On an Argus walk from Ford’s Green near Nutley, published last June, we turned our back on the wide open spaces of Ashdown Forest to explore the more dense woodland of Sheffield Forest to the west.

This week, starting from the same point, we go east towards the forest to explore a series of small wooded enclaves on the way to the village of Fairwarp with its well-placed pub.

The return route heads north and east to cross high open heathland with exceptional views. Navigation needs some care because of the risk of being led astray along one of the many alternative paths which criss-cross the forest, not all marked on the Explorer map. A compass could prove useful.

The two walks can be tackled separately or readily combined with almost no overlap to form a fine and varied figure-of-eight route totalling 11 miles in all.

1 Return to the A22, turn right past the Nutley Arms and, immediately beyond the pub car park on your left, turn left along a signed footpath. After a few yards, cross a track and follow the wide gravel access track ahead, down into a valley and up again, passing two houses on your left.

Where the hard surface finishes opposite the second house, go ahead along a narrow path and, after a few yards, go ahead along a gently rising woodland track.

2 After 200 yards, at a T-junction, turn right, still on a wide track which runs within the left edge of the forest area at first. About ten yards beyond a gate, fork right along a more substantial track which soon takes a relatively level course, through fairly thick woodland at first, then along the right lower edge of a more open area.

Disregard two paths to the right into trees and, after a few more yards, turn right to descend, once more within woodland. Go over a stile beside a gate, forward for 60 yards to join a lane and turn left.

3 After less than 100 yards, just past Beck House on your right, turn right over a stile, follow a narrow woodland path to a second stile, then turn left round two sides of a field. In the field corner, go through a gateway and keep to the left edge of the next field also.

After 60 yards, cross a stile and follow an uneven path as it skirts to the left of a secluded pond. At a path junction, go ahead along a well trodden angler’s path to join a lane and turn right.

After about 300 yards, just short of a house called Badgers on the left, turn left along a not-very-obvious path which starts between two low white posts and takes a fairly straight course through old woodland, overgrown in places and partly between low banks.

Soon after ducking beneath a massive fallen tree, go ahead between fences out to join the B2026 and turn right.

4 After 150 yards, turn left along the drive to Lampool Edge, shortly feeding into an enclosed path which runs parallel and to the right of the drive, continuing between fences to a stile and then along a right field-edge to join a lane where you should turn left.

After about 200 yards, turn right over a stile beside a gate and along an enclosed path to a second stile. A trodden path now follows the right edge of a paddock at first before bearing half-left across rough pasture, feeding, via a stile, into a path through a neglected coppice.

Just beyond a small stream crossing, turn left and, at a signed crossing path, go straight ahead. At a T-junction with a hard track, turn left.

Just short of a lane, turn right along an access, drive, signed as a bridleway which you can follow past several houses and out to a lane at Fairwarp. Turn right.

5 After less than 100 yards, with the village green on your right and the Foresters Arms pub in sight ahead, fork left along Back Lane and, where the lane divides, fork left again.

Disregard the drive to the left, to New Stone Cottage, but, after 30 yards, turn left along a narrow path through bracken and scattered trees, back on Ashdown Forest land.

Go straight over an oblique crossing path and, on reaching a wide crossing forest ride, turn left and follow it out to the B2026 road.

6 Cross the road, enter the start of the drive to Spring Garden Farm, opposite and, almost immediately, fork right along a track out on to the open Forest. Go straight over the first wide crossing ride and ahead, ignoring all side and crossing paths, still on a clear track which passes fairly close to the buildings of Spring Garden Farm, over to the left.

Descend into a dip and cross two footbridges over iron-coloured streams. A path to the right from the bottom of the dip, offers the possibility of a there-and-back half-mile detour to visit the Airman’s Grave, a small walled enclosure protecting a memorial to the crew of an RAF bomber which crashed nearby during the Second World War.

From the bottom of the dip, our walk continues ahead up the other side of the valley, emerging to cross higher ground with good views to the north.

Descend into a second dip and another unbridged stream before climbing once more.

7 Go through a gate, across a track and along the path opposite which soon curves left and loses height. It comes out into the open briefly with views to the right across the valley towards Nutley.

The path then re-enters woodland to run within the left edge of the forest area with a hedge and a field to your left.

After about 300 yards, you will find yourself back at point two with a gate on your left. Turn right here, reversing your outgoing route back to the start. On reaching five wooden posts on your right, fork right along a narrow path, shortly continuing ahead along the wide track from two houses which takes you back across the valley and up to Ford’s Green.

  • Distance/time: Five-and-a-half miles taking two-and-a-half hours.
  • By car: Start from Ford’s Green on the southern edge of Nutley on the A22 Uckfield-to-Forest Row road. Park alongside the unmade road which runs along the north-western side of the green at GR 445272.
  • By public transport: Two-hourly weekday bus service to Nutley from Uckfield or East Grinstead.
  • What’s underfoot: Mainly along good forest paths and tracks, possibly overgrown in one or two places. Fairly hilly.
  • Thirsty work: Nutley Arms pub at Ford’s Green, Forester’s Arms pub at Fairwarp (point five).
  • So you don’t get lost: OS Explorer map 135 and a compass for general direction.

For a larger version of the map, see 'related links' above.