Lingfield to Haxted Mill

Out on the Surrey border, the charming little Starborough Castle was home to one of the grandest families in the land. The Cobham family had lived at Starborough since at least the 14th century, and Reginald, the first Lord Cobham, also owned nearby Hever Castle. Lord Cobham held office as Admiral of the Fleet and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, he fought at Crecy with the Black Prince, and was among the first of the Knights of the Garter.

Deline and fall

Ironically, Lord Cobham survived his distinguished military career only to die of the plague in 1361. In his will, the great man left Haxted Mill to his wife, Joan. It was a more enduring legacy than the family home because, in a further twist of fate, Parliament ordered the demolition of Starborough Castle at the end of the Civil War. More than a century later the site was remodelled by Sir James Burrow, who used medieval materials to build the present Gothic-style pavilion. His building was restored during the 1980s, and is now a private home.

The daily grind

By contrast, the mill that you’ll see at Point 4 on this walk still stands on its original foundations at Haxted. According to local legend, Haxted Mill was founded by Richard III in the 15th century, though the earlier half of the present building was constructed on 14th-century foundations around 1580. The builders used local hand-axed oak to build the mill, and a sawn pitch pine extension was added in 1794. Haxted Mill continued grinding flour until just after World War I, when it switched to producing meal for the local farmers. Milling ended in 1945, and it has been both a museum and an upmarket restaurant, but is now closed with an uncertain future.

From the car park, cross East Grinstead Road and continue down the High Street. Turn left into Old School Place, and take the footpath between houses through the churchyard. Turn right into Vicarage Road, cross into Bakers Lane, and continue beyond Station Road, jink left and then right onto the footpath across the railway. Swing left as you approach Park Farm, then fork left onto a gravelled farm track, following the public footpath signs, in front of a row of houses and then ahead on a grassy track.

Continue over the stile into a field. After a few paces, cross a concrete bridge and then the stile on your left, and continue with the hedge on your right. At the field top corner, turn right through the kissing gate, heading diagonally across the field, past the prominent oak tree, towards the gate and adjoining stile on the far side of the field.

Cross the lane, climb over the stile opposite, and follow the footpath beside Eden Brook. Cross the brook on a new black metal bridge, then head across the field to a stile by the metal gates. Turn right along the road to Haxted Mill.

Cross the stile and turn right onto the Vanguard Way, re-cross the river, and bear left towards the stile on the far side of the next field. Turn left onto the road, then fork left just beyond the bridge.

Turn right along the drive towards Starborough Farm. At the farm, take the stile on the left, just before the wooden gates leading to the house. Walk along the field edge and then between farm buildings to reach a stile in the tree hedge. Cross the drive to Badger House, bear right leaving the house on your right, and follow the path across the field to the corner of a wood. Cross the footbridge and pass through a gate into a field and follow its left-hand edge ahead, then continue following the left-hand field edge to cross the next three fields, with either a stile or gate between each field.

Turn right in the corner of the fourth field, keeping the hedge on your left, and continue over a bridge and stile and follow the field edge on your left, over another bridge and stile into St Piers School sports ground. Keeping the hedge on your right, continue to a gap just before the corner of the hedge ahead, then cross the lane, where the footpath continues at a stile.

Cross a small field, a footbridge and then a second field, exiting via a stile. A few paces on, enter the woods by a gate, and pass the school’s adventure playground. Beyond the woods, bear right through the gates near the school buildings, and follow the left-hand edge of the field. In a second field, jink left onto a path to pass close to sports pitches. Pass through a kissing gate, and over two footbridges separated by a meadow to reach the railway line. Turn right and cross the line over the footbridge in the station. Walk down the approach road to cross over Station Road and up the path opposite The Star Inn. Cross over Church Road, and turn right through the charming Old Town into the churchyard. Finally, retrace your steps to the car park.