we were soon to take the bait and settled down for our own break from the toil of navigating around a few fields and enjoy some beverages and tasty snacks in order to sustain our energy levels for the next hour.
Afterwards we detected the footpath through a small coppice and entered, through a metal gate, another harvested field of corn stubble and traversed our way towards Fore Wood. Not only our navigational skills were returning, but also our memory of the same walk some of us encountered last year. We even spotted the illusive Millers Farm at the top of the hill as we followed the same line of pylons that had been our additional source of direction earlier.

Millers Farm

But the final stretch of the 1066 country walk through the wood soon saw us coming out into the same field we had walked a few hours earlier. Crowhurst Church was now in our sight as we walked out onto the field after some careful petting of a couple of Shetland Ponies attracted our attention whilst being kept to a rigid diet of dust in their small paddock.

The Church's main entrance was having a new wooden porch made by carpenters. We paid our respects to both nearby graves and the extremely old (1000-3000 years) Yew tree that was fenced off next to the path that led us down to the road again.

The final trek across the same field we had initially walked seemed to comprise of lame sheep that seemed to hobble across in front of us as if to seek our sympathy.
The car park came into view and whilst not making it to Battle, we all agreed that the adventure had been enjoyable and entertaining as always.

Since returning home and examining the walking route, it was clear that the pheasants had been a major distraction in achieving our goal of Battle High Street. We should not have walked alongside the enclosure and turned up the hill much sooner. 
Having calculated the distance walked, it appears that we completed 6.5 miles.