Barcombe Mills Circuit - East Sussex

 Last week was otherwise engaged with house moves and the weather - lots of wind and rain. After a week of doing other things it was time to get another walk completed. I combined this particular week with a visit to Uckfield. Dropping Sue off with at her mother's house and headed just south to the parking at Barcombe Mills reservoir and wetlands area.

The car park was quite busy for a week day when I arrived, crossing a huge puddle at the entrance, we found a slot slightly raised and dry. Bertie and I set off quickly from the end of the car park heading for the weirs where the river ouse crosses the road.

The recent rain had made the rivers quite full and creating some spectacular sights, as we crossed over to the village itself.

Past the ancient toll house (with its price list in shillings and pence) and splat into my first unforced navigation error for a long time. I went too far into the village and had to reassess my route ...  not a major disaster, but a timely warning that relaxing attention too much can cause mistakes.

Luckily I ended up on an alternative that proved much easier and less muddy than the initial plan. Follow the road/ drive through the fields.

This road took a curving direction through the meadows before meeting the river complex again at a small collection of houses. In one of the fields near the first of these was some odd sculptures.

Meanwhile Bertie had gone to the stream for a drink and a paddle. He got a bit of a shock when he slipped in and it was deeper than he thought. soon out but now soaked and even after two big shakes went padding wet steps up the track.

We would come back to this collection of houses on our return, but for now we cut around the back of the far left house and joined up with the disused railway line (that joined up with the Lavender line above where we were). At a road we left the old track bed and turned left down the road. The remains of the track still embedded in the tarmac

Just a short section on the road before continuing north across the fields. The  bridleway here (marked as Blunt's Lane) was very wide, but still needed care with some huge puddles.

On the gateposts were signs indicating that the path was blocked as they were replacing the "over bridge", however this was not marked on the map and so I decided to continue and work out what to do when I found it.

Hidden amongst the hedges was the first of a number of Pillboxes we would see today.

The track lead into an area which was tree lined, eventually coming out on the edge of a field with a foot bridge under construction ... so this was Over Bridge ....  unfortunately there was no way across now as the deck was still being built, and the stream too deep to ford.

A quick look at the map showed that we needed too make a long detour to the west then circle back to meet the river Ouse and back down to meet the original planned route. adding around 2-3 kms to the trip.

The diversion cut across a ploughed field and the remains of a roman road (lost in the main by the fields but a vague outline), then some pasture. Heading a large wooded area near Spithurst - part of the Sutton Hall estate.

Inside the woods we turned north east, along a major track - marked as Dallas Lane on the map. The metalled surface of the track made for easy walking among the plantations. the Scots pines were huge and magnificent lining the track

The track exited the woods (dipping under an old electric fence wire that was stretched across the road), continuing towards the river and the Sussex Ouse Valley Way. Across a tributary stream, and up slightly to meet the Way by the tree line.

The path now followed the river in general all the way back to the car park.

Generally in the fields cutting across the bends in the river.

We met up with the original planned route at White Bridge, where the track crossed the river to the east bank.

Opposite the Over bridge I could see the work going on that had determined the diversion.

The fields around here had swages of buttercups with slight lines through from the track and vehicles. The south downs in the distance. 

Each field had odd containers in it, I did wonder if it had been (or was about to be used) for an event of some kind.

The track and the river cut under the disused railway line before some more pasture fields leading to the Anchor Inn.

This last field had a collection of young calves and a couple of mothers. I passed with trepidation keeping Bertie down the river bank, but the calves were not interested.

The Inn nestled at the end of a track, beside the river. On the river a flotilla of punt/ canoes. 

We crossed over again at the inn, before cutting through the car park

Downstream of the Inn was a weir and sluice complex controlling the river flow. I tried to get some photos of the water coming out but the trees got in the way.

Through another field, this one was being mowed presumably for silage, and we kept out of the way. This field ended as we reached the house collection we had gone through on the way out, this time passing a second pill box in one of the gardens.

Just before I left the field completely a helicopter came over very low and landed in the field very close to the inn ... either on an emergency run or else popping in for a lunchtime pint!

Passing the houses the other way allowed me to see another sculpture in the field from earlier.

Turning onto an bridge over the little tributary here, past the No entry and private signs, which really targeted people straying from the path, we continued on a path beside the stream.

As we approached the reservoir (hidden behind the woods to the left of the path ahead) we crossed a long footbridge over the Ouse where it joined the tributary we had been following. Now we had a shaded river side walk, without a sight of the reservoir.

A pause for a refreshment while we were on our own, and then continued on the final section.

There were "lifesavers" along the river now as we were closer to habitation.

At the end of the reservoir the track moved into an open area of flood plain, in the far end we could see some people moving around - they turned out to be painters - must have been a group outing.

Last section as we filtered through the tributaries, and past a third pillbox we arrived back at the weir and the track back to the car park.

At the van we had a quick picnic before heading back to Uckfield to meet Sue and her mother.