After a week at Waghorns CL we are on the move, we have had a great time here; it is a cracking CL with lots to do in the locality and the walking has been great. We have not eaten out often during our travels this year but this week we have made a couple of trips to the local pub, The Old Vine in Cousley Wood, on both occasions we had good meals. We will certainly return to this area in the future, there is so much more to see.
Our next stop on this tour is Bellfield Farm CL near Hythe on Romney Marsh, it take us about an hour to drive there and we are soon pitched up and ready for a walk. This is another part of the country we have not previously visited so we are keen to explore.
There is a footpath directly opposite Bellfield Farm, this immediately starts by crossing a drainage ditch and then we are walking alongside another ditch. Back in the 1990’s, when living in Taunton, I occasionally walked on the Somerset levels and this has a similar feel.
We cross a field of sheep, the gates are tied roughly with string and are not easy to manage. We then cross an arable field before reaching another footbridge, this has a few rotten slates so we cross with care. After going through another field we have a difficult stile to negotiate with the dogs, this enters the back garden of a house the route is not entirely clear but we find our way to the road (Gammon’s Farm Lane).
We head south along this lane ignoring a footpath on the right opposite the farm. We carry on along the lane for another half a mile before turning right on a clear footpath leading across fields (with the occasional footbridge) to reach a ditch (Bilsington Sewer) where a brace of swans are enjoying the tranquility.
We cross the sewer and follow the footpath besides it to Mill House Farmhouse, here we join a track to Newchurch. Dusk is falling as we walk into the village but we decide to take a quick look at the village church, so turn left and walk through the village, passing on the way the quaint Old School House.
The church of St Peter and St Paul is an interesting building, dating from the 12th century, with further works in the following centuries. The tower was added around the start of the 15th century, it is impressive as it has large buttresses that were added when it began to lean as a result of serious subsidence.
The porch and the doorway are the largest we can recall seeing on a village church. It is too late in the day to venture inside, but we will come back to look at the interior another day.
From the church we turn around and walk the mile back to Bellfield Farm CL. It is a quiet lane and the couple of cars that pass are going slow, so, even in the failing light it is not at all hazardous. Our little walk has covered just over four miles and given us an insight into the surrounding area.
To view this walk on OS Maps Click Here
To follow our walk you will need Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 125 – Romney Marsh, Rye & Winchelsea
26th September 2016
© Two Dogs and an Awning (2016)