At the end of the Yellow Brick Road, so L Frank Baum's story goes, lived the most powerful person in the world.

It took a series of trials and tribulations for Dorothy and friends to reach their destination, which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz was just an ordinary man.

Footpath 9 in Framfield has neither the mystique nor the Munchkins of the fairy story.

But while it does not run to an Emerald City, it does pass rather close to an implausible palace.

The mansion also houses a mysterious, much-talked-of figure - Nicholas Hoogstraten.

While he has been dubbed the "self-appointed emissary of Beelzebub", Mr Hoogstraten is not omnipotent either.

This was perhaps best demonstrated when a committed band of ramblers finally managed to tear down the obstacles blocking Footpath 9.

For more than a decade the muddy path at Palehouse Common had become a battleground between the lord of the manor and the Ramblers' Association.

Asked after his release last week what his feelings were towards ramblers, Mr Hoogstraten retorted: "Ramblers? Don't talk to me about ramblers."

The 140-year-old path ran across a field belonging to one of the tycoon's companies, Rarebargain Ltd.

He did not take kindly to "the great unwashed" wandering across his property and has dubbed them "perverts", "herberts", "riff-raff" and "disgusting creatures".

To keep them out, first a gate went up, then a barbed wire fence, followed by sheds and refrigeration units.

It took seven court cases and thousands of pounds from ramblers' own pockets to force East Sussex County Council to reinstate the route, part of 140,000 miles of public footpaths and bridleways across the country.

After Mr Hoogstraten was formally cleared of manslaughter, The Argus went for a stroll to see what the fuss was about.

Venturing through the kissing gate brings the visitor to a field blanketed in animal dung.

As darkness descended around the estate, the central copper-domed minaret of Hamilton Palace caught the last flashes of sunlight.

It shone out like a beacon in the fading light on the surrounding farmland.

A multitude of signs with warnings such as, "Private. Legal action may be taken against unauthorised persons found on this property" ensure any visitors do not stray from the path.

The area was deserted, although it has proved popular with walking groups since being reopened.

One member of the High Weald Walkers said: "The path goes down through two paddocks to a stream at the bottom where it picks up another path.

"I understand the council has other paths like this on its books. This was just the most high-profile case. The ramblers decided to go the whole hog to get this one cleared. It is in a nice part of East Sussex and there is the added interest of the palace to look at."

Back in 1999, Mr Hoogstraten was adamant there was no right of way across his estate.

He said: "People should not go on to my land and if they do, from time to time there may be accidents."

A series of court appearances ensued, with Rarebargain being fined and costs being awarded against it. The final sum owing was more than £100,000.

East Sussex County Council was also left with a hefty bill. The saga cost £26,000 in fees and more than £50,000 in costs to be paid to Kate Ashbrook, the rambler who headed the campaign.

Ms Ashbrook said: "I am still out of pocket by a few thousand pounds. But it was definitely worth it to get the path opened and to show the council it has a duty to open it rather than divert it around an obstruction.

"Although in the case of Rarebargain it didn't make the slightest difference, I think most landowners would be put off from following suit now."

The council did not wish to comment on the current situation.

Meanwhile, at the Hare and Hounds in Framfield, people were unsure what to expect from Mr Hoogstraten's impending return.

Immediately after his release he stayed at the Courtlands Hotel in Hove, rather than go straight back to Hamilton Palace.

One woman said: "He has only been seen in the village about two times. He has not been in the pub, although his son used to come in fairly regularly at one time."

Elsewhere, people were loath to speak about the businessman on the record, although many had anecdotes about "Nicky".

One man said: "I met him years ago when his mansion burnt down. I was one of the firemen from Uckfield back then who were first on the scene.

"We had to cut the chains on his gates to get in. He went mad but he didn't have a say, of course."

The resident recalled one of his fellow firefighters rented a flat from Mr Hoogstraten at the time in Uckfield.

He said: "He came home one night and found all his stuff on the street and the locks had been changed."

The sequestrators who have been selling off Mr Hoogstraten's assets had put Hamilton Palace up for sale.

Whether Mr Hoogstraten returns to find he has been locked out and his art collection thrown out remains to be seen.