Daily Exercise and Filsham Reedbed

My daily  exercise this morning had me walking in a different direction, again with an early start, consequently, I saw very few other people, particularly on the way out, and the early part of my return journey. As for all days these days, maintaining at least 2 metres distance was essential and, yet again, it was very rare that anyone else got within 5 metres of me, as I zigzagged along the less quiet later segment of the route. Anyway, I walked westwards this morning to Combe Valley Countryside Park, reaching the edge by the seashore at Bulverhythe.

Then I cut inland, crossing the footbridge over the railway tracks, and then crossing the A259, and walked up to Combe Haven. I saw one young woman walking her 2 dogs, but we maintained over 10 metres between us, and with no social discourse, not me being unfriendly I can guarantee, honest guv! Anyway, I coped with being ignored from 10 metres away and turned north up on the west side of the Combe Haven river...

About 600 metres on I crossed the small bridge to reach the entrance to the Sussex Wildlife Trust's Filsham Reedbed Nature Reserve. Being a member of the trust, and a regular visitor to this wonderful reserve, which is one of the largest reedbeds in Sussex, I have written about the reserve quite frequently, for example when I wrote a blog last month about World Wetlands Day 2020.

The image above is a rarely seen view of an area of wetland in the reserve, indeed, I cannot remember ever seeing this! Why? Because the reeds are usually very tall here and obstruct the view. However, the trust appears to have cut back the reeds in recent maintenance, so there you are (a rarely seen view for you!).

Finally, I reached my turning point for the walk, the 'hide' in the reserve, at the end of a very easy to manage raised wooden walkway (keeps your feet dry too). Gorgeous and peaceful, indeed, perfect tranquility. On this visit I didn't actually see any rare birds (though I did see a pheasant fly across the river on my way back!), but the reserve is an important stopover for migrating birds, reed warblers, bearded tits and water rail are among the birds that breed here, and specialist insects and plants thrive here.

For information about the Sussex Wildlife Trust, or how to join, go to their website, or go to The Wildlife Trusts website.

Remember, at least 2 metres apart, and be respectful!

PS. I only saw 2 people I know today, on my way back to the town centre, and I spoke to them both from about 5 metres.

A Weekend Walk from Hastings...

Filsham Reedbed Entrance

We undertook this (roughly) 20 mile walk at the weekend, first heading westwards along the seafront from Hastings & St Leonards, then we crossed the railway line via the footbridge at Bulverhythe. We had to cope with a few hundred yards walking back along the A259 before turning onto the public footpath that took us up Combe Haven valley where, after passing the holiday park, we soon found Sussex Wildlife Trust's Filsham Reedbed Nature Reserve entrance to the right (website).

As a member of/donor to Sussex Wildlife Trust, I regularly visit Filsham Reedbed, a haven of peace and tranquility, with the call of birds the only noise we heard, and we saw 20 or 30 martins swooping in the sky. During our time in the Combe Valley Countryside Park (website) we saw many different birds, including martins, egrets and plovers, as we continued on our way...

We were going to stop at Crowhurst for a drink, after walking further along the footpath, and under the new road, but were too early, so we continued on to Battle. On leaving Crowhurst from St George's church and its famous 4,000 year-old Yew Tree, we rejoined the footpath, walking through Fore Wood Nature Reserve, and northwards to Battle, where there was a famous battle apparently (Battle Abbey Gatehouse above).

Anyway, we definitely required a drink, having run out of water, so we popped into the pub we always use when visiting Battle, though usually at the end of a walk before catching a bus or train back to Hastings, that is The Bull Inn (website). This is a 17th century coaching inn, built with stones from the original Battle Abbey, whose ales tend to include quite locally produced beers, we had a pint each of an Old Dairy ale, brewed in Kent, and the kind young woman behind the bar refilled our water bottle, cheers! 

We walked back the way we came to Crowhurst, and sat outside the Norman St George's church (website) to eat a sandwich, admire the yew trees and read the stones of the 2 Commonwealth war graves...

... before we returned to the now open Plough Inn in Crowhurst, and drank a pint each of Sussex brewer Long Man Best Bitter, cheers! This pub opens at 12.00 noon at weekends, we had been about 40 minutes early when we passed it in the morning.

De La Warr Pavilion

Anyway, we carried on walking along the 1066 Country Walk - Bexhill Link under the new road, and following the newly built pathway to Bexhill, where we stopped outside the iconic modernism meets art deco De La Warr Pavilion (website), opened in 1935, to enjoy our last snack of the walk. We then headed home to Hastings, followed by a wind from south of west bringing with it rain, still, it had been dry all day before that, so we couldn't complain, indeed, it was a grand day out, thank you very much.

One Step Beyond...

The Azur Pavilion, which was used as the older peoples' home in the film Byzantium.

Our very own Banksy...

We could be living on the Cote d'Azur!

The Winter home of the St Leonards beach huts!

And this was "one step beyond" - as in, one step further than the sign that tells you you're entering the Combe Valley Countryside Park.

The wonderful De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill...

On my way back...

Here, I met a couple of older lads (my Devonshire coming out here!) who fish from boats launched from the beach here by Bulverhythe, and we had a great chat, and when I was advised that cod hasn't appeared this winter, and whiting is quite small, but this was a couple of weeks ago, indeed, confirmed by a Hastings fisherman I know since, but, some cod has since been landed by Hastings' boats...

And I ate the last locally caught cod and chips that they had at the Dolphin this lunchtime, excellent piece of fish, and the chips weren't bad either! Looking forward to some more locally caught cod soon, I hope, but I do like huss, and plaice too, for that matter