High Weald Walking Festival

All the planning and preparation for today’s walk I was leading forward the High Weald Walking Festival paid off. We left Bodiam Station at 12.00 arriving back there 8 miles later at 4.00pm passing Bodiam Castle, St Giles’s Church (last Wednesday’s blip) and Great Wigsell House. (extra)

Great Wigsell is a little known but absolutely beautiful Jacobean house hidden in the Sussex Weald, once owned by the Culpeper family it is now privately owned by an American lady.

Bodiam was the centre for growing hops, being the main source for Guinness until the 1970s. Families would come down by train to Bodiam for 6 weeks in September and October to pick hops, work and also have a holiday in the countryside away from the East End.

There’s been a resurgence in hop growing in recent years with the emergence of local craft and micro breweries who like to use local hops and local ingredients in their brews.

We were in plenty of time to catch the last train back to Tenterden which left at 4.40pm. The weather was superb, almost too warm, blue skies and a gentle breeze. Had many compliments for a wonderful and informative walk. What a day for September.

It would be right to to visit the railway and not post an steamy extra of No 300 before the 10.40 departure for Bodiam.

We arrived back at Tenterden and immediately retired to the beer garden of the Old Dairy Brewery adjacent to the station for a refreshing pint of their Blue Top IPA.