Crowhurst Circular Walk

(1) Starting from the station road, walk downhill until the main road junction and take the path uphill to the left of the church – where you’ll soon see the ruins of a 13th century manor house. Follow the road past the ruin and pass through a gate into a wide open field with valley to the left. Dogs may need to go on a lead due to grazing sheep.

(2) Head straight across the field towards a single oak ahead. Beyond and to the left of the tree, pass through a kissing gate and over a footbridge. Keep the stream to your left and continue between wood and stream until the two meet at a stile marked with ESCC yellow signs.

(3) Turn right into Fore Wood Nature Reserve and immediately right again, almost doubling back for a short distance. At the next junction, turn left by a bench, and uphill along a (muddy!) path. Keep going between the trees, ignoring the first marked path on the right. Before you reach a bridge over the stream, take the second marked path on the right, up through the trees following the direction of the white arrow. The path steepens and meanders through the trees.

(4) At a well marked track forming a T-junction, turn left – you may notice some bivouacs made from branches to your left. Continue along the path on the flat, past a bench, continuing eastwards. Ignore white arrow marker to your left, straight on down a slope and over a small stream, leading up again after. After some distance there’s a bench to the left and path to the right – carry straight on, railway line now to your left.

(5)The path slopes downwards; you’ll hear the stream in the ravine, but before you reach it, take the path on the right that slopes down, away from the railway and alongside the ravine. Be careful, there’s a fairly steep slope on your left here. Ignore the first turning on the right and continue ahead, downslope.

(6)Turn right to follow the direction of the arrows, up a gentle slope. Continue along the track through the trees, past a bench on the left at a small clearing with a valley behind and trees beyond, in the direction of the arrows. The path takes you back into the woods to the right, and towards a large pond downhill to your right.

(7) With the pond to your right, follow the path at the edge of the wood that skirts the bowl, and to a stile ahead. Cross the stile to your left by the sign of RSPB Fore Wood (dog owners: watch out for sheep in field beyond). Cross the field and at a gate with a muddy track, turn right to follow the left edge of the field, completing the loop to the footbridge over the stream and kissing gate by the lone oak on your left. Retrace your steps past the oak, diagonally across the field.

(8) On the left side of the field by a water trough, pass through the galavanised steel gate and turn right back towards the road at the corner of the field. Turn right onto the road and again right into the church yard, which cuts off the corner and allows you to admire not only this 13th century church, but also an ancient Yew tree on the right as you follow the path round to the front of the church (see box). At the gate to the churchyard; cross the road and the station is up the hill ahead of you.

The Yew tree in the church grounds has been estimated at between 1,000 and 3,000 years old; it’s likely that it was well established when the church was built in 1250. The longevity of Yews means it’s a species that’s long been regarded as sacred, with some reputed to be 4,000 years old. Churches were frequently built next to existing trees which may already have been a site of worship for pagans. The Yew is also a symbol of immortality and rebirth, with its seemingly magical ability to grow a new trunk from the original root, rejuvenating itself. The entire tree is poisonous, which strengthens its connection with life and death.