The Hooe and Why
Back on form with a Friday Walk on a Friday. The title is just a weak reference to the route but better questions might be Where? and How? In a fairly random selection, I inadvertently filled a significant gap in the sum of my walks by exploring the less visited. This is low-lying watery country with few highs of any sort. However, the ancient connections of warfare and smuggling, contribute mysterious and brutal depths amongst this sparsely punctuated landscape. You'll forgive me colouring my account with ample historical context. Human activity is very apparent in these rather low and flat landscape and some structures are surprising, as you will see.
Despite my Winter misgivings of journeying so far, with not enough daylight, I ignored my own advice, once again. My fifth visit to Battle without a visit to the Abbey. Put that aside with the knowledge that you visit the one-time homes and follow in their furtive footsteps of smuggling folk, take in a delightful SSSI and march heroically into Battle.
Cooden Beach can be reached a bit quicker from Burgess Hill and allowed me a sunrise walking westward on the seafront. A change of trains at Haywards Heath towards Ore can be made in an 1 hour 45. The return from Battle is more lengthy at about 2 hours but my own journey has been scuppered twice by a hold- up at West St Leonards so you might get lucky. Take your time and lean in to the journey.
Leave Cooden Beach Station, duck under the track and head straight for the sea. After the sun made its fiery presence known, I arrived at quite a low tide and walked straight onto the sand. A stiff easterly blew at my back and the sea rolled in continuously, to the delight of the kiteboarders. I had a new coat, which allowed me to appreciate the bracing walk. The Wealden clay was exposed and fossils can be found. I was fortunate to find a pair of turnstones, nonchalently enjoying the beach with me.
Retreat to the coast path. You'll see the Martello tower in the distance but join the road just before Norman's Bay station and alongside The Sluice. Take the path beside this to cross the railway. The gate beyond the track is marked as a path to the Star Inn, once the sluice house. A wall that once extended from Cooden to Pevensey in 1282 was not enough to prevent the encroachment of the waters. Waller's Haven was a solution to the drainage of the marshes back in 1402. Named after Steven Waller, a landowner at Hooe, this diversion of the River Ashburn to Norman's Bay, helped maintain the valuable surrounding farmland. Today the diggers were out on the beach, moving material, I suspect for the protection of the properties beyond.
Pass the Star Inn on Sluice Lane and read the interpretation on the edge of the carpark. A pitched battle took place between smugglers and customs men outside these walls. Wool and even cannons would have avoided taxes and been taken out to sea from here. Not far from the Inn, The Little Common Gang ran their operations from 'Willow-Tot'. Take the path at the opposite corner of the field and head on the more northerly direction of the routes.
This part of the walk, dodging deep areas of wet grass and sliding on uncertain terrain between historical and present ditches, you have a constant reminder that this was once the domain of the sea. The areas of higher ground and fortifications against the water, leave their record in the place names or 'eyes'. The 'islands' of Pevensey, Langley, Horse Eye, Rickney, Chilley and Northeye. This excellent website on the natural world around Bexhill gives you a major hint at accessibility, saying,
'it is not a popular area to visit, partly because much of it is difficult to access and also because it is mostly grassland which floods each winter. Nevertheless the lack of disturbance contributes to the area being incredibly rich in wildlife, some of it very rare.'
Hooe Level suggests a path, delineated with the reassurance of stiles and FBs. Otherwise, walking is sketchy. As the path plies between two low hills and between cuts, you a reminded of the grassy Downs but in a wetter context. Indeed there are sheep here. What Hooe level may lack aside the wildness of Pevensey Levels, it gains from your own imagination. I suggest you lay this on top of the relative featurelessness of Hooe. You reach Northeye, a lost medieval village in the shape of lumps and bumps that lies at this significant junction at Chapel Field. The Chapel itself may have survived into the mid 19th Century but the rest was lost back in the 1400s with a combination of black death and the continued drainage. This place may once have been more of a port and was certainly part of the saltworking industry. Saltmarsh is just a stones throw to the west.
Go northeast on the Old Farm Road to cross Barnhorn Road. The ground rises from, lets face it, the absolute bottom. Hill Farm is an impressive sprawling zoo of telehandlers, assorted discarded vehicles, farming paraphenalia and manure. The trig is lost to the west side of the driveway. You are diverted from this in the first instance but you'll need to rejoin the chaos and the trackway by the hedge. Views to the north remind you of the small height you have gained. Descend and eventually exit on the drive of Court Cottage and cross Green Lane To join Kiln Lane.
The path as marked on the map is diverted a little to the left of Court Lodge. This medieval property is on the site of an older one, contemporary with the Church you will meet very soon. Don't be put off by the change of plan. This is the first of many redirections and gate-vaulting that increase ones feeling of anarchy. Rejoin the track to take you to a junction where you go west to the church.
St Oswalds probably sits on 11th Century foundations but is mostly 15th Century. From the car park at the back of the church, take the path northwest to the right of the ditch and then go across the next field on the left of the hedge. I found myself on the wrong side and had to jump it later to cross to the same point but the path might be more obvious in the Summer, when the crops are apparent.
Join the farm drive and follow the signs on the ground as the footpath differs to that on the map. The sheep will watch you and judge you. Descend, regain some height and eventually descend to Waller's Haven. A fisherman was gathering his gear to leave on the far bank and I could see a dome on the horizon - is that part of the old observatory at Herstmonceux?
Turn back away from the river at the bridge but you'll soon see that the easiest way, is to head back and then east to follow the Waterlot Stream. The geese and herons were enjoying the wetland. Yet another diversion over the Waterlot Stream via a footbridge, as marked on the ground. Look out for the stile to rejoin the path over the field. Exit onto The School Farm Lane. You are now at Hooe Common. Once on the B2095, turn left and find the stile on the right that crosses the field to another. Exit between the houses onto Denbigh Road and go north. I waited outside the 15th Century Red Lion, thinking of lunch and planning my onward route. James Blackman
became a wealthy landowner, running smuggling operations from the pub in
the 1700s. His work involved operations or 'runs' with the Groombridge
Gang, Hawkhurst and Hooe Company. A couple entered by left saying the place was fully booked and so my mind set to woodland.
Back south and on the left, take the footpath. Take the road and join the path going east across the wet field. You are well directed onto Mill Lane. At its terminus, turn right and go through the gate to the left of the house. Now follow the stiles, being sure to bear left at the fork. Bear left again to cross the footbridge which is not marked on the map but gratefully received. Climb the green hill a bit and go through the fence to Holmes Farm. Yes, go straight through the yard. I unclipped the gate and eyed the herd in the barn. Continue east on the right side of the fence before going over at the end and into the wood. Exit onto Whydown Road.
Go right and find the footpath on the left and take it at Whydown to Highwoods. This is a marvellous managed mixed woodland with, heather, ponds, picnic benches, relics of times past and a selection of well-marked walking routes. I chose the blue path to make a circuit and, all the way, the direction is marked by paint on the trunks of the trees. Not good for the colour-blind but a chance for me to put my map away. If you've chosen the blue direction, leave it by turning right rather than descending to the river. The white square-marked path will have you exit back on to the footpath, to face the striking pumping station. The internet did not give me much to go on but this the first of a number of large scale utility facilities that excited me.
Just behind it, you can make out a large solar farm. Skirt the wood, a little to the right and then cross the field, just to the right of the station, before heading north. I found myself going through Pashley Farm before reaching the Bexhill Road. I may have been a bit confused as I was getting a bit hungry. A short section of road northwest brings you to pavement and Ninfield. I went straight for food at the old stagecoach inn, The King's Arms. It is now a purveyor of pizza and carvery dinners, of which you could make a pig of yourself quite economically.
I opted for a selection of brown starters and it was in a post-lunch reverie that I left to visit the iron stocks and whipping post, a rare example in this material. While punishment may have been taken seriously, the crime of smuggling was also central to the Ninfield district.
Return back along the Bexhill Road. I took the road where Ingrams Green is indicated, to join with the footpath beyond. There was housebuilding going on which had closed the preceeding route. Follow the signs and head east via a line of stiles. The path goes along Reed Wood until you reach Ninfield Transforming Station. An epic electrical monolith humming gently and enexpectedly. Turn left and back now through Reed Wood, without exploring this private wood until you reach first the Christmas Tree Farm and then the B2204.
There is pavement on this road and so head northeast along it. With no time fot Catsfield, join the 1066 Country Walk which continues with the road until after the recreation ground. Leave the Powdermill Lane and cross the B2204 again. The footpath is marked at Starcroft Farm. When you join the bridleway, (the first on this whole walk!), there is a signpost for one of many sculptures on this long-distance route. The 1066 sculpture is at Great Park Farm. This might serve as a future route as I've heard there are refreshments available here. Continue easily, all the way to Battle.
When you reach the town, The Abbey is straight in front of you. It is a shame to streak past the entrance to take a right to the station but it pays not to go against the flow of exiting schoolchildren.
Comments
Post a Comment