My turn! Heck its summer so there’s loads of trails out there to explore and I’ve been enjoying doing so myself over the past weeks of isolation.
So in Geoff fashion…
I am this week’s Routemaster 🚌, so fasten your seat belts and here we go ……
I am your cross country captain, for whenever we can return to racing, although I’m usually seen on the sidelines due to some annoying bouts of injuries over the last few years. I’ve been in the club since 2008 and they still let me in for some reason. The club had already moved to its current (pre covid) venue at the Nevill, but for many years before we were based at the rugby club at the top of Frant Road, so I thought it would be nice to start from there for once.
For those that want to drive, there is ample parking available along St Mark’s and Forest Rd, that we have used many times in the past for our Club champs.
Just over 10km, but very hilly! Would recommend something with a bit of grip like a hybrid trail shoe (Peregrine) as there are a few bits of mud about. The Running Hub is no doubt stocked with them and available to deliver.
WedRoute_130520
Link to the route on OSMAPS so you can export the GPX
Link to Strava Route if you want to follow that
If, somehow you are still running this in the dark, wear something bright and hi-vis.
Next week will be Pru back in Tonbridge, please let Geoff know if you want to set any routes in your locale to mix things up, especially off road routes.
Ed Steele
Instructions to try and help you not get lost
- Starting from the rugby club head down Frant Road
- Turn left before you get to the road signs and head along Tangier Lane (Cathy takes credit for me finally discovering this lovely lane)
- Tarmac will become mud then when you get to the farm turn right onto the circular walk
- Follow this all through the forest, over a bridge and keep to the left. Eventually you will hit a gate that heads into an open field.
- Just up this field there is a crossroads with a gravel track (we’d normally keep heading up to Frant Church)
- Turn left on the gravel track and follow this all the way to a set of houses
- Head through a small gate and immediately in front of you is a little clearing between hedges, head through this to a stile
- Follow down through the forest all the way to Bayham Road, turn right
- Head uphill a little bit on Bayham, then turn right at a gate back into the forest and head steeply uphill again
- You’ll reach a stile where you head across a field (usually full of sheep, or evidence of sheep) keep the hedge to your right to another stile where you turn right
- This joins up with another footpath on the concrete/tarmac where you head past the warehouses of JOTA motorsport
- There’s another stile infront of you before the road bends to the left that you can take to Bells Yew Green Road
- Once on the road, a quick right past a house and left (hard to spot the footpath sign) and you’ll head down a path towards Manor Farm
- Where the road diverges, there is a stile on your right and a lovely uphill route through an empty field. This eventually pops back out on Bells Yew Green Rd by a house with an amazing view – take a photo!
- Head past Frant by following the road that keeps the cricket common on your right (or run over the common) and join Frant Road
- Head left down Frant Road for about 400m and by a few planters there is a discrete footpath next to a low brick wall and some old service building I never figured out
- Head down this very steep path into Eridge, there is a gate with a permissive footpath sign on it, head through this and follow the path right on the Eridge 10 route up Deeply Steep
- At the top of this very fun hill is a gate, head through this, slightly into the woods on your left (don’t go immediately right) and there is a footpath sign to head past
- Just past this there is a stile on your right that heads back across a small field to Frant Road
- Head left down the lovely hill of Frant Road, then up the equally lovely hill to the rugby club