Busses Farm

This ride is about 4.5 miles and is partly on surfaced lanes and partly on field edges; so it can be rather soggy!

This ride starts in the Herontye housing estate close to the junction of Herontye Drive and Ship Street. Turn off Herontye Drive into Harwoods Lane. After the lane crosses Victoria Way, it becomes a well surfaced farm road. Care must be taken when going through the farmyard at Millfield farm. Just before Busses Farm is reached at the top of a hill, go through a gate on the left and into a field, this is marked as a bridle way on the OS map, but sign posted as the Sussex Border path. The route now follows the field boundaries down hill and is very bumpy and prone to sticky mud in wet weather! Near to Horseshoe farm the bridle way joins a farm road, turn left and head up hill. Just before you cross the Forest Way, go through a gate on the right and down the slope to join the Forest Way, be careful as there are some steps near the bottom. Turn left and return to East Grinstead.

Highams Wood

A 9 mile round trip on varied surfaces

The first part of this ride is unfortunately along the A22 out of East Grinstead towards Eastbourne. Just past Woodbury Avenue, turn left into Worsted Lane, after about 150 yards turn right along a bridle way, which can be a bit sticky in wet weather. Continue for about a mile to Shovelstrode Farm, turn right here onto Homestall road and continue for about a mile to Ashurst Wood. At a T junction in the village turn left into Cansiron Lane, in a few hundred yards fork right and then at another T junction again right past Grove farm. The lane then climbs slowly towards Highams Wood, where the lane bears left go straight on into the wood. The track now descends and once out of the wood passes some ponds on the right, which makes the going somewhat soggy! Go through the farmyard at Ashdown Farm and on down the hill, towards the Forest Way. Just before the bridge, dismount, go over a stile on the left and walk along the edge of a field, over another stile and onto the Forest Way. Turn right and follow the Forest Way back to East Grinstead.

Cansiron Farm

A 13.5 mile round trip on varied surfaces Following the first part of the Highams Wood ride above.

The first part of this ride is unfortunately along the A22 out of East Grinstead towards Eastbourne. Just past Woodbury Avenue, turn left into Worsted Lane, after about 150 yards turn right along a bridle way, which can be a bit sticky in wet weather. Continue for about a mile to Shovelstrode Farm, turn right here onto Homestall road and continue for about a mile to Ashurst Wood. At a T junction in the village turn left into Cansiron Lane, in a few hundred yards fork left and then at a T junction turn left. Follow the private road past 'Thornhill' folowing the line og the Vanguard Way until after about 2km turn right and go past Owlett's Farm. Climb the other side of the valley with a good view North to ard Hamerwood house. Just after entering Holden Wood take a sharp left and follow the Bribleway past Great Cansiron Farm and join Cansiron lane. Turn right along the lane for about 2.5Km the at the top of a small rise follow turn right along the farm lane towards St Ives Farms the follow the bridle way past Chartners Farm and onto the Forest Way. Turn right and follow the Forest Way back to East Grinstead.

Gravetye Woods

Parking Any of the hard rides can be used for cycling. However the area near Gravetye manor and the Lake are not Forest Enterprise land and should not be entered. The terrain is fairly undulating with some nice hills but with blind corners so be ware of walkers, dogs & children!
An alternative entrance is from Sharpthorne by the Bluebell Inn. It is possible to park on the roadside here.

Circuit of Weir Wood

13 miles with about 5 on roads
Follow the Forest Way out of East Grinstead, until the first road crossing is reached, at Brambletye crossing in about 1 3/4 miles. Turn right on the farm lane going past the ruins of Brambletye house. Follow the track down hill with the ruins to your left. Keep straight on up the hill, until you once again reach a metalled road, turn left to the Forest Row to Sharpthorne road and then turn right. Follow this road towards Sharpthorne through the edge of the Ashdown forest. Once you reach Sharpthorne, turn right just before some shops on the right and follow the road down and over the top of the railway tunnel entrance. Just past the Bluebell Inn there is a gate into the Forest Enterprise woodland. Go through this and follow the forest track until after about a mile you reach a gate. Go through this and turn right, follow this along until you reach a metalled lane, turn right. After 300 yds follow the lane round to the left and under a railway bridge, then through a farmyard and follow a sometimes muddy track across a stream through a gate and then up the hill. At the top, bear left through a gate and follow the track along above the rocks used by climbers, until you reach the Sharpthorne - East Grinstead road. Turn left here up the hill and follow the road all the way back to East Grinstead. Beware this is a narrow road with quite a lot of traffic.

Ashdown Forest (or a Circuit of Pooh country)

18 miles
The route follows the Forest Way as far as Forest Row, here it is better to follow the footpath along the A22 into the village and cross at the pedestrian crossing. At the roundabout by the church turn left along Hartfield road (B2110). An alternative could be to keep following the Forest Way through Forest Row and turn off to the right before you reach the first bridge, however it is easy to miss this exit.! Keep on the B2110 until you reach Colmans Hatch church on the left. Turn right for a few hundred yards then right an immediately left past the Hatch Inn. The road goes down hill to Newbridge and crosses the stream that flows under Pooh Bridge. Having gone down you must now climb up to Gills Lap, or as Pooh called it 'Galleons Leap'. Turn right along the B2026 for about a mile to King's Standing, As you cycle along there are good views here to the North Downs to your left and the South Downs to your right. Unfortunately there is no cycling allowed on the rides and paths in the  Ashdown forest, the surface soil is very poor and is easily eroded. At King's Standing turn sharp left onto the B2188. And follow this all the way until a road junction just before Groombridge. Here turn left along the B2110, after about 400m the road bends and goes over the railway, after another couple of bends  watch out for the site of an old railway bridge, cross the road and find the gated track that takes you onto the Forest Way. Follow this all the way back to East Grinstead via Forest Row.

Kent Water 26km

This route follows small lanes to take you east of East Grinstead.

The first part of this ride is unfortunately along the A22 out of East Grinstead towards Eastbourne. Just past the Woodbury Hotel, turn left into Worsted Lane, after about 150 yards turn right along a bridle way, which again can be a bit sticky in wet weather. Continue for about a mile to Shovelstrode Farm, turn left into Homestall lane. After about a mile you come to the A264 turn right along here for a few hundred yards and the take the first lane on the left signed to Dormansland. Follow this lane down the hill and just after you start climbing again turn right into a smaller lane. This lane wends it's way past farms and small ponds with Kent Water on your right. Continue along for about 2 miles until you reach a T junction, turn right up the hill and keep right at the next fork past a golf course. When you reach the A264 again turn right and immediately left into Cansiron lane. Follow this until you reach the B2026 and turn right towards Hartfield. Just before you cross the bridge over the Forest Way turn left and follow the track to join the Forest Way and go under the road, follow the old railway all the way back to East Grinstead.

Dry Hill 30km

This starts as for Kent Water above but has more off road elements. When you arrive at the A264 turn Left for a few hundred yards and just before the E/W Sussex count boundary turn Right onto a Bridle way past Old Surrey Hall, continue upto the road and turn Left for about 1Km. Follwo the Farm lane (Bridleway) to Dry Hill farm and then the lane becomes a dstoney track climbing to the Irona Age fort at Dry Hill. Just past the fort as the track descends you can either comntinue down the tarck to the farm lane and rejoin Kent Water via the Vanguard way. Or follow the Bridleway to the left through the woods and down Marlpit Shaw to Rejoin Kent water at Scarletts. From here follow the valley to the T junction and turn up hill and keep right at the next fork past a golf course. When you reach the A264 again turn right and immediately left into Cansiron lane. Before you reach the B2026 turn right past Cartners farm and folow the Bridleway to the Forest Way turn right and follow the old railway all the way back to East Grinstead.
Steve Metcalfe ©2002-2010
Home Updated ... 15/10/2011