Barcombe and the Ouse

A flat loop through all three Barcombes: meadows and sheep pastures from Barcombe Cross past Knowlands Farm to the Anchor Inn on the Ouse, where you can hire a boat, then the river bank down to the mill ponds and weir at Barcombe Mills, and back by the old village and its 12th-century church. Before you go: in April 2026 the guide noted a collapsed bridge closing the left bank below the Anchor, with a detour on the paved track to Barcombe House.

The ground

Flat, 'easy walking' on grassy or gravelly paths, with a quiet 1 km lane to the Anchor. The river path 'gets quite congested' with growth in summer, so cover your legs; muddier in winter round the locks and weirs. One field path near the end is narrow and may be overgrown.

Livestock

Sheep fields near Knowlands and Scobell's Farms, Shetland ponies in a paddock at Knowlands Farm, and an apple orchard 'shared by sheep' on the way back.

Pubs and cafés on the way

• The Royal Oak, BarcombeBarcombe Crossstart
• The Anchor Inn & BoatingBarcombemidway

The line on the map

Below the Anchor the line takes the mapped paths to Barcombe House; the guide's left-bank path is shut by a collapsed bridge (its note of April 2026) and its detour keeps to the paved track.