East Sussex - Forest Way Trail
A disused railway line that's packed with wildlife
The Forest Way is a converted disused railway line in the heart of the beautiful East Sussex countryside and it runs from East Grinstead to Groombridge.
You can walk or ride the flat, tree-lined track as it winds through a peaceful countryside route of small fields and scattered farmsteads and wooded, rolling hills.
As the trail is completely traffic free, it’s really family (and pram/buggy) friendly and a great option for less experienced cyclists and horse riders. There are plenty of villages to stop off at along the way for a bite to eat or you can picnic at one of the many benches and picnic tables.
The area is part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and provides an important habitat for wildlife. In spring and summer keep an eye out on the verges for a variety of wildflowers and plants such as wild garlic as well as swallows, dragonflies and newts. You might also see the tracks of badgers, deer and foxes in the woodlands and fields.
The woods are full of birds to listen to and the fields are full of swallows catching food from April to October.
Fans of Winnie The Pooh will also be interested to learn that the route passes the village of Hartfield, which was the setting for the much-loved AA Milne tales.
