A
Andrew Conroy
Guest
Please be gentle, this is my first attempt at a TR!
Yesterday we (myself, and two friends John & Emma) tackled The Cockoo Trail (along the old railway
line) from Heathfield to Hampden Park, Eastbourne and back again. A total of 28miles! Emma is going
to Brazil in the summer to work with street children and neds to raise a serious amount of money to
get there, so a sponsored walk seemed in order...
And so it was that we found ourselves in the car park at Heathfield at
6.45 Sunday morning taking a photo of us at the start in the dark! The first section, 2 miles to
Horam, is on a gentle downhill gradient, crossing a few roads at the start and then going through
wooded corntyside. We arrived at Horam at 7.30, taking a photo at the milepost as evidence we'd
been there, and continued on to Hellingly, 4.5miles on.
The route from Horam to Hellingly does a quick detour off the railway through some houses and then
back along through the wooded railway line, with occasional glimpses of the open countryside each
side of you. We passed through Hellingly without really noticing as the path goes past the old
station (now somebody's home) but not though the village. The path goes on to Hailsham, 1.5miles
away though fairly open countryside before entering Hailsham and leaving the railway line. We
arrived here at
7.40am and rested for 5mins to have something to eat and drink.
The route goes through two underpasses and then emerges into the middle of Hailsham. We folowed the
signs along the roads past the duck pond and through an estate before picking up the railway again
and heading towards Polegate. Another 3miles of mostly open countryside lead us to Polegate, the
original end of the trail. We made it to Polegate for 950am and headed off along the newly
designated extension to the Cuckoo Trail to Hampden Park.
The route from Polegate to Hapmden Park goes round the back of Polegate and then cuts briefly
through 2 estates before setting off around Shinewater Marsh. This had to be the dullest part of the
trail, being all hard surfaced with lttle scenery to view. We arrived at the end of the trail (not
particularly well marked at all) around 10.45am and headed into Hampden Park to find a toilet. We
had covered 14miles in 4hours.
Suitably relieved, we started back on the return journey at 11.20 only to be faced with a bitterly
cold, gale-force wind in our faces for the trip back to Polegate. Trudging through the wind, John
somehow twisted his knee but gamely pressed on.
The return trip back to Heathfield is steadily uphill and the effects of the previous miles and
John's twisted knee started to take its toll as we slowed down from our initial 3-4miles an hour to
2miles an hour for the last stretch, with more stops for rest than on the way out. We arrived back
at the car park in Heathfield at 4.40pm weary but feeling a great sense of achivement having covered
the full 28miles (plus excursion into Hampden Park, 1mile) in a little over 9hours.
Overall, I'd say the Cuckoo Trail is a pretty walk, if a bit 'samey' at times, along good, flat
ground. The trail is very well signposted, although the distances should be completely ignored! One
sign which read "Hailsham 5m" was repeated 10yds down the track with one which said "Hailsham 3m"!
The overall distance simply doesn't add up by looking at the signs, they must have been put up by
someone who had never looked at the map!
If all our sponsors cough up (they'd better!) then we hope to have raised £600, with a further £600
left to raise before June! I hope my feet can stand the strain!
--
+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Andrew Conroy, Owl-Art Un-Ltd. | email: [email protected] | Coming to you on an Acorn
| RiscPC SA110 | Snail: 58 Newland Road, |
| | Worthing, |
+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
The impossible I can do at once, miracles take a little longer!!
Yesterday we (myself, and two friends John & Emma) tackled The Cockoo Trail (along the old railway
line) from Heathfield to Hampden Park, Eastbourne and back again. A total of 28miles! Emma is going
to Brazil in the summer to work with street children and neds to raise a serious amount of money to
get there, so a sponsored walk seemed in order...
And so it was that we found ourselves in the car park at Heathfield at
6.45 Sunday morning taking a photo of us at the start in the dark! The first section, 2 miles to
Horam, is on a gentle downhill gradient, crossing a few roads at the start and then going through
wooded corntyside. We arrived at Horam at 7.30, taking a photo at the milepost as evidence we'd
been there, and continued on to Hellingly, 4.5miles on.
The route from Horam to Hellingly does a quick detour off the railway through some houses and then
back along through the wooded railway line, with occasional glimpses of the open countryside each
side of you. We passed through Hellingly without really noticing as the path goes past the old
station (now somebody's home) but not though the village. The path goes on to Hailsham, 1.5miles
away though fairly open countryside before entering Hailsham and leaving the railway line. We
arrived here at
7.40am and rested for 5mins to have something to eat and drink.
The route goes through two underpasses and then emerges into the middle of Hailsham. We folowed the
signs along the roads past the duck pond and through an estate before picking up the railway again
and heading towards Polegate. Another 3miles of mostly open countryside lead us to Polegate, the
original end of the trail. We made it to Polegate for 950am and headed off along the newly
designated extension to the Cuckoo Trail to Hampden Park.
The route from Polegate to Hapmden Park goes round the back of Polegate and then cuts briefly
through 2 estates before setting off around Shinewater Marsh. This had to be the dullest part of the
trail, being all hard surfaced with lttle scenery to view. We arrived at the end of the trail (not
particularly well marked at all) around 10.45am and headed into Hampden Park to find a toilet. We
had covered 14miles in 4hours.
Suitably relieved, we started back on the return journey at 11.20 only to be faced with a bitterly
cold, gale-force wind in our faces for the trip back to Polegate. Trudging through the wind, John
somehow twisted his knee but gamely pressed on.
The return trip back to Heathfield is steadily uphill and the effects of the previous miles and
John's twisted knee started to take its toll as we slowed down from our initial 3-4miles an hour to
2miles an hour for the last stretch, with more stops for rest than on the way out. We arrived back
at the car park in Heathfield at 4.40pm weary but feeling a great sense of achivement having covered
the full 28miles (plus excursion into Hampden Park, 1mile) in a little over 9hours.
Overall, I'd say the Cuckoo Trail is a pretty walk, if a bit 'samey' at times, along good, flat
ground. The trail is very well signposted, although the distances should be completely ignored! One
sign which read "Hailsham 5m" was repeated 10yds down the track with one which said "Hailsham 3m"!
The overall distance simply doesn't add up by looking at the signs, they must have been put up by
someone who had never looked at the map!
If all our sponsors cough up (they'd better!) then we hope to have raised £600, with a further £600
left to raise before June! I hope my feet can stand the strain!
--
+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Andrew Conroy, Owl-Art Un-Ltd. | email: [email protected] | Coming to you on an Acorn
| RiscPC SA110 | Snail: 58 Newland Road, |
| | Worthing, |
+----------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
The impossible I can do at once, miracles take a little longer!!