Newick circular

By Ben Perkins

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This pleasant and varied walk from Newick encircles the village to the south and west.

It follows an interesting route, passing through several areas of mature woodland, including one managed by the Woodland Trust where you can wander freely.

It uses a couple of sunken hollow ways – probably of ancient origin – where you need to be prepared for some mud underfoot, particularly during the winter months.

1.Start the walk along the drive to Twitten House, which leaves Church Road opposite the start of the access road to Newick Church. The drive leads into a narrow hedged path.

Once out into the corner of a rugby football ground, veer half left across the middle of this area to go through a swing gate in the far corner and continue on a wide path between hedges After 150 yards, go left over a stile and squarely down across a field, joining a left-hand hedge.

Go through a swing gate about 30 yards to the right of the field corner to enter a wood owned and managed by the Woodland Trust.

Go over a footbridge, forward for 30 yards and then fork right on a vague path, which winds through the wood, running roughly parallel to the lower wood edge. When level with another footbridge on your right, turn left with your back to the footbridge and climb through the wood.

From the top corner of the wood another hedged path continues out to a road where you should turn right.

2.After a little more than 100 yards, turn left along a roughly metalled drive. Passing to the right of the gateway to Cockfield House, go ahead to enter a path between high banks and subsequently a high wall on your left for a while. Follow this fine old hollow way, Cockfield Lane, as it descends to cross a stream.

After another 200 yards, turn right over a stile and head out across a field to a stile and a bridge over the old railway.

In the next field, veer slightly left on a faintly trodden path, which feeds into a wider track, passing between two ponds.

In the next field follow the right edge for a few yards only, then head straight out across a large field. Go over a stile next to a pair of silver birch trees planted in 1984 to mark the centenary of the Greenwich Meridian, which passes this point.

Go ahead along the drive from a house and, after 40 yards, fork right across a grass area to join a road and turn right.

3.After about a quarter of a mile, just past a post box on your left, fork left along a path which starts over a plank bridge. Beyond a stile, follow a right field edge to a second stile, join a drive and turn left.

Shortly, where the drive divides, fork right. Follow this drive, passing to the left of a house and a tennis court to reach a gate. Through the gate, turn right along a wide grass track, soon following it round to the left for 50 yards, then right.

After another ten yards, when opposite a stile on you right, turn left along a downhill woodland path. Cross a stile and continue downhill along a right field edge.

From the field corner a clear path continues through the wood and on alongside houses and gardens built over old railway line, out to the A272.

4.Cross the road and follow Coldharbour Lane, almost opposite. Where the lane ends, turn right through a gate, cross a lawn to a second gate and stile, and on in the same direction, soon along a fenced track.

At a T-junction with another hard track, turn left. Where this track bends right to a gateway, fork left between low wooden posts and continue northwards along a woodland path, then a track and finally a house access drive which takes you out to join a road. Turn right.

5.After 100 yards, turn right along the drive to a plant nursery. After passing to the left of several greenhouses, lookout for a grassy path on the left which starts between two sheds.

Once out into a field, go ahead to a stile, in sight, and forward over two more stiles, to enter woodland, not marked as such on the Explorer map.

Now some care is needed as the route is not obvious and there are alternative paths to lead you astray. After about 20 yards, where the path divides, fork left along the less obvious of the two paths. Duck under a low branch and pass through a gap in a fallen tree, after which the path, although narrow, is more clearly established.

Follow it generally southeastwards through the wood.

A few yards short of a shed, hidden in the wood, turn left to a gate and on along a path to join a road.

6.Cross the road and follow the woodland path opposite, which takes you through to another road where you should turn right.

After about 300 yards, turn left along a narrow-hedged path which starts between two driveways.

At a T-junction turn right along a wide-hedged path and, on reaching an estate road, turn left. Where this road bends to the right, fork left along a tarmac path between fences which takes you out to the A272 at Newick.

Cross the road at the traffic lights with the village green on your left and soon passing the Bull Inn on your right. Shortly join and bear right along Church Road, back to the start, passing two more pubs en-route.