Lewhai two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Lewhai here.

I walked from Hailsham to Lewes on Sunday 18th June. The weather was hot, sticky, humid and showery.

I'd say this walk is borderline ok. I found it really challenging to navigate and would've struggled without a GPS and did struggle when it started raining so the touch screen on said GPS was difficult to use!

Finding your way out of Hailsham is ok, the footpath from The Diplocks to Diplocks Way could be more obvious and you have to cross the dual carriageway A22, which is not ideal. The footpath from the A22 roundabout to Knockhatch Park was overgrown, requiring some hacking through undergrowth and looked like there had been attempts to block it. I went the wrong way here too.

The part from Knockhatch to Upper Dicker was lovely, but again overgrown in places, particularly at Mickleham Farm. Chalvington church is a good place to stop for a rest and there is a shop in Ripe (closed Sundays, alas). The footpath out of Ripe seems to have completely disappeared, the path appears to go through someone's garden, potentially the route could stay on the road instead.

The main problems for me were between Mark Cross and Ringmer, not helped by heavy rain at the same time! The footpath signs completely disappeared after a bit and the fields were overgrown with no sign of any path or track or anything. In fact, I reckon Bostal Boy may well have been the last person to walk down here. I lost the path three times and had to retrace my steps!

Once I got to the edge of Ringmer, the bus to Brighton was approaching and the rain was getting heavier so I abanonded there. I've walked the bit from Ringmer to Lewes lots of times - these are well made up and well trodden paths and it's difficult to get lost!

On the basis that there isn't really an alternative route between Hailsham and Lewes (there are very few footpaths east of Ringmer for some reason), I think this route is just about ok.

If you're walking this: expect livestock, narrow gaps, dodgy stiles, hidden turns, unclear paths so be prepared!.

I chose to walk LEWHAI 2, as I didn't fancy the section walking along the A27 in LEWHAI 1. I was walking from Lewes to Hailsham on a sunny Friday in May. The first section to Ringmer and out along the Broyle was alright, with too much walking on pavements beside the road for my preference. However it was all perfectly safe and reasonably direct. And it does connect Ringmer, a substantial settlement to the Slow Ways network. One of those places in Sussex like Pulborough and Henfield which really ought to have been a hub in its own right.

From the Broyle, the next section across to Laughton Place and over to Ripe is quite agricultural with some footpaths cutting diagonally across fields rather than along the edges. In two places these fields had been recently ploughed so they were quite awkward to traverse.

The second half of the route from Ripe to the edge of Hailsham is by far the best part of the walk using quiet lanes, bridleways and footpaths between pretty villages. This included a superb bluebell wood called Bramble Grove beyond Upper Dicker.

Overall the route works. There were no blockages, it was adequately sign-posted but I did find it necessary to use sat-nav to confirm I was on the right track. The tracing of the route on the map was a little bit off in places, but the intention was clear. There were plenty of the usual rural obstacles such as stiles, gates, footbridges, soggy or muddy fields plus some livestock to negotiate. Crossing the A22 by the Knockhatch roundabout on the outskirts of Hailsham is a bit hairy. Shops, pubs, and refreshments are available at Ringmer, Ripe and Upper Dicker. The village shop / cafe at Upper Dicker is particularly recommended - nice people!.

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