Stage 3 - Boarshead to Eridge Old Park (3.8 miles)

Another quick Wednesday evening walk and once again the weather was very kind to us – lovely spring sunshine. Our walk commenced at Boarshead, on the old A26, which is now a dead end.

Waymark near the start at Boarshead

Setting off about 5.30pm, we took the concrete drive close to where the path crossed the A26, and swung south east past some nice houses and on towards Rocks Farm. The views to the north east were stunning and both Frant and the tower on Saxonbury Hill could be clearly seen.

View east towards and Saxonbury

At the farm the path here was diverted some years ago to go round, rather than between the buildings. It must be a very fine place to live. Skirting the field boundary we then bore right in a roughly easterly direction and passed close to the ski slope of Bowles Outdoor Center. There were quite a few people there on this fine evening, and their chatter carried to us on the breeze.

Looking NE after passing Bowles rocks

 

We descended gently along the left field boundary of a large field, and past a nice country home where two young people were playing tennis. Sheep and lambs grazed in an adjacent field. Zuka thought about disappearing off across the field after some heavenly scent, but (fairly) quickly responded to Anne’s pleas to return.

Bluebells in Roughets Wood

 

Dappled sunlight on the path adjacent to Roughets Wood

 

After about 500m we reached a lane and crossed to negotiate a stile onto a path adjacent to Roughets Wood. The wood was full on bluebells and so was a wonderful sight. We continued to descend with the wood on our right, on a slightly muddy path (with one much wetter bit). Reaching the bottom of the hill, and the end of the wood, we veered right across a farm bridge and across a stream and passed under the railway bridge. As we were passing, a commuter train went by overhead – I’m glad I was out walking, rather than being stuck on a train!

Train heading north to Eridge station

Unnamed stream in valley

We very briefly followed the stream, then headed uphill (I think you are meant to go round the edge of the field, but we cut the corner a bit) to a gap in the hedge, then veered right across the next field towards Stitch Farm.

View from near the top of field

Approaching Stitch Farm

Crossing a stile and a bridleway we walked up a track to the right of the buildings and skirted left round the back of them, turning right again at a field boundary to climb the hill. Initially the path was a little overgrown, but soon opened out.

Fields verdant with winter wheat

Some of the waymarking is past its prime!

Maintaining direction we reached the top of the rise (where the dogs spooked a lone goose), and soon reached a field boundary where we bore slightly right onto an enclosed path, which was VERY overgrown. Even this early in the season, the brambles and stinging nettles were bad – in a few more months it would have been pretty impassable (particularly in shorts!). I emerged unscathed from the ordeal, but Anne managed to pierce her scalp on a vicious barbed plant growing at head height.

Overgrown path

Bluebells in the hedge, approaching Stonewall

Bearing right again, we followed a field boundary (with a wonderful show of bluebells) to the road, where there was a fine converted oast house (Stonewall) and a newer property with a wonderful first floor balcony at the back, taking full advantage of the lovely views from the house’s elevated position.

Stonewall oast house

Grassy triangle at lane junction

 We turned right up the lane and then left at the first junction. We continued to climb, more gently now, and where the road levelled out there were lovely views to the north. We were delighted to see a group of three deer observing us from a few hundred meters away.

View approx west - If you look very carefully you may see the deer

Turning north(ish) off the lane

 

About a third of a mile from the road junction, we turned left on a grassy (slightly muddy) track and began to descend again. The path forked at a narrow strip of wood and we took the open path on the left, believing it to be the official route. I think it was probably the wrong decision, if only because the wood was awash with bluebells and lovely old rotten tree trunks (we diverted back into the wood at its end to take a peek).

Old rotting trees in delightful bluebell wood

At the main wood boundary we bore right and continued to descend gently. There had been a lot of tree clearance work done here recently, and the path was covered with debris and a little difficult to navigate

Descending west through Spring Wood (looking a bit bare)

Crossing the stream just after entering the deer park

After approximately a third of a mile, we turned right across a particularly wet piece of ground and through a gate in a tall metal fence. We were now in Eridge deer park. Almost immediately, Anne spotted a large herd of fallow deer looking down on us from the ridge high up on our left. The dogs did not see them, but after the herd ran off, they could certainly smell them. Poppy particularly was very excited, and even Zuka was put on the lead.

 

Rare photo of Zuka on the lead!

 

The path meanders through thin woodland

The path meandered gently uphill through very light woodland with Rocks Wood and Saxonbury Wood to our right. Along this section were some very fine and very large ancient trees (mainly beech) – they were quite magnificent.

Wonderful old trees

Crossing a boggy bit of ground, we emerged into more open parkland, initially with the wood still on our right. At the corner of the wood we maintained direction uphill with the deer fence some distance to our right towards the traffic noise on the A267.

The dogs alert for deer as we begin the last climb



Poppy enjoys a good roll in the grass!

As the incline levelled off, the views behind us were lovely, and it was an excuse to stop and catch one’s breath after the climb.



Looking back whilst taking a breather

Looking west towards the sinking sun

After a slightly hairy crossing of the main road (we had emerged onto a virtually non-existent verge), we turned right and walked the few hundred meters back to our car in a layby.

Nearing the end of our walk through Eridge Park

Although I had already walked the whole of this section at one time or another, it was lovely to do it again. The terrain is undulating and varied and there are plenty of good views to enjoy. Another good supper at the Boars Head Inn wasn’t bad either. Great stuff!

Boars Head Inn

 

Stage 2 - Groombridge to Boarshead (3.9 miles)

As we are both pretty busy at weekends at the moment, we decided to do this second section one evening after work – hence the short distance. Fortunately, this part of the SBP is very close to (my) home, so there is very little travelling. We met at 5pm at Boarshead, just off the A26 north of Crowborough, and drove to Groombridge for the start near Hamm Farm.

Entering the first field, by stables

We walked up the road from our parking place near the Forest Way disused railway, past the entrance drive to Hamm Farm, where we finished our last leg, and a few hundred metres further on, took a stile on the right into a field by some stables.

Zuka shows Poppy how to negotiate a stile with ease

Stile from disused railway track, back into fields

We walked diagonally across the field to a stile and crossed the disused railway, bearing left to follow the river to a squeeze stile at the B2188, where Zuka took an early dip. The road proved quite busy at this time in the evening.

Poppy watches Zuka having a swim in the river



Reaching the B2188



Turning left, we walked up the road for a little over 100m, then turned right over another stile into a lush meadow. For the non-purists, it would be possible to avoid most of this road section by forking left away from the stream and leaving the field by a gate, but that wouldn’t be keeping to the official SBP, would it?

Under the new railway line

National Cycle Route sign on the Forest Way

Forking left across this meadow for about 250m, we crossed a stile, and joined the Forest Way cycle path, passing under the new railway and turning right to follow the track to a road by a water treatment works.

Zuka leads the way

Nice dry path under the railway

We turned right, and shortly took a stile on the right into another field, and under another railway bridge. The last time I had walked here (with Anne earlier this year), the path under the bridge had been completed flooded and we had to wade through with water up to our knees (and ended up getting wellies full of water). Zuka, being the water baby that she is had taken it all in her stride, but poor Poppy had NOT been impressed. In contrast, the weather this evening was glorious and the path was quite dry (apart from a tiny puddle for Pops to ‘wet her whistle’ in).

Looking back towards the water treatment works

Heading for Mottsmill Stream

Bearing left after the bridge, we soon took the left fork in the path, and climbed a gentle hill to cross a stile into a narrow strip of wood. Descending to Mottsmill Stream, the path bore right to follow fairly close to its right bank, through a narrow field.

The dogs cool off in Mottsmill Stream

Running wild after animal smells in valley field

Although, we were in a bit of a valley here, and in shade, the woods to our right looked (and smelled) fantastic as the massed bluebells were just coming to their best. I think there must also have been some other smells more interesting to our canine companions (small furry creatures perhaps?) because they were both having a great run around in the woods.

Lovely bluebells - the scent was gorgeous!

Path through the woods to Mott's Mill

At the end of the narrow field, the path entered a small wood, and we continued alongside the stream, bearing left at a path junction to reach the road by Mott’s Mill. After about 300m, we turned left over a stile and descended to cross a footbridge.

Leaving the road to head south-east

Crossing the footbridge over Mottsmill stream

The path then climbed close to the left field boundary, next to a wood. Here we met some frisky bullocks, so we put the dogs on their leads. Fortunately, the bovines were simply curious, and after their initial excitement at seeing us (or more probably the dogs), left us alone to continue unmolested and untrampled

Climbing towards Rocks Farm - bullocks in the distance

Emerging (untrampled) into arable fields

Leaving the bullocks behind, we continued uphill at a gentler gradient, across arable fields with early grown spring wheat. Both dogs found this quite tasty. The path finally levelled out close to a large country property called Bullfinches. The views to north were very fine. Despite living only a few miles from here and having walked other footpaths in the immediate area, this was the first time I had set foot on this particular path and was very pleased to see the stunning panorama.

View north towards Leyswood hamlet

Glorious evening sunshine

We descended again through lush pasture fields close to the house and past a tennis court. The dogs had a welcome drink from a field trough. They were still excited by the early evening scents of animals beginning to emerge from their day time hiding places, and Zuka disappeared off to a small area of woodland surrounding a hidden pond.

Interrupted view back towards Bullfinches



Reaching the bridleway at Little Wigsell



Crossing a footbridge and a stony bridlepath, the path continued alongside a small wood, which was, once again, was full of stunning bluebells (although their scent was not as strong as in the earlier valley field), then reaching its corner bore slightly right to pass diagonally across the field to a clump of trees and a crossroads of paths.

Path towards clump

Wonky way mark post

Maintaining direction we descended diagonally across the next field, towards the corner of a large wood. I think there were a lot of deer smells around (indeed Steve & I had seen a herd of them grazing very near here a few days previously), and the dogs were very excited.

Poppy scans the horizon for deer!

Sunken farm track

At the edge of the field we bore left over a farm bridge and up a reasonably steep sunken drive. The high bank on our left, leading into a wood, was covered with bluebells and Anne was able to photograph them from an unusual angle.

Bluebells on the bank

Reaching a T-junction of paths at the top, we turned right and followed the path as it continued to climb, first in the open and then on a narrow sunken path. Poppy was off the lead again now, and both dogs were still busy investigating animal smells.

Sunken path

As the incline eased off a bit, we reached a stile and bore right to continue climbing gently along a driveway, past Renby Grange and a few other properties. Past the houses, the drive became sunken again, and the stone lined banks were covered with a thick layer of moss.

View NW across Crooked Wood to Pocket Birches

Crazy tree roots

The noise of traffic on the A26 was becoming noticable, and at the top of the hill, we turned right to descend to and cross the road. Fortunately, by this time the rush hour traffic had died down, because it can be tricky to cross here – it is 3 lanes of fast traffic, with no island midway for safety.

Zuka waits by entrance to Leggs Field

Looking back down the track as we approach the A26

Climbing left up a path on the other side of the road, we reached our car. Hubby Steve had been walking Jazz on a separate route in the vicinity, and we met him back at the cars, then continued to the pub at Boars Head for an evening meal. Our daughter Helen joined us too.

Virtually empty A26

This was a super walk, with a variety of terrain. The lovely spring sunshine and wonderful bluebells certainly added to the enjoyment. I must walk the new bits again with Steve sometime – Anne has kindly given us details of a 6 mile circular walk she has devised for her Friday walking group.

Mobile phones NOT welcome at the Boarshead Inn