This walk starts with a ride on the 125 bus to Barcombe Village. You can pick up the bus at Lewes bus station, Lewes High Street, Western Road and outside Neville Green. It also passes Cooksbridge Station but the connections are not good. The 125 is a vital service for many people on its route but will not last much longer if not used. Please support it. The bus crosses a bridge and then stops in the village, just before the pub. Alight here.
(A) Railway enthusiasts may want to walk back to the bridge and look north to the old Barcombe railway station. There is no other access to the old station. This is the Bluebell Line, which once ran from Lewes to East Grinstead. Much of it has been preserved, but there is very little likelihood of this section opening again.
[1] Walk forward to the Royal Oak pub and turn right down a lane to the left hand side. The lane crosses another lane. After this look for a footpath on your right, running between back gardens. Go straight down this, ignoring paths which go off it. The path emerges into a field. Go down the right hand field edge.
[2] The field edge starts to curve left. Leave the field here to enter an uncultivated area, by a footpath sign. Immediately the path forks. Take the left fork and follow the path along and then down to the woods.
(B) These woods are on the track of the old Bluebell Railway.
Emerge from the woods into a field. Turn left. Walk slightly away from the field edge towards a stile. After crossing this stile turn half right and head towards the second large oak tree in the right field edge to meet another stile and then a third stile on to a tarmac lane.
Turn left down the lane. Cross the railway again and then a stream. Now find a signposted path to your right. Head east on this across a field. Arrive at a wartime pillbox. You will see a number of these wartime defences on the walk. Just beyond the pillbox is a road. Turn right on this and walk down a slight hill.
(C) The buildings on your right were once a pub and Barcombe Mills railway station. You can see the old railway track to your left. This is part of the Lewes to Uckfield Railway which was only closed so that East Sussex Council could build the Phoenix Causeway, a piece of road in Lewes which bypassed Cliffe High Street. The line was busy up to closure, with people travelling from Uckfield and points north to Brighton. There is an active campaign to reopen it.
Deep railway enthusiasts may want to walk up the old railway line to the left and rejoin the main walk at the Anchor Inn, but this would involve missing one of the best bits of the walk.
For the main walk cross the road and take a path which bears left, quickly joining a lane. Keep straight ahead until you reach the gates of Barcombe House. Turn right here
(D)You are now at Barcombe Mills, the end of the tidal stretch of the River Ouse. This is a popular walking area, but it often floods in winter. You are also on the Ouse Valley Way which you follow for the next part of the walk.
Cross a number of bridges, noting the toll sign by one of them. At the end of the bridges see a path turning off to your left alongside the river. Take this.
(F)The river Ouse is now a quiet stream here, although it has been known to flood both Uckfield and Lewes, but it was once a main transport route, navigable up to near Barcombe. Like many river navigations, it was a victim of the coming of the railways. The Sussex Ouse Trust is dedicated to promoting and preserving the history of the river and promoting its future use.
Landowners alongside the Ouse are getting fed up with people leaving the debris of picnics and other stuff in their fields. Please make sure that you leave nothing lying about.
Navigation now becomes very simple. You follow an obvious path along the river bank. You cross a bridge to an open field. Continue ahead keeping the river to your left. The right of way runs by the side of the river here. Follow the path across a second bridge and continue along the river bank.
Come to a third bridge and cross it. Turn right, keeping some farm buildings on your right. Come to a footpath sign and then a junction. Turn left along a narrow path which then opens out to run alongside the river to the car park of the Anchor Inn.
(F) The pub hires out boats and there is an ice cream stall to the right by the boathouse.
Cross the bridge over the Ouse and then turn left. Continue to walk north alongside the river. Pass under the bridge that carries the old railway track over the river. Continue north by the river for about a kilometre until you come to another bridge, White Bridge.
This stretch of the river between the two bridges is recommended for wild swimming. Watch out for the boaters though!
Do not cross White Bridge but instead turn right along a track. Follow the track until it joins a road. Bear right here and walk into Isfield village.
(G) On your left you will see the Laughing Fish pub, next to it the Lavender Line steam railway Unfortunately, the line is usually only open on Sundays and bank holidays, when the 125 bus does not run, but the station is open on Saturdays For a walk that combines a ramble with a trip on the railway see here.
The bus stop is just across the level crossing. The stop for Brighton and Lewes is on the opposite side of the road. The stop for Uckfield and Tunbridge Wells is to the left.