Birchden Wood to Mott’s Mill Loop

Have now transitioned to barefoot shoes so all walks are with barefoot boots.
Obviously these walks can be walked conventionally too.

Park on the car park of Birchden Wood, where there are handy toilets and a coffee trailer.
Birchden Wood is a mixed native broadleaf woodland owned by Forestry England.
Take the path marked south to Harrison’s Rocks through woodland. Where this divides we followed the lower path to the right which is parallel to the Spa Valley Railway with views to the left of Harrison’s Rocks.

Harrison’s Rocks are owned and managed by the British Mountaineering Council for the benefit of climbers and the general public for recreation on foot. Formed 135 million years ago, the sandstone rock is fragile, meaning the only acceptable styles of climbing are top roping using a well rigged system that will not damage the rock with moving ropes, or soloing.

Continue until the weir, taking the footpath to the right leading to a level crossing. Take care crossing the railway.

On the day we visited they were running steam trains, though we only saw a diesel. Turn left, and follow the railway on your left, passing Ligg’s Wood and Holden Wood. We made a detour to visit Eridge Station and The Huntsman pub, though this was unfortunately closed when we visited, so do check opening hours if you intend to visit.

The four platform junction station at Eridge was built in 1868 and remains surrounded by open countryside with only the former station inn nearby. This reflects the land ownership in this part of Sussex with the Abergavenny/Neville family tightly controlling development within their estates. The estate village of Eridge Green is over a mile from the station purporting to serve it and the family was not prepared to allow a “New Eridge” to grow around this station. Instead it remained a point where passengers and freight transferred between trains rather than a generator of traffic in its own right. It still performs this role today as the meeting point of the Spa Valley Railway and the national rail network.

After exploring the station, we then retraced our steps along Forge Road, taking the well sign posted footpath through Holden Wood.

At the footpath junction, turn right onto the Sussex Border Path, passing Rocks Farm on your right. The field around were planted with an amazing mix of phacelia, clover, chamomile and vetch. At the junction with the road, climb over the stile dedicated to the Dinosaurwalker, John Barrett, and turn right, following Mottsmill Stream. Passing some lovely clapperboard cottages and a great wood shed.

The small hamlet of Mott’s Mill was originally part of an estate called Sherlocks on the west side of the valley, owned by the Sherlock family for many years. However, by 1595 they had died out and the 150 acres of land plus a watermill passed to Thomas Twine, a doctor of physic. He in turn sublet and then sold the watermill to the Mott family owners of Motts Farm on the eastern side of the valley and this name has endured to the present day despite the demise of the watermill before 1800.

In the mid-Victorian period, despite its proximity to the excellent rail links only a mile away, this tiny settlement boasted its own market gardener, blacksmith, beer retailer, four carpenters, shoemaker, tanner and, somewhat implausibly a “dealer in marine stores”. By 1881, the presence of a gas stoker, a brickmaker and a coal merchant reflect the new rail links and their ability to move bulk loads economically.

Mott’s Mill has a lovely atmosphere, as shown by the camels and men (not) at work installation with its own pothole scoreboard and QRcode link.

Follow the footpath through woodland, and then when it turns left through more flower meadows, with 2 pillboxes in the distance.

Take the tunnel under the railway and onwards to the junction with the road, turning left onto the road. Follow this around, until a narrow marked footpath on your right between houses. Take this over the railway again, with views of old locomotives to the right and Groombridge station in the distance to the left.

Continue along the footpath and at the junction with the road, turning right, turning back into Birchden Wood and return to the car park.