Broad Oak, Brede, 03 April 2002

Broad Oak is a neighbourhood of the village of Brede, sitting above deeply folding downland in East Sussex.

The countryside here is timeless and lovely, relatively undisturbed by the masses of summer visitors to the county. The river Tillingham lies just to the north and the river Brede to the South. Both have pleasant walks along their banks.

Broad Oak is doubly blessed by having a first rate B&B and one of the best value food pubs in the South East. Even better, the Rainbow Trout Inn is just 50 metres from Layces B&B, so you can stagger back from one of their gargantuan half shoulder of lamb dinners without straining a hamstring. The prices at the Inn are excellent value and the food is good, honest fare with fresh fish a speciality; trust me. One thing to note, you must book up a day or more ahead as folk travel for many miles to eat here, even in winter.

Layces is very relaxing and the breakfasts are cooked to perfection with quality ingredients. The back patio and garden overlook some fine views. You may have noticed I am very reluctant to give addresses of my favourite guesthouses, but if you promise not to book the place up the next time I want to go, you can look it up here: http://www.layces.co.uk. Email: stephens@layces.co.uk

Layces. The view from the back bedrooms.

There are wonderful rights of way around Broad Oak, which don't appear to get much use; something of a bonus if you are tired of hailing fellow walkers every hundred yards or so on the South Downs or Saxon Shore Ways.

From mid April to early May there are many bluebell woods to admire. Streams with wild garlic abound throughout the valleys and there are no major roads to blight the rural tranquillity.

There are a lot of electricity pylons, but there are enough distractions to lessen their assault on the eye.

We did a short walk the evening before which I can't publish yet as a landowner has blocked access on a right of way. The local parish council are attempting to reopen the path, so watch this space.

Part of that walk took us through the centre of Brede, and walking past a row of tiny cottages, we spotted a beautifully carved wooden figure of a Victorian sailor complete with pegleg in front of one cottage. The sailor is holding a charity collection box. As we admired this lovely work of art, the door opened and a very drunk elderly chap staggered out and invited us into the cottage for a drink. "I'm the father-in-law, I'm looking after the place, come on in, 'ave a drink." He was very insistent, but we were short of time and he looked like he was keen to hang on to any company he could get, even us with our extremely muddy boots. You can just imagine his daughter-in-law walking in and surveying her nice carpet.

It's one of the wonderful things about walking in the country; you just never know what you will stumble across next.

The carved Victorian sailor. Brede Place. The lake, Brede Place.

This walk takes you over the downs with wide sweeping vistas, through woods, over streams, past a reservoir and farms. All in all, quite a decent work out.

Note: There are two more photos in the route section.

The Route:

Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer 124

Start: The Rainbow Trout Inn, Broadoak Brede.

Grid Reference: TQ195822

Distance: 16.5km (10.23 miles)

Time: 5 Hours 30 mins.

Facing the front of the Rainbow Trout Inn, turn right and walk along the roadside past Layces and the other houses on that side.

Just past the last house, cross a stile on your left into a field. Follow the left hand hedge downhill.

At the bottom of this field, you encounter a wide track with sheep fencing on either side. Continue down this track towards farm buildings.

As the track levels out before the far gate, cross a stile on your right into another field.

Once over the stile, head just to the right of a large electricity pylon. You will see an oast house to it's left.

At the other end of the field, a stick with a yellow band marks a gap in the hedge, which you go through. Go over a wooden hurdle (if it's still standing) and cross the field to a gate opposite.

Cross a stile by the gate and continue across the field towards the electricity pylon.

Just before the end of the field, you will see a footpath notice on the tip of a little spinney. Enter the spinney here.

At the end of the spinney you come to a metalled track. Turn right and follow it uphill. This takes you to a main road. Turn left and opposite Goatham Lane cross the road into a farm track.

Follow this track through sparse woodland until you come to two gates overlooking a valley. Cross the stile between the gates. Head for the far end of this long, narrow field.

Cross the stile in the far fence, continuing along the right-hand boundary of this field with a stream and copse to it's right.

At the end of this field, a farm track comes down from the right and there is a concrete and metal bridge before you. Do not cross the bridge, but turn left and follow the field boundary.

The field boundary then curves back uphill. Continue uphill for about 60 metres and then turn right into the copse in a tiny valley and head for the brook. You will not see any footpath signs here.

Look for a dilapidated sleeper bridge and cross it. Follow the line of the bridge to a stile some 15 metres in the sheep fencing above.

Once over the stile, keep to the right hand boundary of the wood on a wide path.

At the other end of this copse, you may be lucky to find the remains of a stile. In any case, continue into the field, aiming somewhat to the left of a large oak tree. Here you will find a gap in the hedge.

Go through the gap and keep to the right hand hedge. Go through the wooden gate at the top and continue in the same direction, with sheep fencing to your right.

At the top of the field, go through another wooden gate and follow the track which bends to the right towards Chitcombe Farm.

Follow the track as it passes through the farm buildings. As you pass the last of the buildings on your right, go through a metal gate into a tiny parcel of land with an old caravan in it.

Head for the right hand corner of this land and climb over the broken down fence. This is a right of way, but there are no stiles.

Head half right downhill and aim for a low wooden gate. Step over this and continue in the same direction downhill.

At the very bottom left hand corner of this field, cross a stream by a footbridge into the next field.

Head across the field in roughly the same direction (North West) towards a tree and the tip of another electricity pylon visible over the horizon.

As you crest the brow of the hill, you will see the tree beside a lane. About 18 metres further on, you will see a pole marking the footpath. Cross both stiles either side of the lane and continue in the same direction towards the right hand tip of a copse ahead of you.

The lane, with views over Watts' Palace Farm.

When you reach the copse, the arrow on a small footpath sign points the way ahead to a spot in the fence opposite. You should see an electricity pylon some way behind it.

Cross over the stile in that fence and turn right. You should see a waymarker and footpath posts directly ahead. This takes you directly under the electricity power lines and when you reach a gap in the opposite hedge, you will see a pond on your left.

Turn left, keeping the pond and hedge to your right and heading for some farm buildings. Follow the hedge until you reach another small pond and a tennis court, Cross a stile here and turn left.

A few paces on, by another small pond, turn right over a ditch. Follow the path, keeping the farm buildings to your right.

Eventually, you come to a gate with garages to your right. Turn left here and follow a track into a field.

Keeping to the top of the field, after 40 metres, you enter another field through a gap. Turn right in this field with the hedge to your right and continue downhill.

At the bottom, bear left along the boundary of this field for only about 35 metres.

Look out for a tiny footpath on your right, which will take you to a wooden footbridge. Cross the footbridge and stile and continue uphill with the hedge on your right.

At the top of the slope, go through a wooden gate to reach a metalled lane (Ellenwhorne Lane). Turn right on the lane towards some buildings.

Just after the last house on your left, cross a stile on your left by a broad gateway and enter a track.

Continue ahead in a westerly direction for about 350 metres until you see a waypost on your left pointing to a stile. Cross the stile and a footbridge and then turn right, aiming for a stile with some farm buildings a couple of fields behind it. Ignore the buildings directly in front of you.

Cross the stile and continue ahead with the hedge to your right. Cross another stile in the sheep fencing ahead and then aim half right towards a telegraph pole in the hedge.

You will find another stile here, but do not cross it. Instead, turn around with your back to it and head across the field to a metal gate to the left of some farm buildings.

Go through the gate and follow a grassy track to the right towards a barn. After about 20 metres, follow the finger post pointing left. Go through the right rusty gate and continue in the same direction into the field, keeping the fence on your left.

Enter another field and keep to the same direction. At the bottom of this field, go through a small rusty gate into another field. Continue on the same direction, but this time, there is a hedge on your right.

At the bottom of this field, pass through some metal barriers onto a metalled lane and turn right along it to the main road.

At the main road, cross over and turn left. Some 70 metres on, turn right by a wooden finger post onto a footpath.

The footpath expands into a track going downhill into a forestry plantation.

When you reach a crossroads of broad tracks, turn right for 25 metres and then left, going downhill again.

As this track levels off, you can see a stile about 80 metres ahead. Ignore that and instead take another marked track immediately to your left with a stream to it's right.

Follow this track for about 60 metres, before taking a tiny footpath on the right, which follows the stream. Cross a wooden footbridge and continue over another footbridge to reach a broad track.

Turn right at the broad track and follow it uphill. This ends at a stile which you cross onto a narrow footpath.

Continue past a wrecked stile going downhill and cross a single sleeper bridge over a stream.

The forestry track continues ahead, but is sometimes a bit indistinct.

You will eventually see Powdermill Reservoir about 100 metres to your left. The path descends to a wooden bridge with iron railings on one side. Cross it and go up some log steps opposite to another stile.

Powdermill Reservoir.

After the stile, turn right and follow the footpath. After a little while, you will find yellow arrows marking the path, which will ultimately take you over a stile onto a metalled lane.

Turn left on the lane and walk past the entrance of Powdermill Reservoir. Soon after, you cross a stone bridge, and immediately after it, turn right onto a footpath into the woods.

The path is a little indistinct at first, but soon winds to the right onto a wider track. This track is about 40 metres from the right hand boundary of the wood and follows it to the end.

After several hundred metres, you come to a sunken path. Keep just to the left of it, but otherwise continue ahead.

Soon after, you will emerge onto a metalled lane. Turn left here and walk on about 150 metres.

Just after the wood on your left ends, look for a metal gate on your right and go through it.

In the field, head half left towards a wooden telegraph pole in the middle of the field.

Once you reach the pole, turn left and head just to the right of the oast houses in the farmstead.

Go past the oast houses and when you reach a big green barn, turn right and then left to follow a farm track. You can see another electricity pylon ahead at the end of track. Cross a concrete bridge over a brook to get to the pylon.

Just to the right of the pylon, there is a metal gate. Go through this gate and continue ahead.

Just behind and to the right of the pylon, enter a small path into a wood.

About 40 metres on, you come to a clearing. Cross over a stile here into a field and continue ahead.

Another 150 metres on cross a stile by a gate and continue on, keeping the sheep fencing on your left.

After another metal gate, you enter a tarmac lane, which you follow, still in the same direction.

After some 300 metres, you pass over a small stream with iron railings either side of the lane.

Another 40 metres on, turn left to cross a tile by a gateway and aim for the far right hand corner of the field.

Here, cross over another stile into the next field and keep ahead with the sheep fencing on your right.

At the top of this fairly steep meadow, cross over a stile and continue in the same direction.

Cross another stile at the top right end of this field to enter a large track which leads you to a paddock which you cross diagonally to a stile opposite. This takes you onto the A28 at Cackle Street.

Ignore Pottery lane on your left and go ahead to follow the A28 signposted to Northiam, Tenterden and Broadoak.

Past the general store and beside a house called Pleasant View turn left into a yard to cross a stile to the right of a metal gate.

Pass some garages in waste ground to cross another stile. Continue ahead with the fence to your left.

Cross another stile at the end of this field and keep ahead, this time with the fence to your right.

Go through a metal gate at the end of this field onto a broad track, which takes you up to a farm.

At the farm, go across, slightly right to a double metal gate. Go through it and you should see some houses on the hill above.

Take the middle gate ahead with the yellow direction arrows on it and continue ahead on a broad track.

Keep going uphill with the hedge on your right until you reach the road over a stile. Turn right on the road and after some 200 metres, you will be back at the Rainbow Trout Inn.