Guided Walks

Advanced Notice – This year’s High Weald Walking Festival is to be held between Saturday 7 and Sunday 15 September 2024. Full details to follow in due course on www.highwealdwalks.org

Spring Walking Collection 2024

“Darkness on the Edge of Town”

Thursday 21 March 2024 at 2.00pm

3 Miles – 2 Hours

Meet outside Wealden District Council offices, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham

BN27 2AX, TQ 593 097.

An urban walk around Haegel’s Peninsula taking in its history from 4 Saxon families (and their ox) to the present rapidly expanding conurbation. It traces the various rises and falls in the settlement’s prosperity through time, including the establishment of a market, the importance of, and stagnation caused by, the huge common and people hanging around a somewhat implausible ropemaking industry. Meanwhile, troops guard the coast and fighting breaks out in both the alehouse and, more surprisingly, the church. This is a town walk on paved surfaces.

“Toiler on the Sea”

Thursday 18 April 2024 at 2.00pm

3 Miles – 2 Hours

Meet at Crowlink Car Park, Crowlink Lane, Friston, BN20 0AX (lane is adjacent to Friston Church) TV 550 979.

“Watch the wall my darling, while the gentlemen go by” quoth Mr Kipling (the poet, not the cake maker). A walk through the peaceful scenery of the South Downs Heritage Coast whilst considering the century or so when violent smuggling gangs roamed, initially unchecked, through the area until the authorities begun to get to grips with the problem. Afterwards you can adjourn to a local inn for a glass of “Genuine Crowlink” whilst trying to ignore the hob-nailed boots and stubble of the barmaid.

“The River”

Thursday 16 May 2024 at 2.00pm

4 Miles – 2½ Hours

Meet at Arlington Reservoir car park, Station Road, Berwick, BN26 6TF,

TQ 527 075.

Once upon a time, two Saxon villages lay peacefully down in the valley alongside the Cuckmere River. Today, one has vanished right into the air (apparently), leaving only a single house and the other, whilst not completely gone, is present as a series of grass-grown earthworks in a field. What caused this? This walk looks at possible reasons starring an implausibly large church, winter floods and a bunch of hunting monks.

“Iron Man”

Thursday 20 June 2024 at 2.00pm

4 Miles – 2½ Hours

Meet at Lintons Car Park, Colemans Hatch Road, Wych Cross, RH18 5JP

TQ 441 325.

There appear to be two distinct iron-making areas of East Sussex in Roman times. Although the industrial processes remained the same (bloomin’ iron), this walk explores the apparent differences in operation between the publicly run works in the east and the private sector works further west, including those on Ashdown Forest. At least both parties agreed on the need to take a bath.

Wealden Walks Blog

Check out the Wealden Walks blog to find anecdotes of individual previous walks, along with pictures and a quick synopsis. The blog will also provide updates for the next planned walk with any important details.

Contact

Walks led by Graham Kean, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX.

Telephone 07985 812045

E-mail graham.kean@wealden.gov.uk

See our webpage for this and future Wealden events .