1 - If arriving by bus, alight at The Green and see the village sign and the parish pump with its impressive covering. Seating is available here for a rest before or after the walk. From here, go along Brede Lane at the top of The Green.

The village car park is around the corner on the right. If starting from here, exit via Gammons Way and turn right along Brede Lane.

Immediately past Springfield Cottage – this is on the left just past the car park – turn left up a twitten (a particularly Sussex name for a path between fences, hedges and walls.) At the top of the twitten, turn left between houses (numbers 19 and 21) to go down another twitten and over a footbridge.

Continue uphill, crossing Orchard Way, and on to another residential no-through road. Turn right, and where the roadway ends go forward through a wooden gate.

Follow the field edge on the left, through a small metal gate and then follow the field edge on the right.

Continue straight on where another public footpath crosses and after passing through another gate bear slightly left to a stile which can be seen ahead along the woodland edge.

Go into Killingan Wood and straight ahead on a fairly obvious path. There is a seat on the right if a rest is desired. On coming to a fence and pond on the left, follow this closely until coming to a road (Hurst Lane).

2 - Turn left and in 300 yards where the road bends sharp to the left, turn right along the Great Sanders House driveway, which is a public footpath. Go past all the buildings and through a metal kissing-gate into a field.

The next part of the walk goes through large open fields, so please follow the footpath signs to ensure staying on the public right-of-way. Also, as there are sheep here, please keep dogs on leads as requested on various notices.

First, follow a hedge on the right, then go straight ahead past a pond on the right to a finger post indicating a 90-degree turn to the left. Then go past another pond on the right to another finger post and turn left downhill to a large single oak tree. From here, bear left uphill towards the end of a line of trees.

Continue in the direction of a finger post towards another line of trees and follow to the left of this to go through a kissing-gate to the main road. On the way, notice the anti-tank blocks on the right, leftover from World War Two.

3 - Cross the road with great care to the entrance of Sedlescombe Vineyard. Go down the driveway and to the right of the buildings which have the appearance of giant Nissan huts (unless stopping to sample the wine!).

Pass growing vines on the left to go over a stile and along the top of the field, ignoring a stile into a wood on the right. Continue downhill to cross a plank bridge and over a low fence (stile missing) into a field. Make for a stile, just left of a drinking trough (not for human consumption!), which will be seen at the top of the field.

Turn left along a grass track and where this ends go through a metal gate and turn right, over a stile, along the edge of woodland.

In about 100 yards, strike off diagonally left to the bottom right-hand corner of the field (a faint line in the field may be visible) to go over a stile and footbridge into woodland.

Bear right up through the wood to a stile into a field. Go across this field to cross another stile and footbridge. Then go uphill alongside a wood and then straight ahead across the field to follow a hedge on the left.

This leads to a stile and path alongside a new fence to cross a road. Turn right along the footway to the parish church.

4 - Just beyond the church, cross the road to a footpath signposted Brooks Walk. Keep to the right of the driveway and cross the grass to a small gate hidden in the corner.

Go through woodland to another gate and then down the field to a bridge and gate. Continue uphill to a gate and turn left along a bridleway.

On coming to a crossway of paths with an unusual warning sign, go through three gates to follow the footpath on the left going downhill between fences.

Go to the right of a large pond and bear right away from the pond to cross a stile and footbridge.

From here, climb a short but steep hill and through a small gate. Then head for another small gate just to the right of a pair of oak trees.

Go across the middle of the next field to a small gate to the left of a house at the bottom of the hill. Follow a rough footpath to the left of the garden fence to a kissing-gate and the road.

5 - Cross to the footway opposite and turn right, past the Village Hall and after a further 500 yards come to The Green. If not seen at the start of the walk, view the village sign and the parish pump with its impressive covering before returning along Brede Lane to the car park.

 

  • Distance/Time: Five miles/two-and-a half hours
  • By Car: Car park (free) with toilets off Brede Lane, Sedlescombe (avoid school-run times)
  • By Public Transport: Buses (349) to The Green, Sedlescombe from Hastings and Hawkhurst. Timetable information from Traveline: 0871 2002233 or www.traveline.info
  • What’s underfoot: Mostly field paths and woodland tracks which are likely to be muddy if wet, especially at this time of the year; also, quite a lot of stiles
  • Thirsty Work: The Queen’s Head near start/finish
  • So you don’t get lost: OS Explorer Map 124 or Landranger 199; also a compass for general direction

Click here for a full-sized map of the Sedlescombe circular walk