Pyecombe circular

By Eddie Start

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Pyecombe sits in folds of the Downs, as it has for centuries, with its claim to fame having been the production of shepherds’ crooks by the village blacksmith. This walk begins at the northern end of the village, signposted as Pyecombe Street from the A273 road.

1.From the area close to a footbridge, walk to the beginning of Pyecombe Street and turn right up the metalled track beside original flint, downland cottages. Follow the track that soon becomes an un-surfaced bridleway, curving left as it climbs from the village.

Having risen above the last of the houses, the track levels-off and continues to the area known as Chantry.

At a marker post, take the left track (blue arrow) following the path between hedgerow for nearly half-a-mile. Just before a bridle gate take the stile on the left into a field at the top of Round Hill. Take a few paces left and locate an unsigned path on the right, descending steeply beside a quarry fence. The path continues between scrub, passing a converted barn, now a business centre, on the right, to a stile and access drive behind cottages.

Turn right down the drive to the quarry road and footpath sign. Turn left, passing through a tunnel under the A23 and turn right. In a few paces, take the footpath on the left, leaving the road, to arrive at a stile into a field.

Follow the left hedgeline, pass through an opening and continue along the right edge of the field towards a kissing gate into the churchyard of St John the Evangelist at Newtimber.

Follow the path that goes left of the church, winding to a minor road.

2.Turn right along the road and at the entrance to Newtimber Place, in 350 yards, turn left through the white gateposts. In 200 yards, having passed a right turning to an estate cottage, take the stile on the right across a short section of field to a second stile.

Pass into a wide field, taking the right hedgeline path at first and then heading across the field towards an opening at the far side. Continue for 300 yards across the next field to a stile near Locks Green Farm. Keep right of the fenced paddock along a re-routed path to a crossing track in 100 yards and turn left towards farm buildings.

Pass over a plank bridge and immediately turn left across the front of the farm cottage. At its far side, turn right around the field edge. Keep left of the farm buildings, heading left towards a hedge opening in 100 yards. In the next field, take a half-left line across the field to the far left corner and a hedge-hidden plank bridge and stile.

Maintain direction in the next field, making for the obvious farm buildings at the top of a short rise. Cross a stile near the right corner of a barn and turn right down a track, past Park Cottages, to the A281 road.

3.Turn right along the grass verge and in 50 yards cross to a stile, going half-left towards the corner of woodland. Follow the path along the edge of the woods to a metal gate and then head up across the centre of the next field towards Poynings Grange Farm.

Cross a stile that is about 50 yards left from the right field corner, take a few paces left and then go right between buildings towards a double gate at the far side. Take the left of two gates and follow the right field edge to the bottom corner. Continue over the next field towards Grange Lodge Cottages, passing beside them to a minor road.

Turn right along the road towards Poynings village.

4.In 300 yards at Mill Lane, beside a work studio, turn right for a few yards and then take an enclosed footpath, left. In 100 yards, with a tall white wall ahead, turn right to a gate and take a left turn to a paved footpath. Take the right branch in the path, climbing to The Royal Oak pub. Drop towards the village street beside the pub and turn left on to a raised footpath.

At the bottom of the short hill, opposite a service station, cross the road and walk beside the workshop to a rising field. The Devil’s Dyke hill is prominent ahead. Keep to the left hedge line and in 200 yards cross a stile on the left. Pass across the end of a pond on a rough bridge, climbing to a stile and turning right, at first along a field edge and then beneath scrub, to a bridleway junction.

Turn right along the track beneath trees and at a second marker post in 150 yards, where the track begins to rise, climb steeply left (yellow arrow) to a stile. Continue across the next rising meadow, passing beneath power cables, along the left hedge to a metalled track in 200 yards. Continue to the right and a gate leading to a road.

5.Cross with care to Saddlescombe Farm and in 50 yards, opposite the first cottage of the settlement, climb left to join another bridleway and turn right towards farm buildings and cottages.

Pass across the front of the dwellings and through a bridle gate, signed as part of the South Downs Way. In a few yards, go left through a second gate and keep to the main track, branching distinctly to the half-right and climbing up West Hill. Pass through the edge of a copse and continue, with a dewpond on the right, to the top of the hill, through a bridle gate at a hedge corner.

Keep to the main path that initially keeps to the left hedge and begins to snake its way across Cow Down. Pass left through a hedge-opening midway, then go down the right hedgeline to two bridle gates and on to the footbridge across the busy A23 road, back to the starting point at Pyecombe Street.