Robust Rambles

Section 26 Return

Ewhurst to Oakwoodhill

Walk Details

Walk Instructions

With the Bulls Head pub behind, cross the road to the green and go on down Wykehurst Lane between houses. Just before a 20mph and private road sign, turn left up a tarmac drive to West View. Go through a gateway. At the end of the tarmac join a narrow path enclosed between a fence and hedge. Pass a barn, then cross a stile and continue down a paddock.

Cross a stile at the bottom and go on up a further paddock. Cross another stile into a field. Ignore a stile on your left and continue along the top of the field towards houses, to a further stile in the next corner. Over this turn sharp left and walk up the field edge to a stile at the top. Cross into a sloping field and keep along the top to a corner.

Here find a narrow path in the corner up to a small gate. Turn right through this gate into a narrow enclosed path by a tall garden fence. This path emerges down steps onto a very busy road. There is no pavement and this is VERY DANGEROUS.

Carefully cross to the pavement on the other side and turn right downhill. In a few metres, cross the road again to go right, down the side of the village hall. Pass two houses on your left then turn left down an enclosed footpath by a garden fence. Soon emerge into a recreation ground. Cross two car park areas, asphalt then gravel, then on by a hedge on your left.

Pass behind a pavilion (ignore a path off left through the hedge) and keep on down with the hedge on your left. The hedge soon veers left. Here keep on down the grass, heading just right of a wooden building and hedge, to a stile by a wooden fieldgate in the corner.

Over the stile meet a road. Cross to a rough gravel track by a metal fieldgate. Go up this gravel track and follow it as it as it soon swings sharp left by a paddock. Where the gravel ends continue on a feint path, soon down by a garden fence to meet a road. Cross to a stile and metal fieldgate opposite and enter a field. Go up the field edge with a hedge on your left then down to a second stile by a wooden fieldgate. Continue down to a rough stile in the bottom corner. Cross to a rough track and turn right for 50 metres. By several fieldgates turn left on a path between hedges and continue down an enclosed path passing a house on your right.

Cross a stile into an orchard and continue to a footbridge and wooden gate. Go on with a wire fence on your left past trees on your left. Continue over an open corner of a field to a stile by a wooden fieldgate. Cross and continue with a hedge on your left. Cross a further stile by a metal fieldgate and bear slightly left across the field ahead to a wooden swing gate by a wooden fieldgate at the far side.

Go diagonally left down a sloping field to a wooden swing gate halfway down trees at the far side. Enter the wood and in a short distance reach a junction by a garden fence. Turn right over an old footbridge and go on up an enclosed path by a hedge along a field edge.

Enter a wood and go up to a stile. Cross the bridleway beyond and keep on up a woodland path. At the end of the wood reach a stile by a wooden fieldgate. Cross and go down the field edge ahead towards Coxlands Farm. On reaching the farm turn right on a track for a few paces then immediately left on an overgrown path between a barn and a cattle shed. Continue through trees to a stile into a field. Turn left along the fence on your left to a corner. Here turn right, ignoring a stile into woods. Keep along the field edge with the fence on your left. Further down pass a second stile and keep on down to a third just before the bottom corner. Cross this to bear right through trees to a footbridge. Cross this and the stile beyond into a field.

Bear right across the field to a stile by a metal fieldgate with a band of trees beyond. Cross into a large field and go up the edge with the trees on your right for ½ mile. Leave this first field by a massive stile by a metal fieldgate and continue on by the trees. At the end of the wood bear slightly left across the open field to a stile onto a road (the route of the path actually goes from the massive stile straight down to the stile).

Go left along the road for 100 metres then right down to a metal kissing gate by a metal fieldgate. Enter a large field. Go down the field towards a distant farmhouse. First bear right over towards the top tree in a spaced out line of trees, crossing a grass airstrip as you go. Make sure that by the time the first tree is reached it is on your lefthandside (there is a ditch here).

Go down with the trees and ditch on your left to a footbridge and metal kissing gate. Continue towards Tillhouse Farm. Just before the end of the field, go left through a metal kissing gate to a junction of paths. Turn left on a gravel drive away from the farmhouse. Follow this to a road.

Turn left on the road for 100 metres. The next section of the walk has very few waymarks. Look on your right for the entrance drive to Pollingfold Manor and Jay’s Barn. Turn right into this and follow the fence on your left along the drive to a house gate. Here bear left into a narrow path between fences and soon reach a stile into a field. Go straight across to a corner of hedge. Turn sharp left up with the hedge on your left. At a corner turn right still by a hedge. Where this ends keep on uphill as the path becomes a concrete track.

At the far side of the field reach a wire fence and insecure stile. Continue down another section of concrete track. At the bottom the track pushes into the field beyond. Do not enter but bear right across to a stile. Cross into scrubland. Bear over to the hedge on your left and go forward with the hedge on your left.

At the bottom go through a metal fieldgate and soon emerge into a field. Keep on down the edge with trees on your right. Ignore a footbridge and path off on your right and soon reach a drive. Cross drive bearing slightly left and continue in same direction as before to a gap into a field ahead with a rotten plank bridge.

Keep forward along the field edge. As it swings left at the far end look for a gateway and footbridge on your right. Cross into a thicket. Go up under power lines for 10 metres, then left on an old forest track. In 50 metres turn right over an old stile and footbridge into a field corner and continue along edge with a hedge on your right.

In the corner, cross a stile into another field corner. Turn sharp left up the edge with a hedge on your left. Enter a second field and keep on up the edge. At the top there is a new reservoir. The path is too overgrown to use. Bear right along the edge of the reservoir bank then left to circle round it. Join a rough farm track and follow this to a gateway out of the field.

Turn right to go up to a metal fieldgate and stile. Go on up, with a brickworks on your left. At the top cross a stile by a rusty fieldgate and bear right up a gravel farm track. Soon reach a road and turn right. Keep uphill along the road. Just before the first house on the left, turn left onto a concrete bridleway. At the end of the drive bear left into a field through a gateway and continue along a field edge with a hedge on your right.

At the end of the field reach a junction of tracks by a wood. Turn left up the field edge still on a bridleway with woods on your right. Keep on up a second field towards outbuildings. Walk through assorted buildings and poultry at Rose Hill Farm and exit onto a road.

Turn right for ½ mile to reach the Punchbowl Inn and the start of the section.