Groombridge & Withyham
Distance: 9.5 Miles (4h 40m)
OS Map: Explorer 135 (Start at grid
reference TQ531373)
Park in the free public car park off
Station Road in Groombridge - if approaching from Groombridge Hill it is
quickly reached on the left after turning into Station Road from the
mini roundabout.
Cross Station Road and head up Corseley
Road and follow past church, right at top and left downhill past start
of Forest Way. Just after water works, take path over stile on right.
Cross footbridge, go under railway and head uphill straight across field
towards copse. Continue in same direction to farm and join a farm track.
Opposite a row of pink cottages, turn left down right hand edge of field
to lane.
Bear right and take path over stile on
opposite side of lane, now joining the High Weald Landscape Trail and
Sussex Border Path. Bear right downhill and cross footbridge. Follow
right hand edge of field to bridge and cross stream again (but on OS map
the path never crosses the stream at all). Follow track through the wood
and immediately after crossing metalled drive turn sharp left down to
cross stream and enter field. Bear right uphill to gate and pass through
section of woodland. Pass some sandstone outcrops and follow line of
trees to gate. Follow right hand edge of fields and after hedge on left
go through metal kissing gate on right. Go between buildings (Home Place
and Park House) and down lane to road.
Cross road and turn left along verge. Take
path on right downhill across fields. Cross valley bottom to left of
timbered house and climb the other side across a field, through a wood
and across another field to a lane.
Turn right to junction with road. Go
straight across to track opposite through wood. Climb along right hand
edge of fields past house then cross a field to corner of wood. Don't
take path into wood but head downhill along right hand edge of field to
enter wood near corner and bear left. When Buckhurst Park comes into
sight bear left downhill to drive and turn right. Turn left at lake and
follow drive, passing a chalybeate spring on left, to Withyham.
Turn left (but the Dorset Arms is on the
right if you want refreshment), crossing the road carefully. When the
pavement on the right ends, cross the road again and take a path through
a gate, across a field and into the churchyard (see Church Path).
Bear right round the church and go down steps to drive where there are
seats. After admiring the view head downhill, now leaving the High Weald
Landscape Trail, bear left at a fork and turn left along the main road.
Take path on right just after a bridge. Head straight across fields and
cross the Forest Way. Bear right across a footbridge over the Medway and
follow the Wealdway, in due course joining a drive and emerging onto a
lane at Summerford Farm.
Cross
lane and follow Wealdway along left hand edge of fields, over two
bridges in a copse and along the left hand edge of another field. Cross
another bridge and on reaching a bridge on left over which a footpath
heads west, don't cross but bear right across field to bridge over
Medway. Continue to next bridge and on far side turn left. Go under
railway and continue to junction of paths. Here Wealdway goes forward;
turn right and at end of field go over stile on left and cross another
field into woodland. Climb through woodland and on meeting a broad stony
track turn right uphill. On meeting a concrete track, turn left and then
keep right through the buildings of Burrswood (passing the tea-room -
"Bocky's" - which is open to the public). Continue gradually
downhill passing buildings, No Exit signs and lake on right. Follow
drive to Groombridge, cross triangular green and take path to left of
church. Cross drive and skirt to left of lake. Pass Groombridge Place
and bear right across bridge. Bear left across grass to car park
entrance then take path on right between fences that bears first left
then right along edge of recreation ground to village car park.
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Chalybeate Spring
The
spring is on the left about half way along the drive from Buckhurst Park
to Withyham in a tile-roofed structure. Chalybeate
springs are common on the sandstones around here, water containing
supposedly health-giving iron salts emerging where the porous sandstone
meets the clays below. The
best known is in the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells but the brown sludge
oozing from this spring looks most unappetising.
Church
Path
This path was opened in 2010 following a
campaign by Sussex Ramblers leading to a public inquiry, as the
landowner refused to recognise the long-used right of way.
Our book of Ten
Favourite Walks in the Kent Countryside has routes for ten more
walks like this one.
Ramblers' volunteers in Kent work
tirelessly to ensure that our paths are as well protected and maintained
as possible. Of course we also organise led walks but most of our
members are independent walkers who simply want to support our footpath
work. Please join
us and become a supporter too. You need us and we really need
you.
If you find that the directions
or map
for this walk are incorrect in any way, please report the problem to info@kentramblers.org.uk.
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