It’s B-Day!
Yes, one of our favourite days of the year came around again, and the clouds parted to reveal the blueness beyond as we arrived at Bodiam Castle, at about ten o’clock. We departed and made our way across the Rother and quickly onto the footpath. We normally do this walk a bit earlier in the year, and for the first time we witnessed this first field all harvested and covered in large round bales of hay. Across the tracks and beyond were the familiar sloping sheep fields, whose residents seemed to be feeling the heat, as they were all gathered beneath the shade of a few trees. We too began to feel the heat, and by the time we reached the road at the top, we had removed jumpers and were in need of a sip of water.
We carried on through the sunshine up the road, and then struck out across a further series of fields. Sheep were again present, but like their fellows were preferring to stick to the field’s cooler edges. We reached a field with a notoriously pretty view, and so we took the opportunity to pause and apply suncream to our recently bared arms. The footpath was quiet, and no one was to be seen, and in this beautiful spot, we practiced our first dance. Beth is a good dancer, and I am not. Nonetheless, she has done her best to teach me one or two bits to add to our dance, and so we spent a little time rehearsing our moves. The uneven ground and walking boots of course made this tricky, but we did our best, and hopefully the Weald appreciated our efforts.
A little while later, we left this lovely stretch behind us as we crossed the road and made our way through a short patch of trees, emerging into a flowery meadow alive with fluttering butterflies, as a buzzard circled across the small valley. We were then brought to a section of tree-lined footpath, which was good on two accounts. Firstly, it provided a little respite from the heat, but also gave us an opportunity to harvest the final pieces of moss we required for our table decorations. We know this path to be abundant in mosses and lichen, and it did indeed provide a cornucopia for us to choose from – mission accomplished.
The route then brings you back out into the open, to a wide hilltop field. The gold wheat waved gently in the breeze as we made our way through. Half-way across, the site of Bodiam Castle appears down in the valley to the right. I have always loved this view of the castle. From here it sits timelessly nestled amongst the countryside, as it would have done hundreds of years ago. We began to slope slowly back down, and it wasn’t long before we arrived at the walks most unique residents; alpacas. We have passed this funny little herd several times, and today we found them lounging together right next to the fence. Some were flat out on their side, doing a good impression of being dead, but eventually jumped up when they realised that we were there. They stared at us as we stood in front of them, and a particularly shaggy brown one with a constantly shocked expression caught Beth’s eye. In fact, it caught Beth’s eye so much, that she began to laugh, which quickly turned into a full-on uncontrollable laughing fit, not helped by the poor bemused animal’s continual surprised expression. Fortunately, she did manage to gather herself, and after another minute or so beside the alpacas, we continued down the path. A small bird of prey took flight from the fence line as we approached, and we made our way to the road.
This is the only tricky spot of the whole walk. It is a very short bit of road walking, however the road is fast and narrows across a bridge, which you have to cross. Fortunately we have never had any problems, and neither did we on this day. We turned off the road and began the walk along the bank of the Rother. This little stretch is always longer than I remembered, and the cool water is usually busy with kayakers, whom we would love to join one day! The stone bridge that marks the return to Bodiam then appeared ahead, and so we arrived back at the car park.
As we always do, we took a quick visit to the castle. We walked around the grounds, and the mote was teaming with large fish. We also came across a pair of ducklings, paddling and waddling along the water’s edge! Meanwhile, the castle’s most notorious residents, the ducks, were as busy as ever, harassing visitors for food.
Everything was just as it should be.
Normally we would stop for lunch here too, but on this occasion we decided to get some food at the pub across the road. We grabbed a table beneath a large willow tree, and enjoyed some cold and well-timed drinks. Beth ate a plate of fish and chips, and I had a steak baguette, both of which hit the spot – we have stopped at this pub several times over the years, and it has never disappointed!
And so another perfect day at Bodiam came to an end, and this one somehow felt extra special. This is of course one of the shortest walks in our roster, but is also one of the loveliest. Bodiam castle feels to us like the very heart of the High Weald, which we have come to love so much over the years. Our first visit together back in 2021 helped shape our lives today, and I love our life, so am very thankful. This will also be my last walk with Miss Jones, which makes me feel strangely sad. It’s been amazing, and it was she who introduced me to this part of the world. For this, I am also so grateful. So much so, that by the time we go on our next adventure, she will no longer be my fiancée.
Yup, the big day is finally upon us…
Matthew G. Huggins 