5 Ways to Discover What Makes the High Weald Special for Walkers - or Anyone!

Now in its 8th year, the High Weald Walking Festival is designed to celebrate the unique qualities of the High Weald National Landscape by exploring its hills, heathland, woodland, towns and history.  Every year, the festival attracts walkers from not just its native Kent, Sussex and Surrey but from all over the UK and even abroad.  So, what is it that makes this 1461 square km of South East England a jewel in the crown?

Living with history in the High Weald

As the 4th largest National Landscape in the UK, The High Weald meets eight defining characteristics that make it distinct from other areas in the country; these include geology, settlements, woodland, fieldscapes & heath and its dark skies.  These characteristics have made it both a distinct and homogeneous area for over 700 years, and as an area of outstanding natural beauty, it is protected by law to conserve and enhance its natural beauty.

1. Explore ancient woodlands & abundant heathland

Historically, the High Weald was one of the most densely wooded areas of England, so dense, it's said that Caesar tried to land but couldn't get through the woods, so they landed further up the coast. Even with today's pressure of development in one of the highest populated areas of the country, the High Weald has three times the national average of tree cover. What's more, 70% of its woodland is classified as ancient, and it tops the leaderboard of all the National Landscapes with the highest levels of ancient woodland.

It comes as no surprise then, that woodland will be pretty hard to avoid during the Walking Festival but here's a taster of walks to look out for:

Explore ancient woodlands to the north of the High Weald around Pembury with a guided walk around Snipe Woods, Cinderhill Woods & Brenchley Woods. To the west, Buchan Park near Crawley offers a typical High Weald mix of woodland and heath, and why not take part in one of the guided walks at Gravetye Estate near East Grinstead where you can learn more about woods, unusual plants and trees and biodiversity projects that are helping to conserve and protect local nature.

2. Follow the footsteps of ancient routeways

The High Weald's ancient routeways are a key characteristic of the area. The combination of dense woodland and high ridges led to ridge-top routeways and an intricate system of droveways that cut through the woodland to move cattle, sheep and pigs to grazing and farmsteads. Over time, these developed into the roads we know today, including many narrow, deeply sunken lanes edged with boundary banks and hedges which have become wildlife-rich habitats. When you're walking along high banked country lanes, just imagine centuries of drovers and farmers passing that way that carved the route with their footsteps; and maybe you'll even find yourself on a Roman road.

Join us for a walk along the old Cansiron Lane, an ancient ridgeway with incredible views, explore the ridges of Ashdown Forest or the High Weald's History in the Hills between Wadhurst & Eridge Park.

3. Discover rocks, outcrops, ravines & sandstone ridges

The geology of the area is the foundation for what makes it special. Sandstone ridges and bands of clay have created rocky outcrops, steep-sided ravines and sand and clay soils that form the basis of the lowland heathlands. If you haven't seen any of the area's rocks, join the Broadwater Warren and Eridge Rocks walk on the edge of Tunbridge Wells. Ashdown Forest ticks most of the geological boxes with its steep-sided fast-flowing streams (or ghylls), ridges and rolling valleys. Ashdown Forest is the largest open access area in the South East and the walking festival has a number of walks exploring its 10 square miles of pure nature. Take a look at the programme for a wide variety of events including The Appeal of Ashdown Forest, or Ashdown Forest Clumps & Views.

4. Walk a medieval landscape of ancient settlements & rural life

On almost any walk around the High Weald, you'll notice farms with a pattern of small, irregular-shaped fields. The earliest settlers worked hard to clear these fields from the woodland and even today you'll see that many have ancient boundary features, often with shaws (small strips of woodland) remaining from the original woodland that encircled the farmstead. The towns have particular features too. Join our walks in Tenterden, Goudhurst or Cranbrook to see building styles that leant heavily on local resources of timber and sandstone. The High Weald Landscape walk from Groombridge is a great example, taking you on a tour of sandstone village buildings, rocky out-crops, medieval field systems and ancient routeways.

5. Go Wild in Nature

The High Weald National Landscape boasts over 227 square km of sites of biodiversity value supporting 3720 species of plants and animals. From Buchan Park and Gravetye Manor in the West, to Ashdown Forest and the Kent Wildlife Trust's Pine Marten project in the East, there are nationally designated ecological sites where teams are working hard to support endangered species such as the marsh gentian, silver studded blue butterflies, or the nightjar.

A number of events give you the opportunity to learn more about the complexity of restoring nature and the incredible opportunity conservation offers for flora, fauna and humans; or just get excited when you see and identify a species you haven't seen before. The following festival walks will take you on an ecology deep-dive:

Join naturalist, author and wildlife guide, Michael Blencowe, who leads a family wildlife walk on Ashdown Forest from Old Lodge Nature Reserve, or explore Gravetye Estate on the William Robinson Woodland Walk where you can learn more about unusual plants and trees and biodiversity projects. Meanwhile on Ashdown Forest, the Ashdown Forest Conservators and the Kent Wildlife Trust join forces to run an event about one of Britain's rarest mammals, the Pine Marten, you’ll discover why it disappeared from the High Weald and what can be learnt from Kent Wildlife Trust's reintroduction project. And on the flip side…look up! Dark skies are a key part of the High Weald's characteristic features and you can learn more about the Andromeda Galaxy with the High Weald Dark Skies team.

>> Please note, while these wildlife walks are free they are expected to be popular and most require booking!

The High Weald Walking Festival takes place from the 13th - 21st September 2025, offering free guided walks and self-guided walks across the High Weald. Explore the full walking programme here.