In the early part of the 20th century, Hilaire Belloc wrote a book about a walk across Sussex called Four Men and a Farrago. It was sent in 1902 and the four men were Myself (Belloc) and three fictional characters: Grizzlebeard, Sailor and Poet (probably Belloc’s alter egos). Along the way of what was undoubtedly a stunning route, and as inevitably happens on a long walk, they talked about a wide range of topics: Sussex history and folklore, philosophy, religion and politics, beer and bacon! In short, they talked about life with many a subtext and nuance that more than hinted at Belloc’s concerns about modernisation, the future and what that meant for Sussex and the people therein.
50 years later and then again over 90 years later, the indefatigable Bob Copper re-walked the route, reflecting on what had changed, what had been lost and what remained. And of course, there have been others who have retraced the Four Men route since.
Searching for the missing women
Both accounts of the walk, Belloc’s and Copper’s, are rich, intelligent, entertaining, educational and thought-provoking. But unfortunately, what both lack is any meaningful female perspective or inclusion. I understand why, to some extent, but I couldn’t help asking where were the women who make up our diverse Sussex history and where are their views on Sussex today?
So, 30 years on from Bob Copper’s last walk and nearly 75 years since Belloc’s death, I decided to put that right. To re-walk the walk and to seek out the missing women and see what they have to say. That doesn’t make this a feminist project. It makes it a project about balance, or rather rebalancing. I hope both Belloc and Copper would understand that although I suspect Belloc might serve me a Bah Humbug.
I don’t pretend for one moment to be even close to being as accomplished a writer as either man. Indeed, I am in awe of their skill with the written word. Neither do I pretend to be a great Sussex historian. But I am a good walker, a good thinker and listener. I am curious, I am ok with a pen and a camera. And perhaps most importantly, I am a woman.
I am also not as foolish as I suspect I often appear to be. So whereas Belloc walked across Sussex in three days (albeit with the help of a late Victorian Uber – aka a pony and trap), I am breaking this walk down into manageable sections. And when I get to Harting, and for reasons that may later become clear, I may just turn around and walk all the way back again!
I have called my walk and this project Four Women and Belloc: In Conversation with Sussex and I want to pick up the threads of those conversations that took place with Belloc and his friends over 100 years ago, but this time adding a new perspective
My walk objectives
At the heart of this walk are three main objectives:
- To re-walk the route (or at the very least the spirit of the route because in places it is neither possible nor safe to walk the exact route), enjoying the landscape but asking: what has changed, what has been lost, what is at risk of being lost, what remains the same and what must we preserve?
- To seek out the women who are missing from Belloc’s stories. In Four Men and a Farrago, Belloc and his companions recount many a Sussex story. Some are based on facts, some are fiction, others are folklore and legend. Many are a distortion of the stories as we now know them. What I want to do is to meet the women: The women who played a part in these stories but don’t get a mention and the other women, whose stories have not yet been told (or not loudly enough).
- To get a female perspective of the many issues that concerned Belloc, as they may be relevant today.
The Belloc walk
Which ever route you take, this is a glorious walk that takes you through some of the many and best of the different Sussex landscapes. From country lanes, distant sea views and thick Wealden forests to lofty Ashdown and tamed Tilgate, as you make your way across East Sussex to the west, you pass through the ancient High Weald National Landscape and it is peppered with ancient villages and churches, high ridges, undulating valleys and well worn paths. From Tilgate, you turn south and gradually west with the ever present South Downs watching you benevolently in the distance. Rivers, valleys, escarpments and wonderfully nostalgic pubs are the order of the day here.
The stages of the walk
I am not a great believer in walking huge and exhausting distances in a day just for the sake of it. Generally, I enjoy a walk much more if it has an element of “bimble”, and comes in at 25 km or under. Any longer and it hurts too much. So for this first phase of my project, I have broken this walk down into the following seven chunks:
Walk 1. Robertsbridge to Old Heathfield, via Brightling and Dallington Forest. 19 km
Walk 2. Old Heathfield to Nutley, via Buxted. 22.5 km
Walk 3. Nutley to Tilgate, via Ardingly Reservoir. 23 km
Walk 4. Tilgate to West Grinstead, via Lower Beeding. 22.5 km
Walk 5. West Grinstead to Washington, via Ashurst. 24.5 km
Walk 6. Washington to Duncton, via Amberley. 23.5 km
Walk 7. Duncton to South Harting, via Cocking. 21.5 km
These are currently approximate routes and distances which I will refine as I do each walk. Linear walks, of course, also come with their own challenges so I will include public transport details where applicable.
As I complete each section, I will add a link to the relevant articles that has all the details.
If you’d like to know more about Hilaire Belloc’s walk, the man himself and this project, you may also like:
