Ouse Valley Circular

Ouse Valley - Monday 13th August

With Richard away for the day on family business, it was left to Trevor and myself to carry out the Monday walk.

For today it was the Isfield and Ouse Valley circular route from the Camra’s South East pub walks book with a leg from Founthill about half a mile south from Newick.

Trevor parked the car in a quite road at Founthill we then picked up the Sussex Ouse Valley Way (SOVW)  after braving the stinging nettles for a couple of meters we were in open fields with views as far as Ashdown forest to the North and in the opposite direction the South downs.

 

Walking was easy and the way signs were clear apart from one that had been removed for harvesting this resulted in some extra walking for us until we picked up the SOVW again. After a couple of miles and having braved the harvester when the path went through a corn field (Trevor went first!) we had our first view of the river Ouse, from this point it was beauty spots, places of interest and history everywhere.

Large weir at Isfield Place with the first of many fish ladders seen.

 

What can’t be seen is the river spur leading to one of the 19 locks built on the river Ouse around 1790 the lock is under reconstruction at the moment by The Sussex Ouse Restoration Trust www.sxouse.org.uk  .

 

At the point where the Ouse valley Way joined the Camara walk we spent some time sorting out the route and soaking up the history.  First a notification that White bridge was closed and this would affect our return route and prevent us taking pictures (just for Richard) of the Lavender Line - a small private line that Richard had driven steam trains along a few months back.

 This point is also the location of where an old Roman road crossed the river Ouse via a ford.  On the far bank through the trees you can see the village church which is now outside the village but in the 1100's it was at the centre.  It is thought that when the Black Death hit the village in 1348 the village moved away from the graves to its present location. 

 Then we have the site of the Motte and Bailey castle which is on the far bank but unfortunately not very easy to see due to the vegetation.

To continue the walk you head off in a south westerly direction along an old carriage track which once linked Barcombe with Isfield.

Lunch was at Barcombe which derived from Anglo Saxon meaning (beer camp) an apt location for the Royal Oak  www.royaloakbarcombe.co.uk

 

The next leg takes us from the Royal Oak to the Anchor Inn at Barcombe Mills. The route takes in several fields with views over the South Downs and old railway cuttings the first which ran from East Grinstead to join up with the Bluebell railway to the North the other ran from Uckfield to Lewes. Then at Barcombe Mills by the side of Barcombe House we rejoined the river Ouse.

 
 On joining the river you cross the old toll bridge and at this spot is the site of an old flour and paper mill dating back to the 16^th century.

Further down the road is another bridge from which you can see even more fish ladders. The walk continues all along the river bank for about two miles till you see the Anchor Pub. 

At the pub the route crosses to the opposite bank and unfortunately due to the closure of the white Bridge further up stream we had to change our route from the river bank to a footpath called Blunts Lane which was a grass lane across fields all the way back to our start point of the Camara walk.

We then reversed our route along the river Ouse back to Founthill and Trevors car. Overall the walk was about 13 miles. No stats for this walk - we left the "geek" behind!