Weald Way and Vanguard Way

by Ben Perkins

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The parish church at Chiddingly

This pleasant, fairly easy walk in the Low Weald uses sections of two long-distance footpath routes - the Wealdway and the Vanguard Way. This offers a bonus in the form of particularly well-used and maintained paths and, therefore, generally easy route-finding.

Working out where to go becomes noticeably more of a problem on the short section of our walk beyond point 5 which parts company from these official routes. Here, the mapped right of way and used routes do not coincide and some care and improvisation is needed.

From the village car park (1), return to the road and turn left towards the centre of the village. After about 200 yards, turn right along Buttsfield Lane and, shortly, where the lane divides, fork left, now on the Wealdway which you will be following as far as Chiddingly.

Where this cul-de-sac ends, go ahead along the left edge of two fields. A short distance into the second field, cross a stile, walk through a wood and continue up along the left edge of two fields to reach a lane (2).

Go through the gate opposite and follow the direction of a Wealdway sign across a large field to a gate and on beside a right-hand fence through two more large fields. Where the fence and hedge turn away to the right, go ahead to a gate and on beside a post-and-rail fence. A hard track continues between the buildings of Frith Farm and on to join a lane.

Turn left and walk into the village of Chiddingly. At a road junction beside the Six Bells pub (3), go ahead along a No Through Road and, after a few yards, go left along an enclosed path which starts next to a telephone box. You are now on the Vanguard Way. After a short, enclosed path, go ahead, following in turn a right field edge, another enclosed path and then a left field edge where a boggy dip, if unacceptably wet, can be bypassed, through a gate well over to the right.

Join a lane, turn right for 40 yards, then go left over a stile. Follow another narrow path, then keep to the left of two fields. Where the field boundary in the second field turns away to the left, go ahead over manicured grass, used for turf cutting, to join a lane over a stile.

Turn left. After 300 yards, follow the lane round to the right and shortly (4), go left along the drive to Clarklye Farm. After 250 yards, go right over a stile beside a gate and follow the direction of a sign across a paddock to a stile.

Continue, without change of direction, through a field, along the left edge of a caravan site, across a drive and through woodland where an enclosed path squeezes between various large properties and, at one point, rather improbably passes beneath a rose bower.

Join a road next to a junction and turn right, signposted to Waldron. Go ahead at another junction, also signed to Waldron as well as Heathfield. At the next road junction (5), go ahead over a stile, leaving the Vanguard Way.

From here, some care is needed as the right of way on the map and the most practicable route on the ground do not coincide. Follow a meandering right field edge with a stream hidden in the hedge to your right. After about 200 yards, cross a stile, go left beside a fence for 60 yards, then right to follow a high, left-hand hedge.

In the field corner, go left over a stile and forward within a wide strip of rough grass to another stile. An arrow on the stile directs you up across two fields via a stile in a crossing fence to another stile in the top corner. Now head out across a field, aiming for a regimental row of tall trees. Pass to the left of the 15th tree from the right end of the row and you will be heading for a stile out to a lane.

Turn right and, after 100 yards (6), go left over a stile beside a gate and forward along the left edge of a field with a stile between them. Towards the end of the second field, at a finger post, turn right for 40 yards to an isolated signpost and then left, now back on the well-marked Wealdway.

Cross a footbridge and veer slightly left across a large field where a stile provides a useful marker. Enter the remains of Great Wood, marked as much larger even on the latest OS map.

Follow a wide path through the wood and continue past the graves of three racehorses, on between paddocks and then along a concrete drive. Follow this through the large complex of buildings at Hesmonds Stud and on to join a road (7).

Go over the stile opposite and forward along a headland path. On reaching a wood, turn left along the wood edge (not the path into the wood).

A well-trodden path takes you back to the start through East Hoathly churchyard.