Walk 3765 - printer friendly version

Sissinghurst Castle from Cranbrook Walk

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 7.0 miles / 11.4 km

Ascent - 500 feet / 152 metres

Grade - easy/mod

Start - OS grid reference TQ776362
Lat 51.097601 + Long 0.53505763
Postcode TN17 3JX (approx. location only)

Circular walk from Cranbrook exploring typical countryside of the Weald. The route includes St Dunstan's Church, also known as the Cathedral of the Weald, in Cranbrook, which dates to the late 13th century and is Grade I listed, and Sissinghurst Castle Garden, which was created by Vita Sackville-West, poet and writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. The garden is one the most famous gardens in England and is designated Grade I.

The walk starts from the Jockey Lane car park (grid ref. TQ776362) located on the north side of St Dunstan's Church. After parking walk up Jockey Lane, pass the entrance to the churchyard on your right, and follow the path ahead with a wall on your right. Follow path running along the right-hand edge of the recreation ground and fork right at a junction of paths and continue down steps to Waterloo Road. Cross to the signed path opposite. Keep ahead ignoring paths on the right and left Just before reaching a gate fork left (grid ref. TQ786369) off the concrete track onto a path through woodland. Exiting the trees into an open grassy area, fork right and follow path to descend steps onto a lane. Cross to the steps opposite and follow path for 650 metres to exit onto Chapel Lane in Sissinghurst (grid ref. TQ795375).

Turn left and then right along the main road (A262). Cross to the pavement opposite and continue past the church for 180 metres and turn left along a track between a hedge and fence. The track bends right and then left. Continue ahead and slightly left when the track enters the sewage works. Cross a footbridge and immediately turn right through a National Trust gate to enter woodland. Continue ahead through trees to exit onto a drive (grid ref. TQ802381). Bear left along the drive and cross a stile on the right into a field. Turn left along the hedge and follow path running parallel to the drive until your reach the next stile. Cross this onto the drive and bear left and continue ahead to visit Sissinghurst Castle Garden (NT).

To continue the walk, follow drive as it swings left passing the Oast House on your right. Continue ahead past the plant shop and café to join a track with the car park on the left. Just past the end of the car park, bear left along a track with an orchard on your left. At the end of the orchard, bear right and then left along a track soon passing Horse Race House. Continue ahead and just before reaching a road cross a stile on the left. Follow path south through orchard. Reaching a small wood, head half-right aiming for the bottom right-hand corner of the orchard. Pass through a gap in the hedge to join path past the NT gate used earlier in the walk. Recross the footbridge and follow the sewage works access road back to the A262.

Turn right and then left into Chapel Lane and then right along track used earlier. After 120 metres turn left onto the signed path along the left-hand edge of a field. The path continues through woodland with footbridges to emerge into a field. Follow path around right-hand edge to a gate which leads onto Chapel Lane. Turn right and continue to a junction. Turn right signed to Cranbrook and after 80 metres turn left down an access track (grid ref. TQ797364). The track leads into a footpath through trees. Reaching a waymark post (grid ref. TQ798361), turn right into a field. The clear path leads to a concrete track. Bear right and follow access road keeping left at the entrance to the school. Continue ahead to reach a road (grid ref. TQ788360).

Turn left and turn right through gate in hedge with adjacent fingerpost to join the High Weald Landscape Trail. The path crosses a field into woodland. Cross a footbridge and then go right along the field edge and then left up a large field to join the outward route. Turn left and retrace your steps back to start by St Dunstan's church in Cranbrook.

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