Eridge Rocks are wonderfully insane. They are just on the edge of Eridge Green, within the unsurprisingly named Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve, four miles from Tunbridge Wells, but within Sussex.
The rocks are a sandstone rock outcrop and some of the rocks are up to ten meters high, whilst the ridge is over 800 metres long. The nature reserve itself is a 44 hectare site and the rocks are also a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the rare lichens, mosses, and liverworts that grow here. The rocks are also 135 million years old and there is something utterly spellbinding about them. You can walk all along the base of the ridge, peeping into little caves and cracks. You can also walk around and see them from above, although take care as there are big cracks and crevices.
The reserve is also home to ancient beech, yew, and holly trees. The sponge-like qualities on the rock ensure a moist micro-climate that is perfect for the collection of rare ferns, mosses and lichens to thrive. There are shady nooks, deep fissures, and a variety of wildlife if you look closely. Visit on a rainy day when no one else is there and it feels like a lost kingdom.
From the Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve, you can keep walking on into the larger Broadwater Warren Nature Reserve which is an area of ancient heathland and woodland. The RSPB acquired Broadwater Warren in 2007 (it was destined for landfill) and it covers 180 hectares (445 acres) and is a remnant of the ancient Waterdown Forest, one of the four Medieval hunting Forests of the High Weald Forest Ridge.
Getting to Eridge Rocks
The rocks are in between Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells and opposite Eridge Park. Turn off the A26 into Warren Farm Lane next to a small church. The turning is easy to miss. Drive up the lane and you come to a small (and free) car park. You can see the rocks through the undergrowth and there is an information board and map at the start. There is a bus stop near the entrance of the lane and there are also some well made paths around the nature reserve which itself is reasonably flat.
It’s not a long walk around the rocks (less than 2 km), but it is a fascinating one!
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