1 - From the East Hoathly village car park, return to the village street and turn left. After 150 yards, turn right along Buttsfield Lane. Where it ends, go ahead, now with the waymarked Wealdway, along the left edge of two fields.

In the second field, go left through a swing gate, through a wood and uphill along a left field-edge to join a lane.

Go through the gate opposite. Head slightly right across a field to a similar gate and ahead through several fields, finally feeding into the access track from a cottage which takes you past Frith’s Farm and on to join a lane. Turn left.

2 - After about 250 yards, just short of a left turn (Parsonage Lane), turn right over a stile and follow a right field-edge, continuing in the same direction through another field and into a small coppice, where the path is a bit vague. Shortly, at a fingerpost, turn right, leave the wood and follow the right edge of three fields with a high hedge on your right.

In the third field corner go over a plank bridge between two squeeze stiles, turn right for 30 yards to go over a stile by a gate, then left along the left edge of a paddock.

Cross three more stiles in quick succession, then follow a fenced path, crossing two more stiles, to join a road.

3 - Turn left and, after 30 yards, go right along a path which passes through a gate and squeezes to the left of a double garage and a garden to a stile. Veer half-left to another stile and walk along the left edge of a paddock.

In the corner go over a stile.

Now go ahead and after 30 yards, in front of a small white-walled cottage, bear left down a grassy slope to join the A22 through a gate.

Follow the drive to a house called The Potteries. After 30 yards, go left through a wicket gate, labelled Bramley Cottage, forward through a second gate and along the left edge of a garden. It seems very private but you are on a right of way.

Pass through two more gates, then follow the left edge of grassy area until you can go left through a squeeze stile and along the right edge of a lawn to join a drive.

Turn right into an enclosure used for caravan storage. After 30 yards go left through a fence gap (at the time of writing, hidden behind caravans), turn right to a stile from which an indistinct path winds ahead within the right edge of woodland. Join and turn right along a clearer path.

4 - At a broad woodland track, turn right and follow this straight woodland ride westwards for over a mile through Vert Wood, crossing a road en route.

Ignore all side paths until, at a four-arm finger post, you can turn right. After 30 yards, leave the wood over a sleeper bridge. Now head out across a large field, finally joining and following the right field-edge.

In the far corner go through a gap, along the right edge of a field, through a wood and along the drive from a bungalow. At a junction, turn right along a tarmac drive, once the main drive to Halland Park, the former country seat of the Pelham family.

5 - Just past a large house on your left at Laughton Park Farm, fork half-left through a landscaped area, go over two plank bridges and head out across the next field. In the far left corner, go through a gate, right for ten yards to a second gate, then right along a field edge. After another ten yards, ignoring a stile and gate ahead, turn left along the right field-edge.

In the field corner, follow the field-edge round to the left until you can go right over a concrete farm bridge and climb along a left field-edge.

In the corner, follow the field round to the right.

Shortly, go left through a gap and along a field-edge lined with stately oak trees. Just short of the corner, sidestep to the left over a stile and resume your previous direction, along a right field-edge, then beside more mature trees which point you to a stile and a short access drive out to the B2192 road. Turn right.

6 - At a roundabout junction with the A22, go ahead and, after a few yards, turn right along the access drive to a motel car park, feeding into a path within the left edge of woodland with houses on your left. Follow the main path through the wood, crossing a culvert and a newer footbridge.

At the far end of the wood, turn left skirting round two sides of a railed horse paddock and then go ahead along a concrete drive with a wood on your left. Where the drive bends right, go ahead for 60 yards, then right through a squeeze stile and diagonally across a paddock.

Use three similar stiles to cross another paddock and then join a drive to reach Old Whyly. Pass between buildings and then turn right to follow an access drive out to a road.

Go over the stile opposite and follow the well-signed Wealdway along a left field-edge then left back to East Hoathly, reaching the village through the churchyard within yards of the start.

* Distance/Time: Eight miles/four hours.

* By Car: Start from East Hoathly, signposted from the A22 about four miles south-east of Uckfield. Park in the village car park at GR 520162.

* By Public Transport: Hourly weekday bus service to East Hoathly from Uckfield or Eastbourne.

* What’s underfoot: Mostly level field path walking. Navigation could be tricky after points 5 and 6 where the only practicable route is unsigned and differs from the legal line.

* Thirsty Work: Pubs and tearoom at East Hoathly. Pub at Halland, point 6.

* So you don’t get lost: OS Explorer 123.