Silver Hill & Rother Valley Circular

Rother Valley Circular

With Richard away trying out his new car and Trevor back from babysitting duties, it was left to Trevor and myself to uphold the Monday Walks.

The walk selected from an old book dated 1994 called “100 walks in East Sussex” was the Silver Hill and Rother valley, a circular walk starting from Silver Hill (Hurst Green) on the A21 start point 737261 which takes you through farmland, woods and the banks of the River Rother.

The start of the day was frosty but SUNNY a far cry from the snow last week, the forecast even gave us a UV rating and we decided to do the walk clockwise in order to be at Robertsbridge  for a pub lunch.

Considering the walk was printed in 1994 the route was signposted well at the start with the going underfoot good most of the time with views over the Weald.  

Having followed the footpath for a couple of miles and then up through a gulley which appeared to be an old cart track we came across this house called Great Wigsell. The footpath then turned to the right past all the outbuilding and up the hill on the far side of the house.

 Looking back over the valley and countryside with Great Wigsell chimneys just visible in the trees.

Friend on route.

First sighting of the River Rother with one of the old Rother steam railway bridges in the background.

Looks like a blast from the past. Hops, this barn was part of a large hop farm, only poles at the moment but has got to be worth a revisit in the summer.

Seven Stars Inn our planned lunch stop, a couple of real ale pints and then, yes it happened again, NO FOOD ON MONDAYS. http://www.seven7stars.co.uk. But salvation was over the road, so pints consumed it was a quick dash over the road to a Bakers shop for fresh sandwiches, Cornish pasties, homemade treacle tart and coffee. Lunch complete.

Robertsbridge High street  http://robertsbridge.east-sussex.co.uk

The route continued through the factory yard of Gray- Nicolls                                    

  http://www.gray-nicolls.co.uk/history   The footpath was not signposted but staff on site pointed us in the right direction.

Having joked about how this walk was not to my standard as there were no hills we now paid the price! Once we past under the Rother Steam railway and then the Mainline railway it was uphill all the way to our start finish point at Silver Hill.

A good walk, Richard we missed you.

Stats:      avg speed 2.83mph.      calories 1291.     Distance 12.83