You set out from the lay-by at High Bridge, beside the A272 between Cuckfield and Ansty. The first pleasure is how quickly the scene changes. One moment you’re beside the main road. The next you’re following a track towards Old Mill Cottage, where the old leaflet marks a bridge and a waterfall. It’s a good place to pause and listen to the water before carrying on.

There’s a satisfying variety to this three-mile circuit. A footpath leads into the trees and crosses a rough wooden bridge. Later, a stile brings you out into a large field, with woodland along one side. After the enclosed paths, it’s pleasant to have the sky open up and a stretch of field edge to follow. Then, beyond the buildings at Ansty Farm, the route takes you back among the trees, this time with a stream on your left.

What gives the walk its character is the succession of small discoveries. A cottage, the sound of falling water, a bridge among the trees and a gap in the hedge each mark a change of scene. By the time you emerge on the A272 just above the lay-by, you’ve spent an hour or two in countryside that’s easy to pass without a second glance from the road.