Today we returned to a route we had done once before, and one we had intentionally saved for winter. This was due to the amount of road walking this particular route included (a significant amount) and thought that perhaps whilst the paths were at their muddiest would be a good opportunity to go for a second lap. We started a little later than normal, at about twenty to twelve, setting off from the free carpark in Rotherfield and cutting up a small alley into the village centre. We continued along the edge of the road out of Rotherfield and into the surrounding countryside, eventually coming across a byway on our right. We walked between hedges and trees saying hello to the sheep to the left before passing a farmyard where a red tractor was moving large, round bales of hay. Just before the byway met the road again, we took a small footpath on the left. As we went downhill and the field opened up beyond the fence to our left, a pair of small, fluffy dogs came charging up to bark incessantly at the strangers, carefully ignoring their owner’s attempts to shut them up.
At the bottom we crossed a wooden bridge over a stream, and the path began to slope back upward. This continued for a while through woods and paddocks, the clip-clop of horses hooves ringing nearby. Things levelled out again as we reached a small green, picking up the road on the other side and turning left. We passed a commotion of pigeons and doves amongst a busy farm, as we followed the road as far as Brickyard Lane. Here we turned right into the day’s first tree-filled section. As the road ran downhill, our resident bryophile (moss-enthusiast) was in her element. A fantastic network of roots lined the road (see a particularly magnificent set below), which we blanketed in soft, green mosses. Beth was sure to stop and touch several patches, which glowed a bright green amongst the browns and greys of winter. We were also fortunate enough to spot a small herd of deer lurking amongst the woodland, who stared at us from the undergrowth until they plucked up the courage to break cover and run away. We reached the bottom and crossed a stream, continuing to follow Brickyard Lane as it rose back up the other side. This was quite a long upward stretch, and so we were both pleased when the route deviated to the left and we were able to pick up another level byway. This led us past another field of sheep, who in their eagerness to get away from the sudden strangers, were inadvertently managing to walk alongside us, looking surprised to see us every time the trees and brambles thinned out. Crossing another stream, we once again climbed upward, picking up a driveway which eventually led us back up to another road.
To Beth’s relief, this was the highest point of the day. We turned left, and a few yards on our right appeared the entrance to Eridge Deer Park. This was the site of a late Bronze Age/early Iron Age Hillfort, as well as Saxonbury Tower, which is said to be the highest point in Sussex. This was also something we had missed on our first visit, as it is a detour from the official route. Unfortunately, whilst there is a permissive path through the park, you are unable to reach or see the tower currently, as it is hidden amongst the trees. However, after we had returned to the road and continued on our way, I could well believe that it was the highest point, as far views of rolling hills opened up to our right, which are not the commonest sight when walking amongst the Weald. The road led us passed another farm, where a small flock of sheep huddled together to watch us pass, and a few cows happily munched away at some fresh hay from the comfort of their barn.
Here ended the majority of the day’s road walking, as we turned left down a stoney track. This soon brought us to a large woodland, which would make up most of the remaining walk. We crossed over another small wooden bridge, after which the path began to climb again. We began to get hungry at this point; it was well gone one o’clock and we had seen no likely looking lunch spots. We had found a nice place last time, but that was a little further on, so after refuelling Beth with a strawberry lace, we carried on through the trees. We eventually arrived and stopped for lunch around two o’clock. The place we had chosen was beside a trickling stream next to a long-disused rail-line amongst the woodland. In dryer times, this would be a great spot to stop for an extended lunch, and perhaps we owe it to the route to try it in warmer months sometime. However, on this occasion we huddled together on a small, narrow log and munched our sandwiches whilst listening to the water, and rose back to our feet before the coldness of the day set in.
Setting off again, we made sure to discuss the route before we got going. This was thanks to our previous experience, where we had managed to miss the route completely, attempting to follow the old railway for a considerable distance before realising our mistake and retracing our steps (possibly one of our biggest errors to date). However, we may not have been the only people to make this mistake, as since last time some nice, clear fences had been erected, guiding people in the right direction. We made our way beneath the tracks (the muddiest part of the day) and across a smart bridge over the stream on the other side. The route led us steadily upward through the trees, and after we had crossed a road into the continuing trees, we managed to make an all-new mistake (exciting!). We reached a crossroads of paths, and for some reason our brains just didn’t compute the map and instructions, and we somehow took the wrong path. Fortunately, we knew we were going wrong almost instantly, and thanks to the OS map we were almost immediately back on track. We had managed it fine last time, so not sure why we got confused on this occasion; we’ll blame woodland tracks all looking the same!
Shortly after we finally emerged from the trees, passing through a field of sheep before picking up a wide, muddy track. This brought us back to the road into Rotherfield opposite the day’s first byway, and from there we simply re-traced our steps back to the awaiting car.
The walk took us about three hours on this occasion and was actually a lot better than we had both remembered. There were plenty of beasts to see along the way, and thanks to the combination of roads and surprisingly firm footpaths, it was a good choice for the day. It was also more challenging than we remembered, with plenty of uphill sections to get our hearts thumping and legs aching. Perhaps this walk has proved itself enough to be worthy of a return when the leaves are green and the skies are blue!
Full route and instructions are available here
Matthew G. Huggins 