Travelling Geese
Seddlescombe on the road from Hawkhurst to Hastings was one of the places we rode through on our motorcycles in the days when the Mods and the Rockers were creating the setting for the movie Quadrophenia. It was rarely a place to stop but on the way and on the way back it was always the thing to ‘do the ton’ across the border between Kent and Sussex.
A small Italian Scooter
Today we stopped having left the potholes of Kent for the pleasant roads of Sussex and settled in the car park. We had Poppy the dog with us and that would make the walk interesting especially when on the grass near the car park was a small flock off geese. Surprisingly Poppy took very little notice of them.
We had a pleasant walk from the car park wandering through the village via the footpaths and minor roads. We ate blackberries ripened on the bramble and wandered rather than hiked. There a few paved footpaths around the village, narrow but worth the walk. The treat was meeting a local resident who was proud to display three Italian Capri scooters – the mod part of the day – one immaculate and two being readied for restoration. I liked his enthusiasm for this little known marque (in the UK that is) and wished him all the best in his enterprise hoping to see them finished one day.
We walked along and up the main road to the church and from there across the paddocks, Poppy successfully negotiating her first stile, to complete the circle back to the village. On the way Poppy the dog decided that she should improve her image by rolling in a dollop of Fox poo. Yuk! Cleaning was effected by encouraging her to roll on the clean grass at intervals and eventually applying the wet wipes. This was done once we were off the farmlands.
Woodlands
Seddlescombe is a typical Sussex village as far as the style of buildings goes although it has some pleasant modern homes (bungalows you call them) and a fair share of ancient houses that still look look like a village. One house is dated 1509 and others mark the later centuries. Nestled in a valley the village is on the 1066 walking route and travelling a little way along that we discovered the riverside walks and the woodlands that are popular with local dog walkers. Poppy got excited when she saw two squirrels and wanted to chase them up a tree but she was on the lead so the animals were safe.
We lunched at the Queen’s Head which turned out to be a dog friendly pub. Yippee! Not only that but parked outside was a Norton motorcycle possibly circa 1926 – used regularly with the owner chatting with friends at the bar. Hardly a Rocker but at least it balances out the scooters we saw earlier. Restored and working is the theme.
A working Norton
What with the water pump on the village green, the geese wandering about dodging the cars, veteran motorcycles, and classic scooters plus a village that is attractive and interesting with some pleasant walks, then Seddlescombe is a pleasant place to visit. Good lunch too.
In all it was a pleasant place to stop and wander.
Seddlescombe Cottages
