Hellingly 8.5 Mile Circular Walk

This event was originally scheduled in June but cancelled due to a lack of interest. If you wish to attend it then please RSVP as soon as possible. If there is little interest in the first few days then I may swap it with a different walk nearer the day.

Please note this walk is on a Saturday.

The Event:
A circular walk of approximately 8.5 miles in the Hellingly area, that includes a small section of the Wealdway (https://www.walkingenglishman.com/ldp/wealdway.html).
We will start from the now abandoned St Luke's chapel, once part of the Hellingly psychiatric hospital complex (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellingly_Hospital).
After an initial walk along footpaths, the first section of the walk will take us through a derelict mill, an impressive 15th century moated manor house, and a church dating back to the 12th century built on a Saxon mound. The second section of the walk will be across open countryside including some quite rugged fields. Finally we will walk through two established woods.
We will walk at a medium to leisurely pace and there will be interesting features to stop and look at along the way. The distance and rugged terrain in places will make the walk fairly challenging.
We will take a 20 minute break during the walk. It should be dry but you might want to bring something to sit on. There will not be an opportunity to purchase food during the walk, so please bring a packed lunch if you wish to eat anything when we take the break. We may take one or two other 10 minute breaks to look at the interesting buildings and due to the length of the walk.

Fee:
There is a £1 'Event Fee' chargeable per person for this event that is payable on the day. Please note that I conduct at least one recce of the intended route prior to all of my walks, regardless of whether it is a walk that is familiar to me or not. Some of my walks use routes that were based on walks designed by others, and some I design from scratch using suitable public footpaths, permissive paths, bridleways etc. In exceptional circumstances changes to the intended route may have to be made on the day, and this could result in a change in the length of the walk.

Assembly in Hellingly
We will assemble at 11:00am at the front of the abandoned St Luke's Chapel, adjacent to the Woodside Annexe Sussex Partnership NHS Trust Car Park. The walk will commence at 11.15am, or sooner if all attendees are present.

Parking:
I have been advised that the car park at the Woodside Annexe Sussex Partnership NHS Trust is available for public use and is free, but please do not take my word for this and read any signage in the car park and surrounding area before using it. There should also be parking available at the Hellingly Community Hub car park along the road. Should you use the latter, please walk to St Luke's Chapel for assembly. I have been specifically asked by the Hellingly Parish Council that we do not park our vehicles in the road in that area.

Additional Information:
🐕 Dogs are welcome on this walk if they are kept on a lead for the full duration of the walk, if you clear up after them, and if you are able to keep up with the rest of the group. There are stiles to negotiate it and only some of them have dog gates so you will be responsible for getting your dog across them. Please don't bring a dog in very hot weather, and also consider whether it will be happy to do the distance.
The ground is expected to be dry. Please wear footwear that is suitable for walking along paths, fields and woods. Walking boots and strongly recommended.
We will be walking along some quiet country lanes for short parts of the walk.
A light waterproof jacket is recommended if showers are forecast.
Please bring with you an adequate supply of water for the walk.
If you need a lift to get to the event, then you may use event 'Comments' to request this, stating your whereabouts. If you are fortunate enough to be offered a lift by another member, then please offer to contribute to their costs. Do not RSVP to the event until your transport has been confirmed.
Please adhere to our Group Rules at all times. These can be found in our group's 'What we're about' section:
https://www.meetup.com/hastings-and-area-countryside-walks/