Backup Only

This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Sunday 17 April 2016

First Sunday Walk: Ashdown Forest and Pooh Bridge

Extra Walk 29 Ashurst Circular
Length: 19.2km (12 miles) Toughness: 5/10

10:06 Brighton train from Victoria (Clapham Junction 10:14), changing at East Croydon (arr 10:24; dep 10:38) arriving at Ashurst at 11:18.

Or 10:04 Tonbridge train from London Bridge, changing at East Croydon (arr 10:22; dep 10:38) arriving at Ashurst at 11:18.

Return trains from Ashurst are at xx:56, changing at Hurst Green for Victoria (journey time 45 minutes), and at Hurst Green & East Croydon for London Bridge.

Starting along the Medway valley, the route later traverses part of Ashdown Forest and crosses the famous Pooh Bridge, where you can play a traditional game of Poohsticks (collect your sticks well in advance, since the ground near the bridge is already denuded of all twigs). A longer option (15.1 miles) goes over the elevated heathland of Ashdown Forest, and a shorter option (8.9 miles) heads directly to Hartfield omitting most of the forest, including Pooh Bridge.

The suggested lunch stop is The Dorset Arms (01892-770278) in Withyham, 5.7 km into the walk. Tea is best taken in one of the Pooh-themed cafes in Hartfield.

You will find the walk directions on the Walk 29 page.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Two taking later train: 10.57 from Victoria, changing at Oxted, and arr Ashurst 12.18, doing 8 mile version, and lunching at the Dorset Arms. Paths should cross!

Staceyelizabethcross@gmail.com said...

Hi - I made a mistake and am currently at East Croyden - can I please
join you?

Anonymous said...

n=4
w=cold-sun
m=mud some
l=lunch yes
Four walkers + dog on later departure. Good lunch at The Dorset Arms, as always. Lovely walk. Blessed by sun and birdsong. A great day out.

PeteB said...

n=20 on the main circular walk with some of those opting for the shorter version. Sadly for the "long walkers" Pooh Bridge was closed for repairs until the middle of May but this did not stop the intrepid group from crawling under the barriers and by using the hand rail carefully made their way over the bridge to scramble on to the onward path.

I on the other hand was made of less sterner stuff and, foolishly disregarding the map on a fence showing an alternative route, I set off to find another way across fields following what I thought was an "old roman road". This turned out to be a disaster and I eventually gave up and retreated to walking along a main road until I found a route bypassing Hartfield across fields. (This main road trek did however ultimately prove to me that there are wild boar in Ashdown Forest as I came across a small, hairy "roadkill" piglet.)

After bypassing Hartfield I gave up on my futile ambition to catch the 16.56 train and took the cycle way route to avoid climbing up the narrow muddy path we had navigated down in the morning. This was the best part of the day as I ambled back to the station in the lovely Spring light. These High Weald walks are lovely; if only the soils drained better. At the current rate the paths will not be dry and firm until June!

I met up with the other walkers for the 17.56 train and we enjoyed a raucous and laughter-filled journey back to London.

Sean said...

Seven walkers from the main group opted for the shortest possible afternoon, in my case due to the need to digest a size XXX roast chicken taken on board at the Dorset Arms. As usual the pub was fully booked but very creditably served lunch in the garden to those who wanted it; the portions on some of their regular main courses were disappointingly small, however.

After a leisurely exploration of Withyham church a short stroll to Hartfield took us to Pooh Corner where some of us inexplicably found room for lashings of clotted cream with our scones. A slightly hurried departure at 3.30pm and a brisk final section got us to Ashurst station just in time for the 16:56. Well, we thought it was brisk but a mention in despatches must go to one of the main group who skipped tea and did this final 5¾ km in just 70 minutes, joining us on the train with seconds to spare.

Anonymous said...

Mud mud mud. But glorious.and a naughty crossing at pooh bridge. Tigger!!!

Anonymous said...

Historical duplicate/misleading attendance numbers cleanup project: n=24