Etchingham to Robertsbridge

By Ben Perkins

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The sensitively, but undeniably impressive, converted triple oast house at Willard's Hill in East Sussex

This walk follows on from the Stonegate to Etchingham walk, continuing from Etchingham for another five and a half miles to the next station at Robertsbridge.

Using the hourly train service, you can enjoy each walk separately or combine both for a longer trek of just under 11 miles.

The walk takes a wide loop over an undulating ridge between the valleys of the Rother and its southern tributary, the River Dudwell.

It offers an attractive mix of woodland and pasture, typical of this fairly remote area and paths require careful navigation.

1. From Etchingham Station, turn right beside the A265.

Just short of the village shop, turn left along a concrete access path to a kissing gate and a bridge across a stream. After the bridge, turn left across a meadow, walking roughly parallel to the meandering stream on the left.

Go through a shaky gate then uphill across a field. Cross a drive using two stiles and maintain your direction, passing to the left of farm buildings, dropping downhill and walking parallel to the right field edge.

Towards the bottom of the hill, bear right towards a stile and gate and, ignoring a second stile on the left, go ahead along the left edge of two fields with a stile between them. Continue through a young tree plantation to a stile then upwards, through older woodland.

Emerging from the wood, go ahead, walking parallel and close to the right field edge with woodland on the right. After about 200 yards, bear right into a concrete area, passing to the left of two red-brick cottages and continuing until you reach Squibs Farm.

2. On entering the farmyard, go forward, passing to the left of an open-sided barn and then bear half right, leaving a ruined oast on your left.

Where the track divides in front of a dilapidated barn, leave the farm area and drop downhill on a track worn by tractor wheels, which runs parallel to the left field edge.

At the bottom of the hill, follow the track though a gap and along the right edge of a meadow. Cross a concrete culvert, bear left for 20 yards through a gap then turn right, uphill along a right field edge.

3. Just short of the top field corner, turn right on a path through a belt of scrub, ignoring a stile on the left.

Go along a left field edge, with a cottage garden on the left and, after 50 yards, veer half-right, down across a field to a stile.

Head across the next field, aiming for the far bottom right corner where a short overgrown path leads to a hidden footbridge. Go ahead along a right field edge.

In the field corner, go right, over a stile then left, skirting closely to the right of the triple oast conversion at Willard's Hill to join a road.

4. The next path starts opposite.

Follow a left field edge, skirting to the right of two newly-fenced enclosures before dropping obliquely down a slope beneath power lines. Join and follow the right field edge until, after 150 yards, you can go right, over a stile and footbridge.

Climb along a right edge at first but, after 100 yards, veer half-left across the field, aiming for the base of a wooded peninsula protruding into a field from the left. Here, you will find a stile and a woodland path to a lane where you should turn left.

5. After half a mile, a few yards past the gateway to Fisher's Farm on the right, turn left along a rough gravel track which drops down to pass through a dip before opening out into a field.

Veer slightly left, up across the field to a stile in the top left corner. A path continues through Burgh Wood. Leave the wood over a stile and drop down along a right field edge. In the field corner, go through a wide gap and turn sharply left along a left field edge. A path continues into the next field, where you should climb along the left field edge.

Where the ground levels, cross a stile and go ahead, descending with a line of trees on your right. From the field corner, a path leads to a shaky footbridge and a gate. Continue across the grass and the left edge of a cleared grass area surrounded by trees.

Cross two stiles into a wood and immediately turn right along a rising woodland path. From a gate at the top of the wood, follow a path half-right, across grass, through trees and out to a road, then turn right.

6. After 150 yards, past a gate to a house called Wyland Wood, go right, over a stile, follow a right field path to another road and turn right.

Just past Scalands Folly on the left, turn left along the drive to Scalands farm.

Take the drive to the left of the oast cottage and go sharp left over a stile and half-right, down to a kissing gate. Follow a right field edge closely as it bends right to a similar gate.

Turn left, along the left edge of two fields to a third gate along a woody path, with a fence on the left.

Join and go ahead along on a gravel drive. Ignore a signed path to the right and follow the main drive round left. At the bottom of the hill, keep along the main drive, following it between farm buildings.

About ten yards beyond the farm, go left along a tarmac track, cross a stream and, after 20 yards, turn right through a gate along a right field edge. Cross a drive and follow a well-trodden path across a field to join a lane.

Turn right under a railway bridge then sharp left along a narrow path. Go over a stile, turn left along a left field edge with the railway fence on your left. Go through two gates - the second is padlocked - to a road within yards of Robertsbridge Station.