Forest Row Circular

by Ben Perkins

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The walk includes waterside scenes around the Weir Wood Reservoir

This is a pleasant and undemanding walk linking Forest Row with the Weir Wood Reservoir south of East Grinstead.

Unlike other reservoirs in Sussex, Weir Wood fails to offer the ideal balance between water collection and recreational opportunities.

Although a token attempt has been made to accommodate visitors on foot by providing a small picnic area, most of the northern reservoir perimeter is barricaded from public access by a high, unsightly and surely quite unnecessary fence.

Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable circuit, with reasonable views across the water in several places.

The return route passes close to the striking remains of Brambletye Manor, dating from 1631, but reduced to a ruin only a few years later in 1683.

1.From the car park, return to the junction with the B2110/A22 junction and turn right beside the main road in the East Grinstead direction.

After about 100 yards, turn left along a path which starts along a covered way beneath buildings.

Cross a car parking area and follow a narrow path which winds between houses and then climbs, keeping close to the right edge of patchy rough grass and scrub. Go over a stile and follow the right edge of the field beyond.

In the field corner, follow the signed path over three stiles in quick succession before dropping down to enter a wide path between hedges.

From the bottom of the slope a path goes ahead across a meadow and on through a young tree plantation.

Go over a crossing track, using two stiles, and continue between more young planted trees, soon passing to the left of a fenced pond.

The path crosses a concrete stream bridge and then bears left beside a double fence protecting a newly planted hedge.

Over to your right, you get a good view of East Grinstead with its prominent square-towered parish church.

2.In the field corner, join a tarmac drive and turn right.

After a little over 200 yards, go over a stile to the right of the gateway to the Weir Wood Reservoir compound and at first follow a path which runs parallel to the drive you have just left.

Where the enclosed path ends, go ahead along a left field edge.

In the field corner, cross a footbridge and keep to the left of rough pasture with the high reservoir perimeter fence on your left.

Just after passing under power lines, go over a stile, along a short enclosed path to a second stile and then along the left edge of a large field, still with the reservoir fence on your left.

The reservoir itself soon comes into sight for the first time. Go through a gate and follow the left edge of woodland.

Ignore the first signed path on the right and continue along the reservoir perimeter path, soon passing the access point to a small picnic area on your left with good views across the water. Carry on beside the fence.

3.After three stiles in fairly quick succession, turn right along a signed path, beside a right field edge at first, through a gap and then gently up across a field, aiming immediately to the right of an electricity pylon. Go through a gate and keep to the left edge of the next field.

Over a stile in the field corner, maintain direction across the field beyond. In the field corner go over a stile, through a wooded strip to a second stile and then forward across a field.

4.About halfway across the field, ignoring the stile into the wood ahead, turn squarely right, aiming for a gated gap in a line of trees.

Through this gap, follow a right field edge to a second gate and thenhead out across a field to join a drive through a third gate next to Busses Farm.

Cross the drive, go through the gate opposite and then bear half left across a field, aiming for an obvious gap in the next hedge.

Go through this gap or the bridle gate a few yards to the left of it and drop gently downhill, keeping close to the left edge of two successive fields.

In the field corner, go ahead over a footbridge and along a fenced path to join a drive, where you should turn right.

5.Shortly enter an enclosed path which squeezes to the left of a the house and garden at Horseshoe Farm and continues between fence and hedge.

Where the enclosed path ends go straight ahead across a large field to find the next stile close to the bottom far right corner.

Go ahead, keeping to the right edge of rough pasture with scrubby woodland to your right.

After passing beneath power lines the path runs within the wooded area.

At the end of the wood, ignoring a signed path off to the right, continue along a wide, grassy fenced track.

6.At a T-junction with a drive turn right and follow the drive as it skirts round to the right of a house and garden and continues passing to the left of Brambletye Manor.

All that remains of the Manor are two corner turrets and a central porch but these are enough to give a good idea of the grand scale of the original building.

You get an excellent view of the ruins from the path but they are not otherwise accessible to the public.

Carry on along the drive until you reach Brambletye Crossing on the old railway.

Turn right along the track bed of the old railway, now the Forest Way, a long-distance route for cyclists and walkers linking East Grinstead and Groombridge.

Cross the A22 and continue on the Forest Way opposite, now along a tarmac drive. Just after passing a water treatment works on the left, turn right along a short path into a car park.

Bear half-left across this area to join the end of a road which takes you straight back to Forest Row within yards of both car parks.