Walk reports

STONEGATE TO WADHURST – 7 SEPTEMBER

After a truly horrible final walkover two days earlier – torrential rain, gales, thunder and lightning – the day of the walk was beautiful. It was warm with a pleasingly gentle breeze and the world seemed a different place in which it was a pleasure to be out walking.  We gathered at Stonegate station and set off along paths that were on the map but clearly not, or very rarely, used. There were some rough fields which must have been left for years and were completely overgrown but which had probably once been ploughed and so were ankle-twistingly but invisibly uneven. We are skillful and experienced walkers of course, and we navigated our way through with no problems. There were many stiles that were in a disgraceful state and in some cases so completely overgrown that they had to be hacked free to have any possibility of getting over them. Others had so many bits missing that they were a challenge to even the most long-legged among us but, again, we all managed and eventually were rewarded by a view of the lovely Bewl Water.

We stopped by the water for lunch and then continued along another very unkempt path which was sometimes completely under trees and at others allowed lovely views through to the lake. The notes I had written about tricky turns and timings had turned to soup in my pocket on the walkover but all was well and we found our way eventually to the – extremely welcome – Old Vine pub at Coulsley Wood where there was a very welcoming canine bar attendant called Duncan with enormous paws and very gentle eyes.
The final part of the walk was along the Sussex Border path which might be worth exploring further.  We went through much more gentle landscape and  well used paths and we arrived at Wadhurst station where the trains are half-hourly so we didn’t have long to wait.
Harriet. Photos by Ida and Rochelle