Date: Weds 16 Sept
Start: Redford
Start Time: 10.00
Distance: 2 miles
Terrain: V slight uphill on way back
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This is a Heritage Open Days Walk – If full please add your name to the waiting list. It might be possible to organise another walk.
Join us for a 2-mile heritage walk to visit a traditional wheelwright and discover one of the countryside’s most important but now rare crafts.
For centuries wheelwrights kept Britain moving. From farm carts and wagons to carriages and early vehicles, the wooden wheel was at the heart of everyday life. Yet the skills needed to shape timber, bend felloes, fit spokes and assemble a strong working wheel are now practised by only a handful of craftspeople.
Our walk will lead us through the local landscape before arriving at Ben Headon’s workshop, where we will spend time chatting about wheels and watching a demonstration of this remarkable craft. You’ll see how simple tools, seasoned timber and generations of knowledge come together to create a wheel built for strength, balance and durability.
Along the way we’ll learn about the history of wheel-making, the different parts of a traditional wooden wheel, and the challenges faced by those working to keep these historic skills alive today.
A gentle and enjoyable walk, offering the chance to step inside a working craft tradition and see how heritage skills continue to turn in the modern world.
RURAL STRIDES
Rural Strides is passionate about the rich history and cultural landscape of the Western Weald. Through our engaging guided walks, we bring the land to life. We interpret its stories, uncover its heritage, and reveal the character that makes this corner of the South Downs so special. Along the way, we introduce you to inspiring local businesses, each rooted in the community and landscape we share.
Our aim is simple: to create authentic, memorable experiences that connect you with the place and its people. By the end of a Rural Strides walk, you won’t just have explored the Western Weald, you’ll feel like a local.
Read more about the Western Weald here
View our other walks here
