BOAT: Irelands Lane

• Overall Rating: 2
• Location: Kent Street, Hastings, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ798153
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 90' 90" E000 58' 10"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ973148
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 90' 60" E000 54' 90"
• To see: Roman Bloomery.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

A short byway this one, and barely worth the bother. 

That said, we drove it from its eastern end on Moat Lane. There's quite a nasty little pothole on the right-hand side when negotiating the slope down from Moat Lane, but its not all that bad and we were soon past it. Carrying on downhill in a westerly direction, this lane can get pretty wet so, in Reeds Wood at least, the surface is lightly rutted mud and leaf mould. The trees and mature hedging that line both sides of the byway never encroach and so pose no threat to the paintwork.

On passing out of Reeds Wood, after a few more metres the greenlane surface abruptly changes to a tarmac surface and serves as a driveway for Ireland's Farm, whereby any attraction for the greenlaner is destroyed despite the pleasant views afforded from the lane across the farm's fields. Be careful when turning back onto the A21: it's an extremely busy road.

In Beauport Park on the other side of the A21, and accessed by a footpath, lies a Roman Bloomery (iron-working site). The bath-house is apparently up for sale if you want it (who wouldn't?!).

To East Sussex County Council this is Westfield Byway 48.

View Irelands Lane in a larger map

BOAT: St. Helen's Wood Road

• Overall Rating: 3
• Location: St Helen's Wood, Hastings, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ816124
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 88' 30" E000 58' 10"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ817118
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 87' 70" E000 58' 20"
• To see: St Helen's Old Church.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

A green lane in the middle of Hastings? You'd better believe it! Uniquely, in our experience, Hastings actually has a few green lanes running through it, but most are simply unadopted roads. St. Helen's Wood Road, however, is the real thing. It's a little surreal driving a byway in the middle of a large seaside town but it is by no means an unenjoyable experience!

St. Helen's Wood Road leaves The Ridge (otherwise known as the B2093) southwards and downhill through a car park for some new flats and thence, on a firm surface of leaf mould and mud, passes some bungalows and, on passing the last one, the surface deteriorates a touch as a shallow washout is forming down the middle of the lane. It's easy going, however, as long as it is negotiated correctly. On the plus side the foliage is kept well back and should leave your paintwork alone.

Around the corner a footpath leaves the byway to the east. This point is marked by a wooden fence (see picture below), and the byway itself tracks round to the south and continues downhill. Don't make the mistake of driving the footpath! On a straight, easy track the byway soon ends how it began: on the tiled driveway of relatively modern housing estate.

There are other byways in the immediate area but these are effectively dead ends and they all are redesignated as bridleways along their length. As such it really is not worth out time reviewing them as they are dead ends. Don't be tempted to drive them illegally!

Where the footpath leaves, it passes the ruins of St. Helen's Old Church, an ancient ruin dating back as far as the reign of King Offa. After conquering the men of Hastings, he constructed the church in AD 771. Much changed since those days, the ruins of the church and its gravestones are still there and the site is worth a visit. On a personal note, this area used to be the favorite haunt of my Grandfather's scout troop in the 1930/40's!

This is East Sussex County Council's Byway Hastings 221.

At this point go right.

View St Helen's Wood Road in a larger map>

BOAT: Pine Avenue

• Overall Rating: 1
• Location: Ore, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill, Battle & Robertsbridge'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ826113
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 87' 20" E000 59' 50"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ829118
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 87' 70" E000 59' 90"
• To see: 1066 Country, the town of Hastings, including it's harbour, castle, caves, the old town, and the East and West Hills with their funicular railways. The town of Battle, with its Abbey and the actual site of the Battle of Hastings, is a 15 minute drive to the north of the town.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

There are quite a few byways in the middle of the historically significant seaside town of Hastings, but like most of the others there's not much to see here with regards to green laning. Indeed this byway, between The Ridge and Pilot Road, is just an unmetalled suburban road giving access to the houses that line both sides of the lane. A Ford Fiesta could quite happily navigate this lane despite the potholes. Go elsewhere!

As an interesting historical aside, according to my grandfather Canadian troops were billeted here. In 1944 a 'doodlebug' flying bomb came down here and a fair few were killed. Also apparently a aircraft crashed here in the war.

These are East Sussex County Council's Hastings Byway 226, 229 and 229a, treated as one and the same for convenience.

View Pine Avenue in a larger map

BOAT: Coastguard Lane

• Overall Rating: 1
• Location: Fairlight, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill, Battle & Robertsbridge'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ858119
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 87' 70" E000 64' 00"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ861113
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 87' 10" E000 64' 40"
• To see: the Firehills.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

There's not much to see here with regards to greenlaning. Indeed this byway is now simply the metalled access road to the car park and coastguard station in Hastings Country Park, known locally as the Firehills due to the abundance of gorse bushes which, when in flower, turn the entire clifftops yellow for miles around. Well worth a walk or a picnic any day of the year, certainly, but of no interest to greenlaners.

View Coastguard Lane in a larger map

UCR: Bixley Lane

• Overall Rating: 4
• Location: Beckley, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill, Battle & Robertsbridge'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ852224
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 97' 10" E000 63' 60"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ862237
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 98' 30" E000 65' 20"
• To see: Flatroper's Wood nature reserve.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

Starting almost in the middle of no-where, Bixley Lane begins life as a metalled lane used to access private houses and riding stables. The greenlane passes between Flatroper's Wood (a Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserve) and Bixley Wood (not a nature reserve) and is quite popular with equestrians. After a short distance, the surface quickly degenerates initially into unkempt ashphalt and then into a potholed gravel affair. To that end, even in the very dampest weather (save a flood) this lane should be passable even for the evil BMW X5! That said, some of the potholes are quite dramatic so any vehicle should take the lane slowly and with care.

After a pleasant drive through gorgeous Sussex woodland of around 900m, the lane turns through a right angle north, the gravel ends, and the lane quickly rejoins a metalled surface that takes it north to its terminus just south east of the ancient village of Four Oaks. This lane scores as high as a four, not because it's challenging, not because anything of historical interest lies nearby, but simply because it is such a pleasant, easy drive in a gorgeous woodland setting.

View Bixley Lane in a larger map

BOAT: Hogtrough Lane

• Overall Rating: 0
• Location: Winchelsea, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill, Battle & Robertsbridge'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ901170
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 92' 10" E000 70' 30"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ903171
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 92' 20" E000 70' 60"
• To see: the beautiful medieval town of Winchelsea.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

This very short greenlane, little more than a driveway, has been blocked and although I'm not certain that it is subject to a TRO, it is blocked by barriers at its mid-point, and as such is closed to traffic.

The southern end.

View Hogtrough Lane in a larger map

BOAT: Beaney's Lane

• Overall Rating: 2
• Location: The Ridge, Hastings, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill, Battle & Robertsbridge'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ810127
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 88' 50" E000 57' 10"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ818137
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 89' 40" E000 58' 40"
• To see: 1066 Country, the town of Hastings, including it's harbour, castle, caves, the old town, and the East and West Hills with their funicular railways. The town of Battle, with its Abbey and the actual site of the Battle of Hastings, is a 15 minute drive to the north of the town.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

UPDATE 21/03/2016: Due to the action of empty-headed filth that are not fit to breathe the same oxygen as the rest of us, the fly tipping and illegal offroading became so bad on this byway that a (no doubt soon-to-be permanent) temporary TRO has been placed upon this green lane and as such it is closed to motorised traffic. Way to go.

Before the fly-tippers got to it, Beaney's Lane was a great greenlaning experience, passing through woodland just north of the seaside town of Hastings.

However, the problem must have become so bad that it has forced the council to erect really quite dramatic signs and a barrier across the green lane at around a third of it's total length when travelling north (see picture below, and position on map). The barrier, consisting of metal posts and a concrete platform with a very substantial drop on the northern side of it, is indeed so formidable that there is a very good chance that those without a suspension lift will find it hard to get past, and those even slightly worried about damaging their vehicle had better go elsewhere. Also, due to the size of the step up onto the concrete platform when driving south-bound, without sand ladders there is only a very remote chance of ever passing the barrier at all, so don't try it!

That said, if you have the right sort of 'kit', this byway does not seem to be subject to a TRO or closure order (updated: see above). Starting on The Ridge just east of the Conquest Hospital, Beaney's Lane strikes north, passing a private residence and then continuing on down a gravel surface as far as some industrial land to the west. Passing a chain-link fence and the evil, anti-social leylandii that have encroached onto the byway on one side, and encroaching, more suitable native hedging on the other, eventually the barrier blocks progress. If you can get over it, the byway surface from that point changes to forest floor and curves gently to the north-east, heading ever downhill.

The track ends where it meets Stonestile Lane. At it's western end, the byway is blocked by another barrier, but since it is very easily circumnavigated it's barely worth a mention. A great lane and pleasant woodland drive which would have scored far higher if it had not sadly been wrecked by fly-tipping scum.

The formidable barrier: worse than it looks.

View Beaney's Lane in a larger map

BOAT: The Old Tramway

• Overall Rating: 2
• Location: Bulverhythe , East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill, Battle & Robertsbridge'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ763081
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 84' 60" E000 50' 40"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ771084
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 84' 80" E000 51' 50"
• To see: 1066 Country, Hastings including the harbour, castle, caves, the old town, and the East and West Hills with their funicular railways. The town of Battle, with its Abbey and the actual site of the Battle of Hastings, is a 15 minute drive to the north of the town.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

According to my grandfather, this BOAT used to be part of the route of a branch of the former Hastings tram and trolleybus system.

Starting at its western end, in Lewis Avenue just off the roundabout at Glynde Gap on the A259, the lane strikes out east on an initially tarmac and then gravel and compacted rubble surface. It passes down the back of some houses and garages and after around 200m the council seems to have built an earthen bank across the lane. Since this track is not subject to any particular TRO or closure order that I can can discover, I imagine these serve purely as a deterrent to the evils of fly tipping.

The unremarkable lane passes the remains of a chapel at around its halfway point, thought very little of it appears to be left visible to the naked eye. Curving gently to the south-east, just before it becomes the metalled access road to a garden centre, another earthen bank restricting access. The lane ultimately ends back on Bexhill Road, the A259.

This lane is more popular with dog walkers than greenlaners, and the banks serve to make access to it harder than it strictly needs to be. As such, there are far better lanes elsewhere in this area.

View The Old Tramway in a larger map.

BOAT: Malthouse Lane

• Overall Rating: 0
• Location: Peasmarsh, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill, Battle & Robertsbridge'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ888228
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 97' 40" E000 68' 80"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ903231
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 97' 60" E000 70' 10"
• To see: 1066 Country.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

At it's eastern end this lane appears wide open, as it begins as a driveway into Iden Wood. However, at its western end the land is so overgrown that it is impossible to drive through it even on a trail bike, and until the lane has been cleared it is best to avoid it.

The western end: just around the fence the hedgerows close right in.

View Malthouse Lane in a larger map

BOAT: Upper Clarence Road

• Overall Rating: 1
• Location: Silverhill, Hastings, East Sussex.
• OS Explorer Map 124, 'Hastings & Bexhill, Battle & Robertsbridge'.
• Starting OS Grid Reference: TQ799106
• Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N50 52' 01.97" E000 33' 21.34"
• Finishing OS Grid Reference:  TQ802102
• Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N50 51' 50.39" E000 33' 34.05"
• To see: 1066 Country, the town of Hastings, including it's harbour, castle, caves, the old town, and the East and West Hills with their funicular railways. The town of Battle, with its Abbey and the actual site of the Battle of Hastings, is a 15 minute drive to the north of the town.
• ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!

Upper Clarence Road is little more than a very short, straight, hilly, unadopted track that runs behind the row of shops and houses that front onto London Road (the A21) to its immediate west. Along almost its entire length it is pockmarked with sometimes sizeable potholes in its 'rubble and dirt' surface, and indeed a family saloon would find it exceedingly uncomfortable to drive along here. The northern end of the lane immediately prior to its junction with the A21 (see picture, right) is in rather better condition than the mid- and southern sections. There are restrictions to access for motor vehicles, which may be found on the signs at the southern entrance to the lane, where it strikes out north from Upper Park Road. Driving along this lane, other than for access, outside the hours listed is illegal. There is little else to report and no compelling reason to drive the lane other than, I suppose, for the experience of technically greenlaning in an urban environment!

View Upper Clarence Road in a larger map