Saturday Walk - WALK CANCELLED ! The Low Weald, South Downs views, big country estates, Vivien Leigh’s last home, the Tickerage Stream valley & Buxted Park: Uckfield to Buxted

Due to secondary effects of industrial action, this walk would now require an 8.44 train and a total journey time of 100 minutes. Makes no sense. And with 32 punters away in Scotland and recent low attendance numbers, I will not post a replacement walk.

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Length: 21.6 km (13.5 mi) [shorter walk possible, see below]

Ascent/Descent: 342/312m

Net Walking Time: 5 hours

Toughness: 5 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.07 Uckfield train from London Bridge (East Croydon 09.22), arrives Uckfield 10.22. 

Return trains: xx.37. Buy an Uckfield return. 

 

This undulating amble through some varied scenery in the Low Weald Countryside provides ample South Downs views in the morning from the Uck valley and on the way to and through the East Sussex National Golf Course, before turning north east through the High Cross estate, owned by property developer Nicholas van Hoogstraten, who was at the centre of various legal battles with The Ramblers after blocking or otherwise obstructing rights-of-ways across this estate.

You then pass a couple of manor houses, one with pretty ornamental lakes and ornate landscaped gardens, en route to lunch at the charming 14^th century Blackboys Inn in Blackboys.

From lunch the route turns west along Vanguard Way and Wealdway for a long stretch through the tranquil valley of the Tickerage Stream, past Tickerage Mill, Vivien Leigh’s abode in the final years of her life, and finishes through Buxted Park, an old deer park in Ashdown Forest parkland, past the very large, elegant Palladian Buxted House (now a hotel) in its hilltop position. 

 

Walk Options:

Alternative Starts up out of Uckfield to Boothland Wood and across the A22 through Horsted Green Country Park cut 1.6 km. The wood has plentiful bluebells in season and one of the two variants loops through the wood for longer.

Extension Loops through Horsted Green Park of various length can be added, as the two access points into the park are both on the route (map-led). 

A shortcut, routing through Framfield, reduces the length to 18.1 km and the rating to 3/10. 

Bus 262 (Hartfield – Uckfield - Heathfield) runs through both lunch destinations Blackboys and Framfield, with 3 buses Sat only, last just after lunch.

 

Elevenses/Lunch:  

The Halfway House East Sussex National Golf Club (6.5 km/4.1 mi), Crockstead Farm Hotel (9.1 km/5.7 mi), The Blackboys Inn in Blackboys (14.1 km/8.8 mi, food to 15.00). 

On the short walk: The Hare & Hounds in Framfield (12.3 km/7.7 mi; North East Sussex CAMRA POTY 2020, 2021, 2022, food to 14.30). 

 

Tea: The White Hart or The Buxted Inn, both minutes from the station.

 

For walk directions, map, height profile, some photos and gpx/kml files click here. t=swc.262