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Cycling in East : Avenue Verte Route Guide Cuckoo Trail & High circular This is surely the quintessential infant River Rother as it makes its way Sussex countryside route, taking east towards the coast. Lying just off you through the ancient High Weald the main route, Mayfield is another of on a mixture of quite very handsome village with plenty of lanes and traffic-free sections. attractive old buildings. Turning south Heathfield – Brightling from here it is not long before you leave the road for a bridleway, part The ride starts with a gentle descent of the National Cycle Network Route south from Heathfield along the 21 which soon becomes a very fine, Cuckoo Trail into . Heading east smooth, stone-based track climbing you are immediately into a landscape through woodland, past stables to of lush pastures grazed by cattle, enter Heathfield at its eastern end. hedgerows full of birdsong and a myriad of attractive tile-hung houses. Places of Interest → There are pubs at regular intervals as Brightling ‘Mad’ Jack Fuller (1757 you cycle through the villages of Vines to 1835), the 22-stone MP and Cross, and , local squire, is remembered for his some with particularly curious names eccentricities and the follies he left and signs. Much of the surrounding around the pretty village of Brightling. woodland has been coppiced, a As well as the 65 foot Obelisk seen technique that promotes new growth from the ride, there is a pyramid in the by cutting back to ground level every church yard, a rotunda with a dome, 10-15 years. the Sugar Loaf and an observatory. Wood’s Corner – Burwash In Burwash churchyard is The longest climb of the day takes a cast-iron grave slab said to be the you up past the Swan Inn at Wood’s oldest in the country. There are many Corner, crossing the B2096 and on attractive timber-framed cottages in up past the Obelisk, one of the many the High Street. follies built by the eccentric MP and Bateman’s Built in 1643 for a local squire ‘Mad’ Jack Fuller, who lived ironmaster, this lovely National Trust at nearby Brightling. The longest house is best known as the climb is followed by the best descent, home of Rudyard Kipling from 1902 to dropping over 160 metres down into 1936. His study, gardens, water mill the valley of the River Dudwell. At (still grinding flour) and one of the the top of the next climb, Burwash first water-driven turbines to produce is an attractive village with many electricity are all preserved. Much fine timbered houses along the main of the neighbourhood is featured in street and plenty of refreshment Kipling’s ‘Puck of Pook’s Hill’. opportunities. Heathfield Old Heathfield was the Burwash – Heathfield original location of the village which Leaving Burwash, you encounter a was well known in the 16th and 17th series of ups and downs, crossing the centuries for its iron industry. The new

2 town developed with the railway in Major climbs the 19th century. Two long climbs, one of 150 metres up to the Obelisk near Brightling and the Starting point other of 120 metres up to Heathfield Heathfield from Mayfield, with several more 40- Distance 80 metre climbs 29 miles / 47 kilometres Refreshments Off road/rough sections Horam, , Warbleton, Rushlake Green, Woods Corner, 1. There is a 1½ mile section of Burwash, Mayfield, Heathfield bridleway south of Mayfield Tourist Information Centres 2. The Cuckoo Trail is a well-surfaced, traffic-free railway path used for Ashdown Forest Llama Park: three miles between Heathfield 01825 712040 and Horam Cycle Shops Grade Heathfield: Cycle Revival: Moderate / Strenuous (over 600 01435 866118 metres of climbing)

3 Cycling in East Sussex

Cuckoo Trail & High Weald circular Avenue Verte

n o i t LANE a Y t L S IL rte e Ve D t e d A a enu C l I g Av e P i Mayfield e f Hawksden Park River Rother n y o a Wood t S M Mayfield WI THEREND EN ROAD Witherenden Hill River Rother

te a g e n to S

River Rother Southover 5 A26

Burwash

Old Mill Easy To Miss Farm Bridleway

65 A2 River Dudwell

Bateman’s Burwash A265 Common

High Wood

Markly Wood M A R K L Broad Y E L Oak A HIGH N STREET E A265 River Dudwell STATION B 2 A 0 2 ROAD 9 65 6

Brightling Heathfield Brightling Needle Heathfield Park Dallington B2 Punnett’s Forest ’s 0 B 96 u Pyramid Town r 7 w

6 a 2 Observatory s A h Old Three Cups Heathfield Corner

g in tl N C h Sugarloaf E ig u r T B Folly c T L k 2096 B Runt-in-Tun E B 20 o S 96

o W

T O

r R

a T Wood’s

i H

l L Corner Swan A Inn N

E Dallington F UR B NA 2 C 2 E 0 LA 3 NE Hoad’s Wood Haselden Wood Warbill in Tun Rushlake G e R t O r Green L V A e E N V L E Y e Pannelridge Wood u Warbleton n Brewers e Arms v Rushlake A Green A 2 6 Horam Circular Route (on road) Wood’s 7 V Corner INES CROSS ROAD Vines Cross Traffic-free route

E N Easy To Miss C A L Turning h D r National Cycle Network (on road) i O s t O i a W I n ’s R i C 0 v 1 2 Miles u A259 e c r k A Road o o © Crown copyright and database rights 2012 Ordnance Survey 100019601 T r A a B2244 2 i 6 l B Road 0 1 2 3 Kilometres 7

Minor Road (arrow indicates steep hill pointing downhill)

LC Railway (with level crossing) Circular Route (on road) 200 180 Traffic-free route 160 Church 140 120 100 Pub National Cycle Network (on road) Metres 80

60 House of Interest A259 40 A Road 20

0 Other site of interest B2244 B Road

Car Parking Horam Rushlake Green Burwash Heathfield Horam Minor Road (arrow indicates steep hill pointing downhill) Take Care!

LC Railway (with level crossing) Follow Road Sign as Marked

Church Start of route

Pub Cartography © CityCycle Guides House of Interest

Other site of interest

Car Parking

Take Care!

Herstmonceux Follow Road Sign as Marked

Start of route