Brightling circular

By Ben Perkins

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John Fuller was an 18th-Century philanthropist who created a series of intriguing buildings in Sussex, including this mausoleum

This walk from Brightling, deep in the High Weald, follows an undulating route northwards and westwards, passing through extensive woodlands, before dropping steeply into the valley of the Dudwell, a tributary stream of the River Rother.

The return route climbs to traverse high ground, with expansive views southwards to the ridge of the South Downs.

1. From wherever you managed to park beside the road into Brightling from the west, walk into the village. At the point where the road bends sharply to the right, just past the church on your right, go ahead along an access drive.

After 30 yards, as indicated by a waypost, turn left on a path which crosses rough pasture, burrows through scrub to a stile and then drops down along a left field edge with a fine view over the Weald to the north.

After about 200 yards, towards the bottom of the hill, veer half-right to find the start of a narrow path through an area of young tree planting and scrub which takes you out to join a lane where you should turn left.

2. After about 200 yards, just after passing over a bridge across a covered conveyor belt from Brightling Gypsum Mine, turn left over a stile and follow a wide-fenced grassy strip to a second stile, from which a path drops down through woodland.

After about half a mile, at a signed crossing bridleway, go left for five yards and then right, resuming your previous direction, still on a winding woodland path.

After leaving the wood over two stiles in quick succession, climb, walking parallel to the left edge of rough pasture.

A few yards short of the field corner, where the ground levels out, go left along an indistinct path to a hidden stile from which an enclosed path within the edge of the wood takes you out to a road.

3. Turn right and, after about 100 yards, go left along a signed path into Leggett's Wood.

A short distance inside the wood, fork left along a waymarked path. Follow this path, narrow in places, looking out for waymarks and ignoring several crossing paths and hard forestry tracks.

Soon after crossing a stream, turn left at a T-junction, still clearly signed. Shortly, at a meeting of three wide forest tracks, go forward along the one ahead, climbing steadily

4. At A four-armed sign indicating a crossing bridleway, next to a massive beech tree, go directly ahead along a narrow woodland path, ignoring tracks to right and left.

After about 400 yards, leave the wood through a swing gate and drop down beside a righthand fence into the valley of the River Dudwell with the village of Burwash in view on the hilltop over to your right.

Go through a second swing gate and follow a left field edge down to the bottom of the hill where you should turn left through a gate and walk along the valley floor, soon ignoring a path off to the right over the Dudwell.

Where the meadow opens out, go straight ahead on a faint trodden path which climbs fairly steeply. At the top of the slope, go through a kissing gate and ahead through a wood, crossing two stiles.

Continue along the side of the valley, keeping to the left of two fields, descending gently to join a lane near Willingford Bridge.

5. Go through a bridle gate opposite and follow a hedged grass track. Where the hedge opens out, go ahead, climbing across grass and passing to the left of the farmhouse at Willingford Farm to join the right field edge for a short distance.

Shortly diverge from the field edge to follow a shallow hollow way up across the field.

Go through a gate in a crossing hedge and forward with the remains of a hedge on your left as well as the faint indentation of the ancient hollowed-out path.

Go through another bridle gate and ahead through a wood, ignoring a crossing track.

Leave the wood through another bridle gate and go ahead across two more fields, passing through a gap in the intervening hedge.

Aim for the top left corner of the second field where you will find another bridle gate and a short path leading out through a belt of scrub to join a concrete track.

6. Turn left and follow this track across high ground with fine views southwards to the distant ridge of the South Downs. Follow this track out to a lane and bear right.

Over to your left, standing on one of the highest points in Sussex at 634 ft above sea level, is a 65-foot obelisk, known as Brightling Needle.

It is one of a number of follies in the area built by John ("Mad Jack") Fuller, an eccentric 18th-Century philanthropist who lived in nearby Brightling Park. Sadly there is no public access to the monument.

In view across the fields to the right can be seen the dome of an observatory, built by Fuller in 1818. It is now a private residence. At a crossroads, go straight ahead and, at the next junction, go ahead again, signposted to Brightling.

You can now follow this road for two thirds of a mile back to the start with magnificent views to the north and east, across the Weald and along the Rother valley towards Bodiam and Robertsbridge.

In Brightling churchyard, close to the starting point of the walk, is John Fuller's burial place, marked by a 25ft pyramid-shaped mausoleum.

A story, later disproved, suggested that Fuller was interred within the tomb, sitting at a table, dressed for dinner, with a full meal and a bottle of claret in front of him.