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Walk of the month:Cowbeech Circular |
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Thank goodness summer’s here - this is the least muddy walk we’ve been on since we started! The countryside around Cowbeech is beautiful; gently rolling hills and woodland, and a nice stretch in an orchard too. Easy walking, the route is about 7km and takes about 2hrs at a leisurely pace. It goes just off the western edge of the 1:25,000 OS Explorer Map Sheet 124 (Bexhill & Hastings). |
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1. From the centre of Cowbeech take the road opposite the Merry Harriers public house, towards the trout Fishery. This is Cowbeech Lane. Follow the lane for about 1km, taking the first right turn into Bemzells Lane. Follow the road until you come to a crossroad and turn right again into Studdens Lane, marked with a dead-end road sign. 2. At the end of Studdens Lane, past the farm, you’ll see marked two routes: take the track ahead, between the trees, ignoring the marked footpath to the left that leads alongside the pond. Also ignore the opening in the trees to your right. The lane you want to take is marked on the OS map as Studden Lane Track. The track leads down a gentle slope and the trees thicken into a wood. At the bottom of the slope, cross the footbridge that takes you over the stream and uphill ahead. 3. At the edge of the wood you’ll come to an orchard. Go through the small gate and turn left, along the left edge of the orchard, along the boundary fence. At the brow of the hill, bear right through the orchard of Greenaway Farm. You’ll pass by a pylon, and continue towards the large barn in the distance, past apple and cherry trees (you can pretend to be a giant here - see photo!). Arriving at the barn, take the path on the right round to the back of it and up the concrete road that climbs ahead. Dogs on leads here in preparation for road ahead. 4. Turn right into Stunts Green – a fairly fast road so be careful. Follow for a short distance then bear right just past The Acorns on your right, where Scrip Cottage is to your left. There is an ESCC footpath sign here on the right, rather hidden by greenery. Continue along the tarmac path and through the kissing gate on the right of a galvanised field gate and into a field. Now cross the next four fields: in the first field, keep to the upper slope of the hill and head towards a small wooden gate to pass into the next. There are some farm buildings beyond the field on the left and another small wooden gate ahead. Cross into field three, then into the fourth, and head for the far right corner. Over the stile and onto the road ahead (fairly busy road). |
5. Turn right on the road for a short distance, then cross the stile on your left, marked ESCC, and into a field. Follow the footpath straight ahead along the field boundary, with the line of trees on your left. Continue past the lone tree on your left and towards the way-marker ahead. At the next field boundary continue through the field ahead towards Great Gensing Wood. 6. As you enter the wood, take the left fork (the right is marked ‘Private’) and continue through the woods, ignoring the side paths. When you come to the edge of the wood, pass through a gate into a field, and bear diagonally left across the field, away from the cottage. 7. Down the steps ahead and bear sharp right to Blackford Farm, turning away from the road which is Cinderford Lane. Now walk for some time along the driveway to the farm, past buildings and a pond. Past the farmhouse, take the track between two fences to your right, with the farm building on your left. 8. Just before you reach a small stream at the dip in the access road, turn right at the white arrow on a way-marker, to follow the left edge of a field. Soon you’ll reach a flight of steep steps to your left – descend, cross the footbridge over a stream on your left. Continue ahead, past some small oaks planted on the right. You’ll reach a field – when we were here it had just been ploughed, and so there wasn’t an obvious path across it, so we walked left around its perimeter, toward the house ahead, and found a gap in the hedge to turn right onto the road that takes you back to Cowbeech (Hammer Lane) and a five-minute walk to the Merry Harriers, where you can round off your walk with a pint of Harveys in the garden. |
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