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Wealden District Council > Wealden Walks Blog

Wealden Walks Blog

Group of people walking through a field with clear blue skies and green grass and trees surrounding them.

Wealden Walks are a collection of self-guided walks available throughout the district. They have recently been tried, tested and improved to help explorers of every age discover Wealden’s hidden gems.

This page will provide anecdotes of individual previous walks, along with pictures and a quick synopsis. It will also provide updates for the next planned walk with any important details.

For the routes and details on the history behind the walks, check out our Self-Led walks.

Some Sad News

We are devastated to announce that our much loved and popular friend and colleague Graham Kean, who led the Wealden Walks, passed away suddenly at the end of July.

Graham had worked at Wealden District Council for 38 years and Wealden Walks was just one of his roles in his work here. His knowledge, good humour and boundless enthusiasm was clear for all to see and he counted many of the walkers among his friends.

Please bear with us while we look at the future schedule of walks and check this page regularly for updates.

 

Graham’s family have invited those who knew and worked with Graham to attend his funeral, which will be held on Tuesday 27 August 2024 at 3pm at the Wealden Crematorium.

The family have requested for the dress code to be smart, with an underlying theme of purple. Waistcoats are encouraged.

High Weald Walking Festival 2024

Explore our beautiful and historic landscape with free guided and self-guided walks for all between 7-15 September 2024.

To find specific walks and further details, head to The High Weald Walking Festival website.

Poster about High Weald Walking Festival 2024. Image of a group of walkers coming across a field. High Weald Walking festival logo in the corner of the image.

May 2024

After a morning of torrential rain, we managed to coax out the sun for a couple of hours while we walked around Arlington reservoir and the surrounding fields.

Despite the awful weather (and numerous roadworks and road closures), we had a very solid turn-out of just under 20. We discovered towns like Sessingham that have all but dwindled away since their prime in the Saxon times. And tried to understand what a year in the life of a peasant working the land here would look like.

Graham reading a sheet of paper and talking to group of people in a field.
Group of people walking away from camera along the edge of a farmer's field.
Image of Arlington Reservoir with dark storm clouds above
Group of people walking around church in rural setting.
Man looking with binoculars at the long man of Wilmington while stoof next to reservoir at Arlington.
Landscape image of a farmer's field with cgreen crop in and a large tree standing on its own in the middle of the field.

April 2024

After a delayed start to the year’s walks, due to some awful weather, we had a staggering 50 people join us on this walk around Hailsham.

We meandered through a network of twitten ways that led us all around Hailsham, while being told stories of the buildings, commons and marketplaces that used to define the town.

Large group of people stood listening to Graham in the Hailsham Vicarage Field car park.
Large group of people walking away fromt he camera through a twitten way in Hailsham
Large group of people walking along a path across a park in hailsham
Large group of walkers stood listening to Graham talk in Hailsham graveyard, with church behind them.
Group of people all stood around Hailsham Youth Hub while listening to Graham talking
Group of people stood in hailsham high street listening to Graham

November 2023

We’re sorry to report that our Wealden Walk that was running in Wych Cross today (16.11.23) has unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the weather.

Please pass this onto anybody you know that was planning to attend.

September 2023

With an enormous group of 54, we explored the gardens of the former Streatfeild family, learning of local legends and natural gems along the way.

It was lovely to see so many new faces joining us for this walk and to find out about another of Wealden’s hidden gems; my personal favourites were the winding cave and the boat house.

Jo and Graham talking to the group and laughing
Looking past a redwood out over a large lake with lily pads
Lots of large lily pads on the lake with flowers blooming
Looking out over the lake through the tree branches

August 2023

Starting in the beautiful village of Chiddingly and close to the famous Six Bells pub, we made our way through wide open fields and meandering tracks through the woods to discover the proposed site of the lost hunting park.

We learnt about an incredible manor house with intriguing family legend, the history of drove roads and the suggested site of an old ironworks.

Large group of people stood looking at an Elizabethan manor house
Group of people walking in a line along a track past a fence
Group of people walking through a field of grass with hedges on either side.
Group of people walking through thickly covered path with lots of foliage around them.
Group of people walking along a tarmac road with dappled shade

July 2023

We started this walk with an enormous group of over 50 at Pevensey Castle on a rather overcast day; large grey clouds threatening to open the heavens on us at any point. Before long however, it had turned into a lovely sunny and warm afternoon.

This walk took us across some of the levels, where we learnt the history of the natural and man-made sea defences over the years. We even learnt about the supposed origins of the witches on broomsticks stories.

Group of walkers walking away from the camera until they disappear between tall grass on either sides of the path.
Group of walkers walking across a field with an old fashioned wind turbine in the background.
Group of three sheep laying huddled up with one another. The central sheep is looking directly at the camera.
View of Pevensey Castle from across the levels through the hedges.

April 2023

We got to enjoy a sunny afternoon walk through Broadwater Warren Nature Reserve, where we learnt about the complete history of the area, while surrounded by the incredible wildlife now here in abundance.

With findings ranging from the Paleolithic all the way up to WWII, we discovered purpose-made rabbit warrens, sandstone towers and an abandoned tank to name a few sections.

Group of walkers walking away from the camera between heathland.
Group of walkers going down a hill between two mounds to a pond.
Man looking out over a pond with reeds
Group standing around listening to a speaker.
Group of walkers walking away from the camera along the side of large sandstone rocks.
Rusty parts of a tank in a bog in the middle of the woods.

March 2023

After an unfortunate bout of cancelled walks due to the weather, we were able to hold our first walk of 2023 – and what a turn out!

A group of 51 of us walked the incredibly muddy tracks between Wilmington to Folkington, slipping and sliding the whole way.

While it was a little hard to stay on your feet and there was quite a bit of uphill climbing involved, the views were definitely worth it.

Large group of people walking in a line along the edge of a farmer's field.
Image of wild ponies on a grassy hill
Group of people walking up a muddy track with large tree trunk in the middle
Two people walking away from the camera along the top of a hill. with sun shining.
Large group of people on the edge of a hill all looking out at the view.
Long Man of Wilmington in the edge of the hill side with sun coming over the back of the hill

December 2022

With the unexpected snowy / icy conditions, we have sadly had to postpone this month’s walk (we’ve never lost two on the trot before). We have been asked not to encourage people to drive out in such conditions for a WDC event.

Do not fret however, as this walk will be re-visited in the Spring of 2023, so keep an eye out.

November 2022

Regrettably we have had to postpone today’s guided walk. A quick reconnaissance this morning reveals the expected mud but also standing water across parts of the route and some of the approach roads also flooded.

October 2022

After torrential rain in the morning, it turned out to be a surprisingly sunny afternoon with an amazing turnout – unlike we’ve seen since Birling Gap in February this year!

This walk took us around the edges of Arlington Reservoir and the fields surrounding it, whilst we learnt about the newly found archaeological discoveries of the Roman villages. Among the highlights, were finding out where the abbreviations ‘s’ and ‘d’ for shillings and pence came from, why you find so many mussel shells inland and getting to test a wobbly bridge.

two people walking through a grassy field with cows and a blue sky
Sun low in the blue sky with no clouds and a field
Silhouette of somebody taking a photo of Arlington reservoir
Low sun over a graveyard with trees all around
Crowd of people stood outside a church made of flint with trees surrounding them

September - Rushlake Green

The walk around Rushlake Green was wet at times, but still 21 hardy souls turned up and endured. We learnt of the local iron works and the life, escape and turbulent end of a colourful local character; all while following in his footsteps.

Small village church on a hill at the top of a grassy bank and brick path.
Muddy path leading away from the camera down towards a small wooden bridge with tall trees either side of the path.

August 2022

There will be no walk this month, but fear not as we are preparing two walks for September as part of the High Weald Walking Festival.

You can find the programme and book your chosen walks 

See you there!

June 2022 - Isfield

We had a lovely walk around Isfield this afternoon. It began at the church and involved going through sheep and horse fields, along the River Ouse and winding through the village itself and past the old train station.

Despite the blistering heat, we had an amazing turn-out of 19 people and we made sure to keep a more leisurely pace with plenty of water breaks in the shade, even if the shade meant huddling under a bridge.

Isfield church shaded by large tree
group of people walking through a field with long grass either side.
Group of people huddled under an iron bridge in the shade next to a river.
Man walking through a gap in the hedge
Isfield station with a large 20 sign in the forefront of the picture and two old fashioned steam trains next to the platform behind it.
Group of people walking along a road with high green hedgerows either side of the road.

June 2022 - Alciston

One of the sunniest days we’ve had so far made for an amazing turn-out at Alciston this afternoon. When looking across the fields ahead, all you could see was us!

Whilst we were learning about the result of the Black Death on the village, we were walking through old crop fields, old farm animal penitentiary and a cow field.

Line of walkers all spread out across two fields
Small group of people walking along small track along the edge of a field with high grass.
Line of walkers walking past a cow in a large grass field.
Cow stood in a field looking at the camera.
Group of people walking along a chalky path with farmer's crop fields on both sides of the path.
Group of people all listening to one main speaker with downs and blue sky in the background.

May 2022 - Hartfield

As we headed off from the quaint village of Hartfield across the large open fields, we soon discovered the dappled shade of the forest and the old railway line.

Whilst this railway line is out of use by trains, it is widely used by walkers and cyclist and reflected this whilst we were using it. We even spotted the original hidden railway station sign!

Group of people stood around talking in an empty grassy field.
Graham Keane with group of people around him whilst he's talking. Hedgerows in the background.
Group of people walking through a forest with dappled shade on the floor.
Group of people talking on the other side of a bridge with sun beams coming through.
Woman and her dog walking away from camera long straight path with trees tall growing either side of the path.

April 2022 - Buxted Park

We arrived at a very quiet area at the back of Uckfield called Buxted Park, where we discovered WWII pill boxes, bluebell forests and goslings.

What a lovely time of year it was to wander around this park full of young wildlife amongst the flowers and trees blooming.

Bluebells cover a forest in a thick carpet.
Group of people all huddled around one main speaker with a manor house on a hill in the background.
English goose floating on a pond
Canadian goose floating through lily pads on a pond with a line of goslings behind her.
Canadian goose surrounded by her goslings on a pond.
Shaggy haired ram with large curled horns lying in a field next to a large oak tree.

March 2022 - Birling Gap

A beautiful sunny day walking all around Birling Gap and the surrounding hillside. We had a large group today, which was lovely to see as we learnt about the smuggling roots of this part of the coast.

Although it was a little bit chilly and windy, the sun was out and we had a few hills to keep us warm. The views were incredible with the clear skies and a low sun which made all the shadows long.

Large group of people stood on the grassy cliff edge with deep blue sky behind them.
Group of people listening to speaker with concrete lighthouse behind them on the top of the hill.
Line of people walking past a lighthouse
Beachy head lighthouse in a deep blue sea with cliff face next to it
Small group of people walking across the grassy area with a cliff edge on the left of them.
Large group of people stood on a cliff listening to a single speaker with the sea and deep blue sky in the background.

February 2022 - Forest Row

This walk took us from the main high street in Forest Row very quickly off-piste to discover the various versions of Brambletye and its remains.

Although the weather threatened to rain, it turned out to be a lovely brisk day in the low afternoon sun – we even found a beautiful manor house façade, as seen in the photos below.

Man walking away from camera along a fence-line in autumn.
Group of people stood on a path listening to a main speaker
People wearing hats walking away down a muddy path