1 - From the crossroads in the centre of Ashurst Wood, next to the village store, start the walk westwards along School Lane, soon ignoring Chapel Lane to the left. At a T-junction, turn left and, after about 200 yards, turn sharply right along Beeches Lane.

The lane soon becomes an unmade track which you can follow northwards past several properties, disregarding a signed path off to the left. After passing through the gate to Beeches Farm, the track becomes a metalled drive.

Where the drive ends, go over a stile beside a gate and forward along a grassy track, soon with woodland and a modest rocky outcrop on your right. Pass through two more stile/gate combinations and continue along a right field edge.

Follow the field boundary as it zigzags left and right to reach a gate into the grounds of Stoke Brunswick, an imposing mansion, part of which dates from the 14th century. Don’t go through this gate. Instead, turn left for a few yards to a cross a stile.

Now drop downhill along a right field edge. After 80 yards, go right over another stile and left, downhill along a wide track with tree-lined banks which becomes an access drive and takes you out to a road.

2 - Continue along the drive to Homestall Stud, opposite. After about a quarter of a mile, pass between buildings and, once over a stile to the right of the gate to a large house called Homestall Farm, follow the drive through the garden, passing to the right of the house and continue along a clear track.

After about 400 yards, where the drive bends right, go ahead over a stile and drop downhill along a left field edge. In the corner, follow the field edge round to the right for 40 yards, then join and go ahead along a drive, ignoring the drive to your right.

Follow the drive as it passes to the right of a large house and garden and to the left of a bungalow called The Spinney. At a T-junction with the drive to Brooklands Farm, turn right.

3 - Where the drive begins to curve left, fork right along a path, signed as part of the Vanguard Way, which squeezes along the left edge of a horse paddock and feeds into a gravel track.

After less than 100 yards, where this track bends left, turn right along a clear fenced path which heads south between more paddocks, then through Wet Wood, not as damp as it sounds, and on between fields. Join a drive on a bend next to a house and turn left. Walk between the buildings at Owlett’s Farm, then over a stream and uphill between hedges.

4 - This track provides a direct shortcut to point 5. For the full walk, after about 200 yards, where the track bears half-right, go left over two stiles, the second hidden behind the hedge, and follow a right field edge as it soon turns right and climbs.

From this path you get a distant view of the elegant frontage of Hammerwood House, built in 1792 and designed by La Trobe, the architect of the Capitol building in Washington DC.

It contains a copy of the Parthenon Frieze and is open to visitors on some afternoons during the summer months.

It also offers accommodation in the “largest B&B bedroom in Europe”.

Go over a stile and maintain direction across the next field, walking parallel to power lines. An indistinct path, partly obscured by bracken, continues through a wooded dip, still with the power lines and then uphill across the next field.

At the time of writing there was, in this field, a faint trodden path running parallel and a few yards to the left of the power lines.

From the top of the slope the path converges on the right field edge. Go over a stile in this field boundary and turn sharply right along a fenced bridleway.

5 - After a quarter of a mile, rejoin the track which provided a direct link from point 4 and turn left along it.

After about two thirds of a mile, a few yards beyond the point where a tall and ugly wireless mast comes into view ahead, turn right over a stile and head squarely down across a field to find another stile beside a gate.

Continue in the same direction, following a stiled route beside or closely parallel to the right edge of several fields to join a lane next to Grove Farm Cottage. Turn right and follow this lane back towards Ashurst Wood.

At the first road junction, go straight ahead and, after another 150 yards, go right along School Lane which you can follow back to the cross-roads in the centre of the village where the walk began.

* Distance/Time: Five and a half miles/two and a half hours.

* By Car: Start from Ashurst Wood signposted from the A22 between East Grinstead and Forest Row. Roadside parking is possible in various places close to the centre of the village.

* By Public Transport: Weekday bus from Haywards Heath or East Grinstead to the western edge of Ashurst Wood (Three Crowns Inn).

* What’s underfoot: Good going along field paths and tracks. Minor hills only.

* Thirsty Work: Pubs at Ashurst Wood (not on route).

* So you don’t get lost: OS Explorer 135