BOAT: Folkington Road

• Overall Rating: 4
• Location: Wilmington Green, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 123, 'Eastbourne & Beachy Head, Newhaven, Seaford, Hailsham & Heathfield'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ559038 
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 81' 30" E000 21' 20"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ563019
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 79' 60" E000 21' 70"
• To see: Jevington, the Long Man of Wilmington, scores of tumuli, a Neolithic camp.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

Yup, it's tight.

Starting at the beautiful Folkington Church (put a few pennies in the collection box towards its upkeep), this great lane appears to be accessible in both directions. However, since RUPPS are no longer open to motorised traffic since the reforms of 2006, only the BOAT to the south-east is open to us.

To that end, this is a pretty hard-going lane. A chalky surface that can be slippery in very wet conditions, coupled with some tight sections with regards to undergrowth, and some demanding driving up inclines and over axle-twisting roots, all make this lane a challenge. If you're worried about damage to your paintwork, definitely go elsewhere. It's also quite congested, as it's obviously popular with walkers, ramblers, cyclists and horse riders, especially on a weekend.

Otherwise this is a decent lane that curves around the base of the beautiful South Downs and offers superb views from time to time as the foliage occasionally retreats. The steepest it gets is where the lane climbs up Cranedown Bottom, where it is by no means insurmountable but equally not a simple climb. Once you're up though the lane simply follows the contours around Teddard's Bottom, after which it begins its final descent.

The first option to end this lane is a small branch that heads off steeply downhill towards Jevington Road. This turning is very tight with regards to manoeuvring space, and very steep. Indeed was is far too tight to try to turn a Defender 110 into, so the best option is to continue down the lane until it meets Green Lane, and follow that to its termination in the picturesque village of Jevington. Since you're here, go and take a rest in either The Eight Bells or take dinner in the Hungry Monk (a restaurant which purports to have invented Banoffee Pie.)

For those interested in history, a neolithic camp on top of Combe Hill lies to the east, numerous tumuli lie to the west of the route, whilst the Long Man of Wilmington can be found just to the west.

Statistics:

Total Distance: 3.54 km (2.2 mi)
Total Time: 17:15
Moving Time: 16:32
Average Speed: 12.30 km/h (7.6 mi/h)
Average Moving Speed: 12.83 km/h (8.0 mi/h)
Min Elevation: 83 m (274 ft)
Max Elevation: 172 m (566 ft)
Elevation Gain: 123 m (403 ft)
Max Grade: 10 %
Min Grade: -7 %

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