Arlington and Abbotts Wood

Puffy Clouds

After all the tropical posts I imagine that a few followers will be surprised to see a blog entry from the UK once again but we headed back for a lengthy summer trip after our first year at our new school.  As you can imagine we were very keen to do a few walks while we were back and used our base in Alfriston to explore a few places in East Sussex between family and friends visits.  This particular walk linked together a couple of old haunts and is walk number 23 from Pathfinder Guide 67 East Sussex and the South Downs.

Ripening

Arlington Reservoir used to be a popular winter walk for us as it is relatively short and suited the legs of small children but also it was relatively clean throughout the perimeter path even in the depths of winter when other places are afflicted by mud.  A trick we learned from our many visits is to park in the layby outside the reservoir  and not the official car park.  There are usually plenty of spaces and you will save yourself the parking fee (useful for refreshment money later!).  Upon entering the reservoir area we took a left turn and initially headed along the shore of the artificial lake that was created in 1971 to provide drinking water for Eastbourne.  Nearly 50 years on from its creation it now seems at home in its surroundings and the edges have softened sufficiently to look like it might be natural.  The view across the reservoir is great with Windover Hill and the chalk figure of the Long Man  of Wilmington as the backdrop.

Visitor

Our loop of the reservoir this time didn't last long as the path soon led off to our left and across fields with ripening wheat and almost ripe barley.  There was a slight breeze that helped the individual stalks wave almost mesmerically and for a few brief moments I was transfixed by the movement.  All in the hedgerow alongside were dozens of bees going about their business and quite a few butterflies.  It was pleasing to see the butterflies as we had heard that numbers seemed to have been decreasing in recent years.  We noticed a lot of painted ladies in particular - apparently it was a year where their numbers had swelled.

Barley

The path led us across fields to Upper Dicker passing by an old moat apparently.  I did look for it without success as it was buried somewhere in the trees alongside the field.  Sometimes I wonder about these kind of features in the landscape - do OS people really see them or have they been included on earlier iterations of the map but are now lost to undergrowth and nature?  We passed by a few fragments of woodland, a reminder that this area would once have been covered in an impenetrable forest back in prehistoric times and even up to the Saxon age.

The Plough

We passed by a lady with a young dog as we approached the village.  The dog immediately dropped on to its back for its belly to be rubbed - my girls obliged much to its excitement.  It was certainly a great welcome to the village although strangely she was the only person we saw outside.  The only other person we saw was the landlady of The Plough where we stopped for a lemonade.  It seemed like a lovely village pub - I hope that it manages to stay afloat when so many others are going out of business.  Feeling refreshed we walked along the street and past the rather opulent looking Bedes School which has produced a number of locally famous sportsmen including the footballer Dan Harding and the cricketer Luke Wells.  We soon crossed their cricket pitches and the latest crop of pupils were being put through their paces in the cricket nets on the far side.  I wonder if any will make it into the county cricket scene?

Bede's School

We were soon back in farmland although the pasture here looked pretty rough - just a few miserable looking cows populated this area.  We had hoped that we would get a good view of Michelham Priory, a pretty well preserved priory dating from the 13th Century.  Unfortunately in the height of summer the surrounding trees completely obscured it except for the briefest of glimpses of one of the towers.  We also had a moment where we struggled to find the onward path here - we eventually found the ramshackle stile that led us into a nearby wood.  Woods would be the order of the day for the next stretch of the walk - we passed through and then went around the perimeter of Bramble Grove which was a surprisingly dark stretch.  At the far end we came upon a road just outside Arlington Speedway track, the home of Eastbourne Eagles.  Luckily all was quiet today - I imagine they make quite a din when they are in session.

Fully Clothed

Across the road and we passed briefly down the side of Abbotts Wood before heading into the forest itself.  This was a firm favourite when I was a kid - I loved walking to the lake in the middle and was pleased that this walk included the same.  If it hadn't I probably would have made sure to include it.  The lake isn't particularly spectacular and in fact every time I see it I am sure it is a bit smaller - maybe that is because of the increasing amounts of vegetation I see there.  We lingered on the bridge for a short time before pushing on completing the loop through the forest to the car park.  This is a walk I must have completed dozens of times and yet it always looks different.  In my minds eye I have a memory of this walk as a child and no matter how many times I do it as an adult it never seems to match my memory.  I cannot honestly think of any other place where this is true...

Abbott's Wood Lake

The car park was as quiet as you might expect on a work and school day; on a similar sort of day at the weekend it would be rammed as this is a seriously popular beauty spot.  However once we had crossed the fields and arrived at The Yew Tree pub in Arlington we came upon quite a crowd of pensioners in the beer garden having their lunch.  Maybe they had already had their constitutional walk at the woods earlier on and we had missed them?  Seriously though we quickly understood why it was so popular - we had a great lunch and a pint of local real ale to wash it down.

The Yew Tree

From our pub stop it was a short trip down past the church to the reservoir beyond.  The clouds that had built up on the way round now dissipated once again and the church looked resplendent in the sunshine newly emerged.  We wandered around the reservoir for the final part of our walk and ended up walking almost a complete loop.  On the return leg we got to see a lot more birdlife and especially a group of great crested grebes swimming and diving in the water.  They always seem to be too far away for me to get a decent picture more's the pity.

Arlington Church

This was an enjoyable family walk as it gave us plenty of time for chatter and wasn't too taxing.  The two pubs on the way around seem in good health and hopefully that will remain the case for future walkers.  I was vaguely disappointed with it though - perhaps it would be a better one to do in spring or autumn.  During the summer months the amount of foliage meant that the woodland sections were just dark and devoid of flowers or colour.  I was also most disappointed not to get a view of Michelham Priory - maybe you could with no foliage on the trees?

Back to the Reservoir

Nyman's Woodland Walk

Nymans View

After our tour around Petworth Park using one of the National Trust walks we thought we would have a go at another since time was short.  This time we headed up to Nymans, a garden at the north end of our county.  It is one that we visit regularly but what we don't do very often is venture into the extensive woods beyond.  In fact the last time we did was many years ago when my children were small and it proved to be a real struggle for them to get around the relatively modest distance (2.5 miles).

Setting Off Into The Woods

I am a little behind with writing this up - the walk was actually completed at the height of autumn when the trees were at the zenith of their colours and this is the main reason why we thought we would give the walk a go.  The start of the walk is actually at the back of the car park and not close to the main entrance.  It disappears down a tree hollow on a slope that is deceptively steep.  We had to watch our step for the muddy season was already underway and we were concerned that we might end up sliding down on our backsides if we weren't careful.

Owls

At the bottom of the slope and still on our feet we were relieved to be able to turn left on to a more solid path with a much gentler slope.  Out of the tunnel of trees we had descended by we were also now able to enjoy the full majesty of the woodland.  Most of the trees were either beech or oak and in among them were some sculptures along the way.  Sadly we didn't manage to see them all but the first caught my daughter's eye as they were a couple of owls.  She is a massive owl fan and really enjoyed seeing them so early on in the walk.

Glimpse From The Wood

I particularly enjoyed the walk through Cow Wood.  The majesty of the trees was something else although it was fairly obvious that seasons were about to change with the arrival of the holly berries providing some different colour along the way.  At the eastern end of the wood views opened up out into surrounding Wealden countryside - I imagine that the tract of woodland that once covered this area must have been cleared at some point and not allowed to grow back.  Soils around here are pretty poor so I doubt it was for growing crops - more likely for keeping livestock.

Cow Wood

A little further on and we passed by the rather fairytale like Woodlands Cottage.  This is now a National Trust holiday home and looks like a mighty fine place to stay.  It was occupied as we went past - someone had picked their week well.  It's heritage as a woodman's cottage was plain to see as we went past for the outhouses complete with woodcutter's tools were also still present.

Woodland Cottage

Just past the cottage and our route descended still further, this time to the end of a lake that we were to get a better view of later.  We turned left again and walked up though coppice woodlands to the top of a slope.  This proved to be the most popular part of the route and we were glad of the breaks on the hill that we needed to let people past.  It was a short but testing hill and enough to get us breathing but when we got to the top we were faced with some of the worst mud we had encountered yet.  Luckily previous walkers had shown us the way by doing some work arounds from the main path and heading past some of the trees on the other side from the main path.

Crossing The Field

The onward path descended slowly and through big piles of leaves that just begged to be kicked over as we walked through.  This is surely one of the joys of an autumn walk?  Soon we were to come to a fence blocking our way ahead and we had to take a sharp right hand turn and descend to a field.  After all the woodland walking thus far it seemed strange to head out across an open field like this.  The light and airy field didn't last too long though - over the next stile and we were back in the woodland, this time at the other end of the lake we had passed earlier.

The Lake

It was worth pausing at the lake for its serenity was beautiful and for me the highlight of the whole walk.  Somehow its mood seemed to calm down passing children too - they lost their boisterousness and admired the reflections instead.  We walked along a little of its shore before turning left to head up the last stretch of the woodland back to the main house of Nymans.  The mood of this woodland was quite different from the earlier one though, principally because there are conifers on this stretch and the left hand side is overlooked by some sandstone crags.

Which Way?

We climbed up the valley side and soon came to the edge of the wood.  Our route up to the main house skirted the wood for a bit and this proved to be a much wetter route than we expected.  It looked as if there are some springs along this section of path so be warned if you attempt it during the winter months.

Finding The Edge of the Woods

The path rose slowly at first and then up a final steeper section until we were at the entrance to the house. Nymans isn't all it appears.  For one thing it isn't nearly as old as you might think.  It was built in the early 20th Century to replace an older Regency house.  It is ruined now following a disastrous fire in 1947 which gutted the main building.  Although a portion was rebuilt and was lived in for a time most of the house remains a ghostly shell.  In 1987 the garden was ravaged by the Great Storm, which felled a huge number of trees.  Yet despite these two calamities the house and garden are fascinating to visit at any time of year and we lingered in the garden for quite a time, enjoying the lingering dahlias and roses that were still trying to cling on to the long gone summer.

Remembering The Great Storm

This walk is more of a stroll than a serious expedition but it does add extra enjoyment to a visit to Nymans and is worth a look if you have plenty of time for your visit.  The whole distance is 2.5 miles and should take no more than 90 minutes to complete.

Nymans House

Petworth Park

Setting  Off

Sometimes you don't have to walk far to pack a lot of scenery and interest in and that is certainly the case for this one.  We did this walk when autumn was at its zenith and were keen on making a trip to Petworth Park so we could see both the trees in colour and the rutting deer.  Petworth Park does not appear in any of the Guidebooks we have so we decided to have a go at one of the estate walks provided by the National Trust instead.  There are many such walks to explore so they will probably be a feature of future expeditions.

Autumn Colours

It was one of those glorious autumn days where there is still a little residual warmth in the air from the sun.  We had by now had quite a lot of autumn rain though and conditions in places promised to be a bit sticky as a result.  The walk starts at the north end of Petworth Park at the car park close to the A283.  It is possible to start at one of the other car parks but you will have a different starting point and will almost inevitably have to walk further as a result.  Be warned about this car park though - it is extremely popular and you may struggle to find a space on the nicest days.

Tints

Initially the walk runs parallel with the main road heading south.  The walk is designed to highlight the most notable species of tree in the park which was landscaped by Capability Brown back in the 1750s.  I wonder what Mr Brown would make of today's planning laws?  I find it unlikely that he would have got very far with any of his landscaped parks if he were building them now and yet it is unthinkable that these most celebrated parks should not exist.

Great Oak

The first of the highlighted trees we reached were some mature specimens of English oak (Quercus robur), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and aspen (Populus tremula) in the woodland surrounding the car park. Soon the path took a route through trees on both sides. It wasn't much further on that we encountered a tree with a plaque behind it on the wall declaring it to be the Beelzebub Oak.  It derived this name because the land beyond the boundary was considered to be spiritually suspect!  The tree itself is at least 250 years old, suggesting that it may have been planted at the same time the park was laid out

Lower Pond

A little further on was the Lower Pond, a smaller and less celebrated body of water than the one immediately in font of the main house.  Some of the trees that surround the pond were already mature when the park was laid out, which gives some clue to their relative ages.  The largest oak and sweet chestnuts are reckoned to be at least 350 years old.  It seems that the pond was an attractive way to deal with the problem of flooding as this area was a swamp and was described as ‘fowle and deepe of myre’.

Climbing Up To Lawn Hill

When following a walk such as this you get a different insight into the landscape.  I have walked past dead trees many times but only fleetingly have I given much thought about their importance as a habitat.  We passed by one just the other side of the pond dam which has been cut back only to make it safe. As the guide pointed out wherever possible standing dead wood, fallen wood, twigs and leaf litter is left to support a wide variety of fungi, insects, birds and bats. Leaving the dead wood enables nature to carry out its recycling work and is credited with the difference in recovery from the 1987 Hurricane in managed and unmanaged woodlands.  Those where the dead wood was left behind largely recovered more quickly than those where the wood was removed.

Fungi

By now we became aware of barking dogs and quickly realised that we were passing a boarding kennel.  I suspect they were doing brisker business than usual on account of it being half term.  When I rechecked the guide at this point to make sure we were taking the right path I was astonished to read that a bypass was planned to come through the park here in the early 1970s.  An act of vandalism on that scale would have been unforgiveable but fortunately the plans were shelved, I imagine as one of the victims of the Oil Crisis of 1973.

Upper Pond

As we headed up the hill we passed possibly the oldest tree in the Park, one of three very old English oaks. This ancient tree is estimated to be some 940 years old, so would have been a very young tree at the time of the Norman invasion. At the top of the hill we crossed Lawn Hill to a fallen sweet chestnut which was a casualty of the 1987 storm and was a mere 265 years old at the time of its demise.

Main Track

The Upper Lake was now in view as we continued across the brow of the hill.  From here we could see the South Downs and the Greensand Ridge to the north. For my money this was the best part of the whole walk - you could really get a feel for the vision that Capability Brown had from this spot.  It would have been hard to imagine how the park looked in his day for clearly many of the trees would have been much reduced in size and the water features would still have looked rather imposed on the landscape.  We soon dropped down the hill to meet the shoreline of the lake and followed around it for a short distance.

Clouds and Tree in Harmony

Within the copse around the lake we noted the mature Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum), which were introduced from North America in 1638. I remember seeing these when I walked through another park in London while undertaking the LOOP many years ago.  The shoreline path follows some metal railings and these are designed to exclude most of the browsing deer and allow scrub to grow beneath the trees.  This then provides a haven for wildlife, supporting breeding birds such as chiffchaff, willow warbler, black cap and nectar for insects

View Across the Park

As the trees thinned we climbed up and away from the pond. When we came upon to a very old hollow Common Lime (Tilia x europaea), we stopped to explore it a bit.  Experts have found aging this tree rather difficult as the trunk has fragmented.  It could be is 500 to 600 years old with a girth of 7.46m. It could continue as a hollow shell for several hundred years and certainly didn't seem to be in distress.  We paused here for a period of time and had the lunch that we had brought with us.

Oak

Once refreshed we continued to the top of the hill.  Once there was a farm up here but it has now long gone. We turned right on to the main track and this followed an obvious route initially through trees before opening out to another splendid view to the north.  Below us we got the first sight of the deer which call Petworth Park their home.  It was rutting season and even at a fair distance we could hear the bellows of the stags wooing the lady deer.  No doubt this is a very important season for male deer and the racks of antlers on show were quite impressive.  Many of the female deer seemed rather uninterested - they were too busy browsing and getting enough calories inside them for the winter months ahead. In fact we were so busy watching the deer that we didn't pay attention to the route and missed the opportunity to walk to the top of Monument Hill.  Perhaps we will do that another time?  I have a hunch that this would be a tremendous walk for a summer's evening.

Parasol

After walking along the largely level track for some time and enjoying our vantage point for the deer below I suddenly became aware that we were approaching the car park once again and took a turn to the right to follow the line of trees that lead down to our car.  By now we were joined by other families out for a stroll and the half hour or so we had to ourselves was over.  Despite the lovely sun and the undoubted popularity of the park we did well to have solitude for that long.  I have no doubt we'll be back - that summer's evening is beckoning!

Rutting

Barcombe Mills and the Ouse Valley

Barcombe Mills Station

Back to Sussex for the next walk and this one oozes nostalgia for me as this was an area that I spent much of my youth in.  I was accompanied by big daughter for this walk courtesy of an INSET day and she got to hear plenty of stories of yesteryear as we headed round the four and a half mile loop.  This is walk 5 from Pathfinder Guide vol 67 East Sussex and the South Downs.

Trackbed North of Barcombe Mills

Our walk started at the erstwhile Barcombe Mills station, closed in 1969 and not by Dr Beeching like so many others but as a result of the severing of the route in Lewes by a road scheme.  Sadly the road scheme was obsolete by the time it was built and replaced by a by-pass only 9 years later.  After closure it was derelict for many years and became a tearoom for a short period of time before reverting to a house.  It remains in good condition even though a train hasn't called here in nearly 50 years.

Bridge

When I was a kid and less than a decade after closure we moved to a house only a stone's throw from the old line and the cutting that ran past our house became a playground for me in the few years that we lived there.  By the time I was old enough I resolved to walk the length of the line and did so with a friend of mine.  We had to take a detour for part of the route at the Lewes end but it was essentially complete after that all the way into the old goods yard at Uckfield station.  The first part of our route today walked part of the trackbed to the north of Barcombe Mills station and is one of the few lengths of the route that isn't overgrown or blocked off.  For most of my life there has been much chatter about re-opening it but it would take a good deal of investment judging by the shape of it.

Autumn Colours

The trackbed here is in pretty decent condition but the going is rather easier than it was in the early 1980s when I remember this section being bare ballast.  It isn't any more although the compacted surface makes for good walking.  All along the side of the embankment were signs of autumn - plenty of berries were on show and it looks like a great corridor for wildlife these days.  After crossing a couple of bridges over drainage ditches the line became more tree lined and it was clear how much vegetation encroachment had taken place since my last expedition along here.  In fact the path was quite hemmed in in places.

Level Crossing

At the next level crossing we came upon some rails still in place but it was obvious that the way ahead was no longer accessible and we had to turn left along Anchor Lane for a short distance.  The crossing keeper's cottage was still in situ and made for a good looking home.  It was also up for sale - I wish I had a bit of loose change as I would surely have been first in the queue.  Our walk along the lane was short lived - we turned right along the rather strange Blunt's Lane.  This was seemingly a bit of spare ground between fields and hemmed in by hedges rather than a lane that I would normally have recognised.  Along the way we passed by a pillbox notable for the poor condition of its bricks.  Rather bizarrely the mortar looked in far better shape.

Parasol

Our luck then ran out with underfoot conditions as we found ourselves walking along a tributary of the River Ouse.  The mud was pretty horrific along a short stretch of path and we went quickly from pristine to being completely covered!  Fortunately this section was short lived and after we had crossed via a small footbridge we managed to find a much more dry path across the next field.  By now the overcast day was relenting a bit too and the odd patch of sunshine was helping us along our way.

Pillbox

The next bridge took us across the River Ouse proper and our route back would now largely be long the riverbank back to Barcombe Mills.  It wasn't far past this spot that we saw our only other walker on the whole day - a dog walker helping keep his dog clean by throwing a ball in the river for him.  He had the right idea for a little further along and the mud came back to haunt us as we approached the old railway once again, this time by a bridge over the river.  This bridge still seems to be in good condition despite the length of time since a train passed over it.  I imagine it was left here because of the relative difficulty of retrieving it.

Ouse Bridge

A little further past the bridge and we passed by the Anchor pub.  This is a good spot for a spot of lunch and perhaps on another day we might have done so but for the fact we had had lunch before setting out.  For such a remote pub (it is a couple of miles from the nearest village) it looks in pretty good health.  It is still possible to take a boating trip along the river although the boats looked completely idle today!

River Ouse

We passed by the pub and watched the weir for a short time.  I was always fascinated by this as a child - perhaps the nearest thing to a waterfall I saw in my local area!  Further along the river and we passed by a house being renovated into something quite amazing looking.  It now has a small moat around it with bridges across from the path we were on.  It all looks rather charming.

Rail Bridge

We left the river for a short while and headed across another field before coming to a lengthy footbridge that I remember very well.  I always had an affinity for footbridges and this was always one of my favourites as a kid - we used to play pooh sticks from it all the time.  From here the path winds around the river bank underneath the embankment guarding Barcombe Reservoir and I always found this a bit mysterious for you never see the expanse of water beyond.

The Anchor

Eventually we found our way back to Barcombe Mills.  This place has a couple of bits of history for me - the first are the erstwhile mills themselves.  These burned down in 1939 but the water features that served them are still in place and fascinate me as much now as when I was a boy.  The second feature is a lot more personal and rather less obvious - the Bob Davis Scout Hut which lurks at the back of a nearby farm.  I wasn't even sure it was still there as I hadn't been in more than 25 years.  I remember being at the official opening in 1979 at a tender age having just joined Scouts.  The group I belonged to was one of the strongest in all of Sussex but sadly fell by the wayside many years ago.  I was pleased to see that the hut was still there although it was obviously all shut up.  I felt rather heartened that all our hard work keeping the place going (including several repaintings - I'm not sure it always needed it but was a great excuse for staying out there) had not gone to waste.  It was a lovely way to complete our walk and for my daughter to learn more about my young life.

House Renovation

This may not be the most exciting walk and it was certainly not helped by an overcast day but for me this was a great trip down memory lane and I reckon I will do this one again in a few years time.

Pooh Sticks Bridge