This eight mile section of the Vanguard Way goes through an idyllic area of rolling countryside and small farms mostly in open countryside and pastures.

Nine Poly Ramblers undertook the complicated train and bus route to start section six of the Vanguard Way on the Uckfield road in the Wealden District East Sussex. The signage for the route had recently been renewed; it sadly did not prevent us from going in the wrong direction twice!

We were fortunate to have pleasant weather after a week of heavy rain as we made our way through pastures and woodland crossing the river Uck at intervals. We enjoyed exceptionally clear views en route.

We stopped for a picnic lunch at the Holy Trinity Church High Hurstwood, finding plenty of seating on the benches in the churchyard. The church was of an unusual design with its partly half-timbered porch tower and flat bellcote.

After a short lunch we resumed our route through woodland and fields passing pillboxes which had been hastily constructed during the second world war when the threat of invasion appeared very real. The name comes from their similarity in shape to boxes that used to be provided by pharmacists for medicinal pills.

We went through the arch under the East Croydon to Uckfield line, in our hurry to get to our destination in light and on time to catch the hourly bus, we took the wrong path across the next field and walked up a lane away from the route. Luckily a local person helpfully guided us back, we quickened our pace to make up for lost time. We walked along a lane  (Nan Tucks Lane) following a track through trees, over a stream and continued into a junk filled farm yard (Scantlins Farm).

At a carved wooden Vanguard sign attached to a container we followed a broad track through trees to cross the picturesque Tickerage Mill at a weir with mill pond. We finished our route via allotments and passed the Village Hall to the Blackboys crossroads where section six ended. We were fifteen minutes early for the bus thanks to the brisk pace of our Poly Ramblers.

Hilary

Photos from Hilary (of the walkover) and Les