Top 5 East Sussex Dog Walks
Explore five stunning locations, great for dog walking all year round. We discuss accessibility, off-lead opportunities, parking and what to expect.
1. Walshes Park, Crowborough
If you’re looking for a gentle dog walk with plenty of off-lead opportunities, Walshes Park is a great choice. Easily accessible all year-round with gravel paths and boardwalks, there are lots of routes to explore amongst beautiful scenery. There is a small free car park (with a height barrier) or parking along the road. Benches are provided around the park as well as dog litter bins. It is a very popular spot amongst dog walkers and can be very busy at peak times, especially early mornings, late evenings and weekends but with the park being so large and spacious, it is easy to take your own path.
2. Darch’s Wood, Cross-in-Hand
A ‘hidden gem’ nestled in East Sussex, Darch’s Wood is an ancient woodland with a variety of paths following the stream and through trees as well as a small boardwalk. There is a beautiful pond and red arched bridge crossing the stream in the middle of the woods with picnic benches and tables. Darch’s wood makes for a wonderful dog walk all year round with each season bringing a different atmosphere. Dogs can be off lead and the paths are a way away from any roads, although there are often sheep in adjoining fields during the summer months. There is very limited parking at St Bartholomew’s Church, best to avoid at busy times such as weekends. This walk is perfect if you want something a little wilder and more woodland-immersed, great for off-lead sniffing and for dogs that enjoy undergrowth, streams and woodland smells, paths can be uneven and muddy especially during winter months.
3. Sapperton Wood, Heathfield
A quiet, lesser-known woodland walk combining woods, fields and footpaths — ideal if you want a quiet rural dog walk. Accessible from Theobalds Green, Sandy Cross Lane, The Runt in Tun pub or Maynards Green, the ‘Turf Fields’ as it is known amongst locals are a nice quiet and easily accessible beginning whereby you can then enter into Sapperton Wood. It is a popular location amongst dog walkers in Heathfield, although is rarely busy. There are many routes to follow which are clearly marked by footpath signs as well as worn down paths. It is a great off lead walk as you are far away from any roads for the majority of the walk, although it is good to be mindful of livestock. The woodland follows from the edge of Heathfield to Maynards Green or you can easily create a loop back to where you first enter.
4. Abbotts Wood, Polegate
Abbotts Wood is an easily accessible woodland walk with gravel paths and paid parking, there are also public toilets, waste-bins and picnic benches. There is an array of woodland routes and a lake with long and short route options. Dogs can be off lead, although the woodland is also accessible to horse riders so please be mindful. It is a very popular walking spot and can be busy at peak times but definitely worth a visit for a beautiful woodland walk.
5. Buxted Park
If you want a walk with a mix of woodland, parkland and a sense of history, this is a top pick. The circular walk combining Buxted Park and Views Woodland offers a lovely mixture of historic deer-park land, ancient woodland, and gently meandering paths. Suitable for off-lead walks although there are deer, wildlife and sometimes livestock. Parking is available by the Church within Buxted Park.
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