High Hurstwood circular

By Ben Perkins

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Starting from the village of High Hurstwood, tucked down in a quiet valley to the south of Crowborough, this walk climbs gently but steadily to reach the eastern edge of Ashdown Forest at Poundgate, where there is a well-placed pub.

As well as traversing woods and fields, the circuit uses several old sunken trackways, full of character but also muddy underfoot in places. The return route follows part of the Vanguard Way, a longdistance footpath across the Weald which we have encountered on previous Argus walks, including the recent circuit from Blackboys (January 27).

If you would like to extend this walk I shall, in a few weeks, be describing a linking walk, starting from Poundgate and heading westwards to explore the open heathland of Ashdown Forest.

1.Start the walk along the approach road to High Hurstwood Church, an unusually designed building with a half-timbered clock tower and a separate bell turret.

A few yards short of the church, fork half-right, through a swing gate and uphill across pasture to a similar gate.

An enclosed path continues to a wicket gate and up across pasture to join a lane through another gate. Turn left.

2.After about 70 yards, turn right along a wide tree-lined track which leads into a concrete access drive. At a T-junction with another drive, turn left and, where the drive divides again, fork left.

After another 60 yards, fork right over a low step-stile where a notice indicates you are entering High Hurstwood Nature Reserve. Follow a clear path through this area of woodland and scrub. Go over a stile and ahead along a farm track.

At the bottom of a slope, cross a stream, go through a gate and immediately bear left along a left field edge, climbing gently beside a line of fine mature oak trees.

In the field corner, go through a gate and maintain direction beside a left-hand fence and then on beside a garden, squeezing to the right of an old pond to join a lane where you should turn left.

3.Where this land bends to the right, go ahead through the gateway to Stables Cattery, between the buildings to a gate and on along a wide, heavily ridden track, poached and muddy in places.

Follow this path for over half-amile, gaining height gently and passing through Pickreed Wood to join a lane where you should turn left.

4.After about 250 yards, turn right along the drive to Grovehurst Farm. Where the drive divides, a few yards short of a large house, fork left, passing immediately to the right of a pond and to the left of the house.

Where the hard track ends, go through a gate and forward, still along a faintly defined dirt track which soon begins to drop down along the right edge of sloping pasture with a high hedge to the right.

After a few yards, diverge half left from this track contouring across the grassy slope to go through a bridle gate beside a farm gate. Through this gate, after a few more yards, fork right along a woodland path which crosses a high culvert over a dramatic, deeply sunken stream and continues out to a lane where you should turn left.

5.After about 400 yards, turn left along a wide access track, where a waypost indicates you are following part of the “Crowborough Walk”. After 60 yards, at a second waypost, turn right along a path through a belt of scrub to reach the edge of a golf course.

Turn left along the left edge of the playing area and shortly, at a third post, bear slightly right across a fairway, watching out for flying golf balls and aiming for another post. Follow the direction of the arrow on this post through a heathy area, and, with more posts and waymarks to guide you, on across two more fairways.

Finally, enter an enclosed path which skirts to the right of a house with a high wall on your left and takes you out to the A26 at Poundgate.

Turn left beside this busy road, soon passing the Crow and Gate pub, which offers a welcome pint after the long ascent. Although gentle and well graded, you have now climbed 450 feet since leaving High Hurstwood.

6.Just past a phone box, turn left over a stile and go ahead across pasture to a second stile, then forward along a concrete access track between two houses to find a third stile behind the right-hand house, where a superb view opens out southwards to the Downs.

Over this stile, turn right along the right edge of two fields with a stile between them. In the second field corner, go over another stile and turn left along a fenced path between two fields and on within the right edge of woodland.

After leaving the wood over a stile, continue along a left field edge with the wood on your left. In the field corner go ahead, back into the wood again.

About 100 yards after passing to the left of a cottage, bear right through a grove of trees to join a drive. Turn left along the drive but, after a few yards only, go ahead through a gate and on beside a left-hand fence.

6.Follow this fence until you can go left up steps and across high ground beside another fence with exceptional views. Go through a rudimentary gate in this fence and drop downhill with a fence on your right.

Shortly, go right over a stile and ahead, half left, descending across pasture. Beyond the next stile, follow an enclosed path. After crossing a pair of elaborate footbridges, go ahead along the access drive from a cottage which takes you on to join a lane. Turn right, back to where you parked the car.