Shortgate circular

By Ben Perkins

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This week I can offer an easy walk in the Low Weald, without significant hills.

It traverses a patchwork of small areas of well-kept woodland, interspersed with pasture and arable fields, as well as using about a mile of quiet country lane.

It is also likely to be reasonably dry underfoot except after heavy rain, even though several of the paths are designated bridleways and therefore at risk of being churned up by horses’ hooves.

As a bonus, there are no less than three pubs on or near the walk route which also passes close to two tourist attractions allowing you to punctuate your stroll with either a train ride on the preserved Lavender Line at Isfield (open on Sundays only) or a visit to the Bentley Motor Museum and Wild Fowl Nature Reserve (open on weekends only during the winter and daily from Easter onwards).

1.Walk back past the Bluebell Inn, leaving it on your left and immediately go ahead along a narrow path with a far from obvious start, which squeezes to the left of a high metal double gate, and runs along the top of a wooded bank with a fence on your right.

The path is soon fenced on both sides as it skirts to the left of a factory area, the site of a recent massive firework explosion.

The path crosses a drive and continues along a bank, weaving its way between mature trees.

After a little over half-a-mile, at a three-armed finger post, turn right to follow a right field edge out to the B2192.

2.Cross the road and turn left along the opposite verge. After about 100 yards, turn right along the drive to Upper Lodge Farm.

Follow this drive, which becomes a farm track, between the main farm buildings.

Go over a stile beside a gate and immediately bear half-right across the middle of a field, aiming for a stile, in sight. Cross this elaborate double stile and maintain direction along the right edge of the next field, skirting to the left of a block of woodland, Hemsley’s Rough.

From this path there is a good view southwards to a long sweep of the downland escarpment between the radio masts on Beddingham Hill and the distinctive tree clump on Blackcap.

From the field corner go ahead within a wide hedge-lined grass strip to join a lane to the right of an open-sided barn and turn right.

3.After about 70 yards, turn left along a path, signed as a bridleway, through Plashett Wood. Leave the wood through a bridle gate and continue along the left edge of two fields with the wood on your left.

Go almost straight ahead across a third field, aiming for a gate. Carry on along the left edge of a paddock to pass through a bridle gate, then turn left along the drive from Moatpark Farm, following it out to the A26.

Cross the road and turn left along the opposite verge, narrow but usable.

4.Just past the Halfway House Inn, turn right through the pub car park to a stile and cross a recreation area to another stile, hidden in the hedge ahead from which a path continues along the right edge of a paddock and two subsequent fields.

In the second field corner, go over two stiles in quick succession and then slightly left across another field to a third stile from which a wide hedged path continues.

At a T-junction with a gravel drive turn left out to a lane and right for a few yards to reach the Lavender Line terminus at Isfield.

5.The Laughing Fish pub is now a few yards to the left along Station Road but our return walk goes ahead along Horsted Lane.

After about 400 yards, soon after passing the speed derestriction signs at the edge of the village, go left into the start of the drive to Whartons Farm and, after a few yards, go right through an iron kissing gate.

Head out across the middle of a field, passing beneath minor power lines. Go through a wide gap in the next hedge and forward along the left edge of two more fields to reach the A26.

6.Cross the main road, go over the stile opposite, currently broken and forward across two fields, passing close to a wooden power pole and walking within a wide unfenced grass strip.

Continue along the top of a raised bank, skirting to the right of a pond. A few yards past the pond, turn right, as indicated by a finger post and follow another grass strip along the right edge of rough pasture out to join a lane over a stile beside a gate.

Turn left and, after about half-a-mile, fork right signed to Bentley Wild Fowl and Ringmer.

7.A few yards beyond the main vehicle entrance to Bentley Wild Fowl Reserve and Motor Museum, turn left along a track, signed as a bridleway. After a few yards, where the track opens out into a field, turn left along a wide headland path.

Follow this path along the left edge of three fields and on along a spacious avenue through trees where you briefly join a woodland trail, associated with and also accessible from the Bentley Museum site over to your left.

Next to the path is a carved wooden sculpture in the form of a winged figure, designed and shaped, using a chainsaw, by a local sculptor.

Leave the wood through a gate and maintain direction across a field to reach another gate, in sight, then bear right to follow a right field edge, keeping close to it as it bends left and right.

In the field corner, cross a stile and keep to the right edge of two more fields to reach the B2192. Turn left along the generous verge beside this road, back to the start.