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Riverside Walks |
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| "When walking by a river or stream you are invited to follow" |
| Our Walks |
| Select a walk |
| Walk 1 - Isfield Old Carriage Road |
| Walk 2 - Lewes Pells to Hamsey Island |
| Walk 3 - Isfield, Vuggles Farm & River Uck |
| Walk 4 - Upper River Uck, High Hurstwood |
| Walk 5 - Slaugham Furnace & Mill ponds |
| Walk 6 - Lewes Brooks circular walk |
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| Our advice is to wear some suitable walking boots or shoes as the ground can be very uneven and muddy especially during the winter months. Take the appropriate OS map for the walk and a printed copy of the directions. |
| Enjoy a Walk by the River... | ||||||||||||
Welcome to our Riverside Walks.A river provides a fascinating place to walk and the impulse to follow its course could almost be an instinct. The River Ouse offers some wonderful scenery and wildlife for all to enjoy so we are gradually putting together a series of walks throughout the River Ouse catchment to enable you to see what we are trying to conserve. The routes are of varying distances, so hopefully you will find one to suit you and your available time. All of our walks are based on public or permissive footpaths. It's our aim to make them circular and to include as much river in the route as possible. Along the course of the river there is a wealth of public footpaths that either follow or cross the river at various points. The lower or tidal reaches have paths on one or both banks virtually all the way from the mouth at Newhaven up to Hamsey just above Lewes. In the middle section there is still a fair amount of riverside paths but in the upper reaches and tributaries public access is patchy. In each of the walks published we have tried to add where possible things to look out for along the route, be it wildlife or local history. We hope you find this interesting. The aquatic environment of the River Ouse and its tributaries supports a rich abundance of flora and fauna making it a fascinating place to explore. You may be lucky to see a buzzard circling overhead or a kingfisher whizz past, hear the splash of a leaping sea trout or even spot a water vole swimming or scurrying along the bank! If you see anything interesting please contact us to let us know. We hope that after reading some of our walks you will be encouraged to get out and explore the river, its wildlife and the beauty of the surrounding Sussex countryside. We plan to add new walks as we research and record them so please visit again soon.Walk 1 (4 ½ miles) - Isfield, Old Carriage Road.
Approximately half of the route follows the river bank so it's a good opportunity to see shoals of fish as they feed on the surface, you may even spot a brilliant flash of colour as a kingfisher flies low and fast along the river. Overhead throughout the walk you are likely to see the impressive buzzard. The walk should take about 2-3 hours and there is the opportunity to have a drink and a bite to eat in the Anchor Inn, half way. View this walk...Walk 2 ( 4 miles) – Lewes Pells to Hamsey Island.
There are quite a lot of historic features to look out for on this walk especially from the days when chalk was quarried from the Downs and taken away by barge. The old disused “cuts” that formed the navigation are now important habitats for aquatic creatures. As you walk beside the water listen for the plops as frogs leap into the water so as not to be trodden on! The strange laughing sounds you hear will almost definitely be the Marsh frogs. You can reach Lewes easily by train or bus and the Pells is a short walk from the town centre. The walk should take about 2 hours to complete. View this walk...Walk 3 ( 9 miles) – Isfield, Vuggles Farm & the River Uck..
Not only will you see the main River Ouse on this walk but also the Shortbridge Stream and the River Uck which is the largest tributary of the Ouse. During the winter months many Sea Trout visit the Shortbridge Stream to spawn. Listen for the twittering of a skylark high above the fields and watch the sky as you may see a buzzard circling near Vuggles Farm. In the summer months butterflies are abundant so look out for Red Admirals, Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and Commas to name a few. View this walk... Walk 4 ( 5 miles) - The upper River Uck, High Hurstwood.
On this high ground a lot of the streams and gills that feed the River Ouse start life, flowing from the sandstone ridge of the Ashdown Forest . The source of the River Uck which is the largest tributary of the Ouse is only a few miles from this area. This walk follows part of the course of two streams and crosses the River Uck at various points. If you walk carefully beside the streams you may see small brown trout as they hold in the current at the tail of a pool. In early April we were fortunate to see groups of brook lampreys nest building and spawning in the crystal clear water. View this walk... Walk 5 ( 3 ½ miles) - Slaugham Furnace and Mill Ponds.
Starting and finishing at the furnace pond you are reminded straight away of the bygone Sussex iron industry. The need to harness the power of water to drive hammers and bellows led to the damming of streams to create the many hammer & furnace ponds in the area. These relics of industry now support rich varieties of wildlife with birds, fish and insects abundant. Look out for the large dragonflies and diving grebes when you get to the mill pond, at the furnace pond you will see plenty of carp moving around under the lily pads. Although not along the river bank this walk takes you through some lovely countryside steeped in history where water is certainly a feature. View this walk... Walk 6 ( 9 miles) - Lewes Brooks circular walk.
This all day walk takes you through the pretty villages of Iford and Rodmell, with their flint walls and ancient churches. The most striking aspect of the walk is the beautiful downland scenery, which surrounds you, and constantly changes along the route. From Northease we take you up onto the Downs to enjoy panoramic views over the lower Ouse valley. Look out for the Alpacas and during the summer months enjoy the butterflies and wealth of wild flowers. Along the river you will see Little Egrets at the waters edge and maybe even Shelduck, the giggling sound you hear will be the vocal Marsh Frogs. View this walk... Coming soon, hopefully March 2007, we're just preparing this walk to add to the website.. Walk 7 ( 4 miles) - Newhaven - Piddinghoe circular- Taking in the Downs above Newhaven with views across Seaford bay . |
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