Forest Way & Ashdown Forest circular

There are many reasons to pause as you cycle the Forest Way & Ashdown circular. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Homes stories in Crowborough, while pretty Forest Row was once a series of lodges housing royal hunting parties heading for Ashdown Forest.

Forest Way, a disused scenic railway line opened in 1866 and shut down by Beeching exactly 100 years later, takes you through the tranquil heart of the East Sussex countryside. Take it slow and you might spot dragonflies, newts, swallows, badger tracks, deer or foxes.

Back on the road, the historic village of Hartfield houses two ancient inns – perfect for a refreshment stop – along with a 13th-century church and a charming scattering of homes built between the 16th and 18th centuries. And last but certainly not least, near Hartfield you'll find the site of Pooh Bridge, where Winnie the Pooh played Poohsticks with his friends in the series of books by AA Milne.

Finish your two-day trip back in Uckfield, where you can start reminiscing over your Ashdown Forest adventure on the train home.