The Crowhurst Yew Tree, located in the churchyard of St George’s Church in East Sussex, is one of the oldest living things in the county.
Estimated to be over 1,300 years old, it predates the Norman Conquest and may even mark a site of spiritual importance stretching back into pre-Christian Britain.
Continue reading Crowhurst Yew Tree, East Sussex – Ancient Yew Beside St George’s ChurchHidden in St Helen’s Wood above Ore in Hastings is a small spring known as St Helen’s Well. Tucked away in the woodland valley below the ridge where Old St Helen’s Church stands, it’s an easy place to walk past without ever realising it’s there.
The well itself isn’t marked on modern OS maps, but the clue lies in the spring symbol in the valley. By heading towards the nearest spring relative to St Helen’s Wood, it’s possible to track down the location where the water emerges from the hillside.
Continue reading St Helen’s Well, HastingsEridge Rocks Nature Reserve contains some of the most impressive sandstone formations in the High Weald. Located just inside the East Sussex border near Tunbridge Wells, the reserve reveals a maze of weathered sandstone towers rising through woodland and heathland.
The rock formations are part of a wider sandstone belt that runs through this landscape, linking Eridge Rocks with nearby sites such as High Rocks, Harrison’s Rocks and the formations on Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons.
Continue reading Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve, East SussexThe church’s elevated position reflects an older landscape. In medieval times churches were often built on high ground overlooking settlements and farmland, both for visibility and for the practical benefit of dry ground above the valley below.
Standing quietly on the ridge above Ore in Hastings are the remains of Old St Helen’s Church, one of the oldest church sites in the town. Today the roofless walls and sturdy tower sit among weathered gravestones and grass, but for centuries this was the parish church serving the surrounding rural community.
Continue reading Old St Helen’s Church Ruins, HastingsHarrison’s Rocks is one of the most impressive sandstone ridges in the High Weald. Located near Groombridge on the Kent–East Sussex border, the site reveals a long line of weathered sandstone cliffs rising through woodland.
Unlike some of the more sculpted formations nearby, Harrison’s Rocks stretches as a continuous ridge, giving a clear sense of the scale of the sandstone layers beneath the landscape. It is also one of southern England’s best-known sandstone climbing locations.
Continue reading Harrison’s Rocks, GroombridgeHigh Rocks is one of the most dramatic sandstone landscapes in the High Weald. Rising above Royal Tunbridge Wells, these towering formations form a maze of cliffs, narrow passages and sculpted rock faces hidden within woodland.
Although many sandstone outcrops exist across the Tunbridge Wells area, High Rocks stands out for its scale and accessibility. Visitors can walk directly beneath and between the formations, giving a rare chance to experience the full height and structure of the sandstone ridge.
Continue reading High Rocks, Royal Tunbridge WellsWhile exploring the foreshore at Bexhill Beach over the last couple of days, I came across several remarkable features preserved in the rock – dinosaur footprints dating back roughly 135 million years to the Early Cretaceous period.
The Sussex coast exposes rocks from the Ashdown Formation, part of the Wealden Group. At the time these sediments were forming, this area wasn’t coastline at all. It was a warm river floodplain with muddy riverbanks, shallow lagoons and dense vegetation. Dinosaurs walked across these mudflats, leaving footprints that were buried by sediment and eventually turned into rock.
Coastal erosion along the foreshore is now slowly revealing parts of that ancient landscape again.
Continue reading Dinosaur Footprints on Bexhill Beach – 135 Million Years OldToad Rock is one of the most distinctive sandstone formations in the Tunbridge Wells area. Perched on Rusthall Common just west of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the rock appears almost sculpted — its rounded upper section balanced on a narrower base, giving it the familiar “toad-like” shape that gives the landmark its name.
It is part of the same sandstone ridge system that runs through Tunbridge Wells Common, High Rocks and Eridge Rocks, forming one of the most interesting geological landscapes in the High Weald.
Short film from Rusthall Common and Toad Rock:
Just a short walk from Wellington Rocks on Tunbridge Wells Common, Rusthall Common reveals even more dramatic sandstone formations — including Bull’s Hollow, where sheer rock faces rise abruptly from the woodland floor.
Location: Rusthall Common, Kent
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Toad Rock is formed from the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation, laid down around 100 million years ago during the Lower Cretaceous period.
At that time, this part of southern England was a vast river delta. Sand and sediment carried by ancient rivers settled in layers and gradually compacted into sandstone. Over millions of years, erosion exposed the rock and sculpted the shapes visible today.
The unusual perched shape of Toad Rock is the result of differential erosion — where softer layers of sandstone wear away more quickly than harder layers above them. The harder cap protects the rock beneath, leaving the characteristic overhanging form.
Iron minerals within the stone give the sandstone its warm brown and reddish tones, particularly visible after rain or in soft overcast light.
Rusthall Common became a popular walking destination during the Georgian and Victorian periods, when visitors staying in Royal Tunbridge Wells would venture out to explore the surrounding countryside.
The dramatic rock formations were seen as romantic curiosities, and Toad Rock became one of the most photographed and described features in local guidebooks of the time.
Many of the surrounding rocks are just as impressive, though often overlooked by visitors focused on the famous “toad” itself.
Just across the Common from Toad Rock lies Bull’s Hollow, where sandstone cliffs rise sharply above the woodland.
The rock faces here reveal the scale of the sandstone ridge beneath the landscape. Unlike the more sculptural form of Toad Rock, Bull’s Hollow exposes the layered cliff structure of the formation, showing how erosion has cut through the sandstone over geological time.
It remains one of the most striking but lesser-known features of Rusthall Common.
One of the most unusual aspects of the area is how closely modern life sits beside these ancient formations. Along nearby Upper Street, houses have been built directly beside and even around exposed sandstone outcrops.
The contrast is striking: homes only decades old standing next to rock formed a hundred million years ago.
It’s a reminder that these geological features long predate the town itself — and will likely remain long after.
Location: Rusthall Common, Kent
Access: Open common land with public access
Parking: Rusthall village or Tunbridge Wells Common
Best Time to Visit: Early morning or overcast conditions for photography
Nearby:Wellington Rocks, High Rocks, Eridge Rocks, Harrison Rocks
Toad Rock is more than just an unusual natural landmark. It is part of a wider sandstone landscape that defines the High Weald — a landscape shaped over millions of years and still quietly embedded in everyday life.
Wellington Rocks are a series of weathered sandstone outcrops rising from the open heath of Tunbridge Wells Common. Just above the historic spa town, these formations are part of the same sandstone belt that runs through Eridge, Rusthall and High Rocks — a continuous geological system straddling the Sussex–Kent border.
Shaped over millions of years, the rocks remain one of the most accessible and quietly impressive natural landmarks in the area.
Short film from Wellington Rocks:
A short walk west across the Common leads to Toad Rock on Rusthall Common, making this part of the High Weald one of the richest clusters of sandstone formations in southern England.
Location: Tunbridge Wells Common, Kent
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Wellington Rocks are formed from the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation, laid down approximately 100 million years ago during the Lower Cretaceous period.
At that time, this landscape was a vast river delta. Sand carried by ancient rivers settled in layers, eventually compacting into sandstone. Over geological time, uplift and erosion exposed the rock. Wind, rain and frost gradually sculpted the softer layers, creating the rounded forms, fissures and ledges visible today.
The iron content within the stone gives the rock its warm, earthy tones — particularly noticeable in soft overcast light or after rain.
The rocks were named in the 19th century after Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, reflecting the patriotic mood of the Victorian era. Tunbridge Wells was a fashionable spa town at the time, and public features were often given commemorative names.
The Common itself became an important leisure space, with visitors walking out from The Pantiles to enjoy fresh air and views over the surrounding countryside.
Although much of Tunbridge Wells Common is privately owned, it is registered common land. This provides strong protection and preserves public access rights.
Occasionally, parts of the Common appear on the market as freehold interests change hands. However, common land status significantly restricts development and safeguards public access.
Ownership may change over time — the rocks remain.
Wellington Rocks are best photographed in:
The perimeter path allows you to walk around and over the outcrops, offering a variety of angles — from close textural studies to wider compositions including heathland and woodland.
Location: Tunbridge Wells Common, Kent
Access: Open access common land
Parking: Town centre / Common roadside parking
Best Time to Visit: Early morning for quiet conditions and soft light
Nearby: Rusthall Common (Toad Rock), The Pantiles, High Rocks
Wellington Rocks form part of a remarkable sandstone ridge system that defines this corner of the High Weald. A landscape shaped long before county lines were drawn — and one that continues to offer geology, history and open space in equal measure.
2025 was a year of working closer to home and learning to respond to conditions rather than chase them. From misty dawns on the South Downs to woodland waterfalls in the High Weald and long exposures on Romney Marsh, this review brings together one standout image from each month — moments that best reflect how and where I photographed across the year.
Continue reading Landscape Photography Review 2025December 2025 was dominated by wet, cold and overcast weather across East Sussex, which quietly shaped the direction of my photography. With wider landscapes often flat and uninviting, the focus naturally shifted into woodland, following streams and revisiting places that only reveal themselves after prolonged rainfall. The result was a month spent exploring seasonal waterfalls across the High Weald, interspersed with a handful of coastal and observational shoots.
This post brings together those December walks and discoveries, from hidden ghylls and temporary cascades to a final New Year’s Eve sunset at Beachy Head.
Continue reading December 2025: Sussex Photography Monthly ReviewAshdown Forest is not known for permanent waterfalls, but after prolonged rain the landscape briefly transforms. Beneath the open heathland plateau, sandstone ledges and clay layers shed water quickly, feeding short-lived streams that cut into wooded ravines and momentarily bring hidden waterfalls to life. Miss the timing and these features disappear again, leaving little trace beyond damp rock and leaf-stained pools.
This walk followed one such stream after heavy December rainfall, linking three very different waterfalls: the hidden plunge of Mungo’s, the stepped Garden of Eden fall beside a footpath, and an unnamed woodland drop further downstream. Each only flows properly for a short window after rain, making timing far more important than season or popularity.
The short video below captures all three waterfalls in motion, followed by mapped references for context. The sections that follow look at each waterfall in turn, combining the walk itself with notes on geology, nature, and what makes these fleeting moments worth photographing in Ashdown Forest.
Continue reading Hidden Waterfalls of Ashdown Forest After Heavy Rain
