1 - On leaving the village hall car park, look to the left to see The White Horse Inn with its distinctive white horse painted on the roof. Then turn to the right past the village sign, along the grass verge.

At the next road junction, the church dedicated to St John the Evangelist will be seen on the left. Continue along the road for 125 yards and, at a fingerpost on the right, go over a stile.

Turn left along the field edge and over another stile, then right uphill. At the crest of the hill bear half-left to find a double stile halfway along the right-hand field edge.

Go over, continuing direction across fields and two more stiles. Still continuing direction, aim for a stile along the bottom edge of the next field.

Enter a wood and bear right downhill; a yellow waymark confirms direction. Then follow the path on the right with a ditch on the left. Go over a hidden stile to the right of a pond, continuing through woodland.

Cross a footbridge, go through a field gate and turn right until crossing a footbridge in the farther right-hand corner. Bear left to cross another footbridge, then turn right to the right-hand end of the field.

The field gate here is very difficult to open, so go into the next field on the right and just around the corner is a new bridle gate. Exit on to a minor road and turn left.

2 - In a short distance cross Pebsham Bridge and, in a few more paces, turn right over a stile. Continue on the cross-field footpath over two more stiles, then bear diagonally left towards farm buildings.

Go through a field gate and turn right along a minor road. Follow this for 400 yards around a sharp left-hand and then right-hand bend. Then, opposite Bemzells Cottage on the left, turn right through a metal gate.

Follow the waymarked footpath straight ahead (not the bridleway to the right) through trees. Go over a stile, across a field and over another stile, then turn left through the next field to a waymark post.

Continue as indicated into the next field, following the top left-hand field edge. On coming to two field gates ahead, go through the left-hand one; a yellow waymark confirms the way.

Bear slightly left to cross a stile on the farther side of the field. Continue direction across the next field and through a gate and turn left on to a minor road.

At a junction with Studdens Lane, go straight on and, at the next junction, turn right. Continue along the road for 600 yards, which goes around a sharp right-hand bend.

3 - On coming to a left-hand bend, there is the option of continuing along this road for another quarter of a mile to Cowbeech. The Merrie Harriers pub is directly opposite at the next road junction. Retrace the route along the road to point 3.

Otherwise, turn right through a gate by a fingerpost. Follow the right-hand footpath across the field to go over a stile, which will be seen in the hedge just to the left of farm buildings.

Go across the next field to cross a stile by a large oak tree. Ignore another stile on the left and continue along the left-hand field edge over four more stiles.

Then bear diagonally right to pass closely by a hedge jutting out into the field. At the top of the field, go over a stile under oak trees.

Go straight ahead downhill and cross a stile at the bottom of the field. Enter woodland and follow the footpath to a stile leading to a road.

4 - Cross the road to a finger-post slightly to the right. Follow the footpath, taking care on the very uneven ground with Trolliloes Stream on the left for 450 yards, crossing two stiles.

Then turn left over a substantial footbridge and bear slightly left to follow the stream on the left. Continue straight ahead to go through a field gate, then through the next field and another field gate.

Turn right and follow the track uphill. Go through a small gate to the right of a field gate. Bear slightly left across the field and through a field gate, then across the next field and through another gate. Bear left again uphill to cross a double stile, then across the next field towards Hole Farm and over another stile by a fingerpost.

Now follow the farm track around to the right. Ignore a fingerpost and footpath on the left, but turn left past the next house, as indicated by a yellow waymark.

Ignoring two footpaths on the right, follow the farm track (now a restricted byway) for 700 yards. On reaching a gateway, and to avoid a cattle grid, there is a bridle gate on the right.

5 - At the road (only a few yards from point 2 to the right), turn left uphill. In 250 yards, turn right over a stile and up a steep bank.

Bear diagonally left across the field and step over a broken stile into the next field. Continue direction towards a large fir tree and, passing to the right of a rusty corrugated iron barn, go through a field gate.

Turn right along the road and in 250 yards return to The White Horse Inn and the village hall car park.

  • Distance/Time: Five and a quarter miles/three hours, plus an additional half mile/ten minutes for the optional extra
  • By Car: Car park (free) adjacent to Bodle Street Green village hall, approached from A271, north of Windmill Hill between Herstmonceux and Battle
  • By Public Transport: Sorry, none available
  • What’s underfoot: Undulating farmland, woodland and riverside paths, which are uneven in places and likely to be muddy, if wet. There are many stiles and gates in various conditions; also short distances on minor roads. Not suitable for the less agile
  • Thirsty Work: The White Horse Inn at Bodle Street Green (start/finish); Merrie Harriers pub at Cowbeech (optional extra)
  • So you don’t get lost: OS Explorer 124 or Landranger 199; also a compass for general direction

Click here for a full-sized map of the Bodle Street Green circular walk