Parkside Community Primary School

High Weald Welly Walk

Walk Facts

High Weald Heroes is a primary school programme that encourages children to do the following actions:

• PleaseusewithanOrdnanceSurveyExplorerMap.• Wearsturdyfootwearorwellingtons,beingawareofunevengroundandfallentrees,especiallyinwetweather.

•Longtrousersareadvised.• Checktheweather-waterproofsorhatsandsuncreammightbeneeded.

•Takecarewhencrossingbusyroadsorwalkingalongroadswithnopavements;stayclosetotheedge/ongrassverges.

•Takingadrinkwithyouisadvisable.• Consideradequateadulttochildsupervisionratiosaspathsarenarrow,thegroupwillspreadoutandthereareroadsandstilestocross.

• Plantssuchasnettlesandbramblescanstingandscratch;berriesfromplantscancausestomachupsetsifeaten.

• Therearenotoiletfacilities,sowerecommendthattoiletpaperandhandwipesaretakenasaprecaution.

• Everyonemustcleantheirhandsbeforeeating.•Rememberthatalargegroupofpeoplecanbeintimidating,especiallytoanimals.Footpaths and rights of way are subject to change. The •walk should always be checked for new risks before venturing out, especially when planning to take groups of children.Remember to follow the Countryside Code.•

Parkside

Be a High Weald Hero - you can make a difference

Find out aboutthehabitatsyouwalkthrough-discoverthestorybehindthelandscape.Tofindoutmore go to the learning zone on www.highweald.org

yourselfandhavefunoutdoorswhatevertheweather.

yourlocalenvironmentasyouwalk.RemembertofollowtheCountrysideCode.Formoreinformation,visitwww.naturalengland.org.uk

Enjoy!

Explore

Take Care of

yourcountryside.Tellotherpeopleaboutthespeciallandscapearoundyourschool-evenbetter,takethemonyourschool’sWellyWalkandshow them!

the local countryside around your school-there’snowhereelsequitelikeit.

Be proud of

Produced by the High Weald AONB Unit with support from:

RISK ASSESSMENT - Points to consider

Distance: 2.5miles/4.1km.

Time: 1.5hours(dependingonconditionsandnumbersandexcludingstops).

Description: Awalkmostlyonsurfacedfootpaths,withgoodviews.Carewillneedtobetakenwhencrossingbusierroads.

TheHighWealdAreaofOutstandingNaturalBeauty(AONB)isoneofEngland’sFinestLandscapes,protectedfor its historic character of: rolling hills draped with small irregularfields;abundantwoodsandhedges;scatteredfarmsteads;andsunkenlanes.Itcoverspartsof4counties:EastSussex,WestSussex,KentandSurreyandhasanareaof1,457squarekilometres(570squaremiles).

www.highweald.org

Photo guide and route descriptionFromtheschoolturnlefttoreachtheendofBeechwoodLane.TurnrightandwalkupElmWay.GopastTheOaksandWalnutClose.Turnleftalongthefootpathattheedgeof some ancient woodland on your left .WalkthroughthetreestoreachWoodlandWay.Crossoverandcontinuestraighton,alongGreenLanetocrossoverattheminiroundabout.Bearleftslightly(throughthenoentrysigns)andheaddownhilltoreachtheendofProspectRoad.TurnrightalongHailshamRoadandfindasafeplacetocross.KeepgoinguntilyoureachHarleyLane(onyourleft,afterHampdenandOakLodge).Turnlefthereandwalkdownthelane.Wherethepathsplits,carrystraightondownhilltoreachthejunctionoffootpaths.

Turnleftandfollowthepavedpath/cycleroute.AtthejunctionofOldGhyllRoadcrossoverandcarrystraighton,followingthepath.Keepgoinguntilthepathmeetsthemainroad.Crossover,followingsignstotheCuckooTrail.Followthepathstraightonforsomedistanceuntilyoureachthepicnicareathatissignpostedonyourrighthandside.Carryonbutlookoutforafootpathonyourleftshortlyafterwards.Takethispathupthestepsandthroughthegate.Walkstraightacrossthesmallfield,gothroughanothergateandfollowthenarrowfootpathuptothemainroad.

For guidance only; actual conditions may be different from those shown, depending on the weather and time of year.

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Crossover,turnrightandfollowthefootpathonyourleftjustbeforethe‘RuntinTun’pub.Walkalongthefootpathuptothegateaheadofyouandheadintothefield.Turnrightalongtheedgeofthefield.Gothroughthegapleadingtothenextfieldandwalkdiagonallyleftacrossit,headingtowardsthefingerpostinthefarcorner.Gopastthefingerpostandthenturnleft,walkinguphilltowardsastileinthelineoftrees.Climboverthestileandwalkalongthepath,fencedoneitherside,toreachanotherstile.Crossoverandwalkdownthepathtomeettheroad.

Turnrightandwalkalongthegrassyverge,pastthegatetoTheobald’sGreenFarm.Continueontheverge,andthenpavement,untilyoureachPineTreeRoad.TurnrighthereandfollowtheroaduphilluntilitmeetsGreenLane.Youarenowbackat 2 .TurnrightandretraceyourstepsbywalkingdowntoElmWayandbacktoschool!

Rolling Hills

This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. ©Crown Copyright . Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. East Sussex County Council - 1000 19601, 2011.

Former Railway Line

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WALKROUTE

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historic routeway

ParksideCommunityPrimarySchool

busyroad

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Sandhurst Lane

Alder Lane

Toad Hall

Duck & Drake

Windmill (Disused)

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Theobald’s Green Farm

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Ancient WoodlandTreesandwoodlandcoveroverone-thirdoftheHighWealdandareakeylandscapefeature.

ThewoodsoftheHighWealdwererelativelyslowtobeclearedbecausetheywereavaluableresource:providingtimberforbuilding,fuelforheatingandcharcoalforironsmelting,aswellasanimalfeed-acornsandbeechmastforpigs.EvenwhenagriculturalclearancedidbeginintheHighWeald,muchwoodlandwasretainedandcontinuedtoprovidevaluableresources,particularlyfortheironindustry.

Today,70%oftheHighWeald’swoodlandsareclassedasancient-havingexistedcontinuouslysinceatleast1600AD.Theyhavebeenmaintainedforcenturiesbyskilledworkersusingarotationalcoppicingsystem.

Coppicingiswhentreesarecutdownlowtothegroundinsuchawaythatthestemsgrowbackafterwards.Thetreesarecutonceevery10-15years.Theharvestedwoodisusedtomakeproductssuchasfencingstakes,charcoal,hurdlesandtrugs.Buyinglocalwoodproductshelpstoensurethecontinuationoftraditionalmanagement.

Whenthetreesarecoppiced,the light can reach right down tothegroundasthebranchesandleavesarenolongershad-ingthefloor.Thismeanslotsofwild plants can grow including bluebells,woodanemonesandwildgarlic.Theseplantsattractinsectstofeedonthenectar,andbirdsandsmallmammalseatthefruitsandseeds.

Often,rarerspeciesarenowonlyfoundinworkingcoppice.

Ancient RoutewaysAsfarbackastheNeolithicperiod(c.4500-2300BC)farmersfromtheDownsandcoastalplainswoulddrivetheirpigsintothewoodseachyeartofattenthemonacornsandbeechmast.

Thishappenedduringthelatesummerandearlyautumn,andthefarmerswouldhavebuilttemporaryshelterstokeepwarmwhilewatchingtheirpigs.Thesewoodlandpigpastureswerecalleddens.ManyplacesintheHighWealdhavenamesendinginden-forexampleHeatherden, Hampden

Thefrequentpassageofpigsbeingdriventoandfromthedensformedtracksknownasdroves.Overtimethedensbecamesettlementsintheirownright,andtheroughlynorth-southdrovingroutesremained.Theycanbeseentodayinthepatternoflanes,bridlewaysandfootpathsradiatingawayfromtheHighWeald.

Centuriesofusebymanytrotters,feet,hooves-and,later,cartwheels-havewornthesoftgroundawaysothat,today,manyoftherouteshavedeeplysunkensections.

The Cuckoo TrailTheCuckooTrail,aformerrailwayline,formspartofthisWellyWalk.Thelinewasopenedin1849andused for transporting goods and passengersfromEastbournethroughHeathfield.Thelinewasclosedin1968.

TheCuckooTrailisnowa14milecyclingandwalkingroutefromHeathfieldtoHampdenParkandgets its name from the tradition of releasingthefirstcuckooofSpringattheHeathfieldFair.

Scattered FarmsteadsTheHighWealdhasmanyisolatedfarmsteads,hamletsanddwellingsdottedacrossthecountryside.ThisscatteredsettlementpatternmeanstheHighWealdisthemostpopulatedprotectedlandscapeintheUK.

Thetraditionalbuildingmaterials and styles oftheHighWealdarean essential part of the landscape’sdistinctivecharacter.Thebuildingmaterialshavecome,infact,fromthatverylandscape – so it is hardly surprisingthattheyblendinsowell.

Linkswiththearea’swoodedpastareevidentinthenumberoftimber-framedandweather-boardedbuildings,whilstthewidespreaduseofsandstone,bricksandtilesistestimonytotheHighWeald’sunderlyinggeologyofsandstoneandclay.Bythe14thcentury,theHighWealdwassettledandlookedmuchthesameasitdoestoday.

TowardstheendofthisWellyWalk,justafter 11 ,takeamomenttoadmireTheobold’sGreenFarm-anexampleofanhistoricfarmstead.

Funny-shaped FieldsOneofthedistinctivelandscapefeaturesoftheHighWealdisitspatternofsmall,irregularfields.

AftertheAnglo-Saxonperiod,settlersbeganmovingintotheHighWealdinincreasingnumbers.Earlyfarmersbeganclearingthesurroundingwoodsandscrubtomakefieldsforcropsandlivestock.Theseclearancesweredoneinanunplannedwaybytheindividualfarmers.ThisiswhytheHighWeald’sfieldsareoftensmallandirregularinshape.Theboundariesweresimplyformedbyleavingstripsor‘shaws’oftheoldwoodlandbetweenthefields.

Look closely at the map in this Welly Walk leaflet to see where historic routeways exist in and around

Heathfield.Visit www.highweald.org to learn more about the High Weald’s woodlands.

Look at the houses and farm buildings on this Welly Walk - what local building materials have been used

to build them?