The Ouse Valley and Barcombe
By Ben Perkins
Click here to view map
Barcombe Church is a pretty stopping-off point
This is an easy walk in the Ouse valley and includes a delightful path beside the river between Barcombe Mills and the Anchor Inn.
There are few hills to contend with and the walk, for the most part, follows established and clearly-signed field paths. If you would like a longer walk, this circuit can be combined with the recent walk from Offham (Weekend, April 9), the link point being at Barcombe church (point four), to form a figure-of-eight totalling just over 12 miles.
1. From the entrance to the car park, turn left and, after 30 yards, turn right along the narrow Grange Road. Where it ends, go ahead along the edge of a recreation ground, then down across rough pasture to cross a footbridge.
Over the bridge, veer slightly left to go through a wide gap in a hedge where you will cross the track bed of the railway which once linked Lewes and Uckfield.
In the next field, go left for 30 yards to the field corner, then right, keeping to the left field edge. In the next field corner, cross a footbridge and stile and follow a right field edge and then a short enclosed path to join a lane. Turn right.
Distance/time: Six miles/three hours
By car:Start from the village of Barcombe, about three miles north of Lewes and marked as Barcombe Cross on OS maps. Park in the village car park to the east of the High Street at GR 420158 next to the village post office/store.
By public transport: Hourly weekday bus service from Lewes (two hourly on Saturdays).
What's underfoot: Easy walking along mostly level field and riverside paths.
Thirsty work: Anchor Inn at point six. Pub at Barcombe.
So you don't get lost: OS Explorer Map 122 and a compass for direction.
2. After a little more than 100 yards go left over a stile and, after passing to the right of a power pole, head out across a field walking roughly parallel to minor power lines. Veer slightly left across the next field to reach the end of a hedge protruding from the right. Here, bear slightly left, following minor power lines for 100 yards or so out to a lane. Turn right.
After less than 100 yards, go left over a stile and follow a well-trodden field path half-right across a field to join a lane a few yards to the right of a prominent brick-built Baptist chapel.
3. Cross the lane and follow the path opposite, through scrub at first, then between fences. Cross a drive, go through the wooden gate opposite and bear slightly right across a paddock.
Go through a kissing gate next to an ancient oak tree and maintain direction across the next field. On the other side, bear right to a stile then follow the left edge of the next field out to a lane and turn left.
4. On your right after a few yards is the access to Barcombe Church, the link point with the previous Weekend walk from Offham.
To continue the present walk, carry on along the lane for a few yards only and then fork right along the drive to Culver Farm.
After 60 yards, turn left along a tarmac drive which feeds into a narrow, hedged path. Where this path ends, veer half-right to a gate and on in the same direction across the next field.
Cross a grass-covered culvert, head squarely out across the next field to a stile, in sight, then on along a left field edge for a few yards to a footbridge and across rough pasture to a second footbridge.
The path from here is immaculately stiled and waymarked through several fields, thanks to an East Sussex County Council circular-walk initiative, promoted under the banner of Paths To Prosperity.
5. Join a lane and turn right into the hamlet of Barcombe Mills, passing the old railway station site where a former pub and tearooms have both, sadly, closed.
About 100 yards beyond the station site fork left along a path which starts beside a row of cottages and joins a lane.
In front of the gateway to Barcombe House, turn right to cross, in quick succession, two bridges above a complex of sluices and weirs. An old tariff list and a notice remind us this was once a toll road, established in 1066.
Follow the roughly-metalled lane as it veers left and right, crossing two more bridges. Beyond the second bridge, turn left through a squeeze stile at the start of a riverside path.
Shortly, go left over a footbridge and continue along the riverbank. Cross another footbridge and later, as you approach farm buildings, go left over a wide bridge and right along a drive.
At a finger post, where you have a choice of two signed paths to the left, yours is the right-hand one which heads squarely right into trees, soon passing to the left of a white weather-boarded house to rejoin the river bank. Now follow the river as far as the Anchor Inn, about a quarter of a mile.
6. Turn left along Anchor Lane, passing the pub on your right. Disregard the first signed path on the left and, after a little more than half a mile, just past a house called Little Scufflings on the right, turn left over a stile and along a right field edge.
After about 200 yards, go over a stile and along the right edge of a paddock with the buildings of Banks Farm over to your left. Join the drive from the farm and turn right to follow it out to join a lane on a bend.
Go over the stile opposite and ahead, passing to the right of a barn. A wellsigned path descends to cross a stream and climbs along the right edge of a meadow and along a short enclosed path to reach the road at Mount Pleasant.
7. Turn left and shortly go right along the drive to Knowlands Farm. Follow the drive past a pond and between the farm buildings.
After another 60 yards, turn left through a squeeze stile. Head south along the right edge of the first field and the left edge of a second.
In the field corner, cross a stile beside a gate, go ahead over a wide farm bridge across the Bevern Stream and follow a left-hand hedge uphill. At the edge of Barcombe, continue ahead along an estate road, following it round to the left by the village school and so back to the centre of the village within yards of the start.
