A Sunday Stroll to Bodiam Castle
9 people attending
21 places left
Bodiam Castle is one of the National Trust's most popular attractions. An externally almost complete, moated castle in beautiful countryside next to pub and a river, beyond which lies the Kent and East Sussex steam railway line. Fortunately for us, the Sussex border path goes right through the estate and next to the moat. This allows us to walk through the grounds without having to pay to do so. It does not allow us to cross the moat and enter the castle itself.
The little hamlet of Bodiam can easily be reached on foot and there are numerous routes to enable this. In the various walks that I do with the group, we have covered many of them but there are always more variations to choose and each time it is a challenge for me to try to find new routes, especially for those who walk with me regularly.
The Castle Inn at Bodiam is a popular pub which is well accustomed to providing lots of meals at short notice. We will have lunch there and past experience is that even for good-sized groups, one doesn't have to wait very long.
The return walk is 4 miles and virtually flat, following river Rother almost all the way back. One careful road crossing is the only blip in this otherwise very pleasant home run. There is a pub right next to the station for a well-deserved drink while we wait for the trains.
Please note that our finishing time is not fixed; it depends how long it takes to get lunch and how weary the walkers are in the afternoon.
If you have never been on an Outdoor Lads event before:
The idea of meeting up with a group of complete strangers to be taken for a long walk on an unknown route through unfamiliar countryside can be daunting for some, but hopefully the following helpful guideline for new members will set your mind at rest. Please use the drop down sections on this page to find walk guidelines.
What to bring
Water: bring at least a litre. Once the walk starts, there are no shops except for the National Trust shop at Bodiam Castle.
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Rucksack: or any other bag
Footwear: hiking boots will be essential as it will probably be wet and muddy in places
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally not jeans which become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Food & drink
Please bring snacks to sustain you and plenty of water. There are shops near the start of the walk but there are none once we get going. Bodiam Castle has a café and shop.
For lunch, as this is a sociable walk, we will have lunch at the Castle Inn at Bodiam.