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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.

Saturday 22 April 2017

Saturday Walk - Bluebells and Wealden views

SWC Walk 109 - Eridge to Forest Row or East Grinstead
Length: 17.5km (10.9 miles) or 23km (14.3 miles)
Toughness: 5 out of 10

10.08 train from London Bridge (10.22 East Croydon) to Eridge, arriving 11.03

Buy a day return to Eridge. On the return leg you technically need to buy a single from East Grinstead for the three stops to Hurst Green (where the outbound and return routes diverge, but if you ask at the ticket barrier they often let you through as both lines are operated by Southern. Point out that Eridge is a bit further from London than East Grinstead.

For walk directions click here

This walk along the High Weald Landscape Trail passes through several nice little bluebell woods in the morning and one in the afternoon. There are also some pleasant views both before and after lunch, and a wide choice of tea places in Forest Row, including a farm shop with outside tables and homemade cakes just before the village.

In theory there are two pub choices for lunch, but you might be advised to get into the first one, the Dorset Arms in Wythyham, if at all possible, since I see that a 28-strong Meet Up Group is lunching at the second pub, the Anchor Inn in Hartfield. (Blast 'em! Normally I avoid clashes of this kind, but they are getting the train an hour earlier than us, so we will probably not encounter them.) In extremis, the cutsey Piglet's Tearoom in Hartfield could doubtless provide some sustenance - and isn't there another cafe too, The Pantry?

If you are finishing the walk in Forest Row (the 10.9 mile version) you have to take a 270 or 291 bus from there to East Grinstead station: these run at 15.58, 16.27, 16.59, 17.26, 18.04, 18.35, 19.03, 19.49, 21.14 and 22.44.

Otherwise it is an easy 3.4 mile stroll up the old railway line to East Grinstead for the full 14.3 mile walk.

*** Another option, which as far as I know has never been tried, is to switch to SWC Walk 40 in the afternoon at Cansiron Lane (end of section 7) and then follow its route into East Grinstead. This bypasses Forest Row but brings you to tea options in East Grinstead and makes a total walk from Eridge of 13.6 miles. To do this, print pages 8-10 of this document. Once heading west on Cansiron Lane, SWC 40 joins up a driveway from the left in 600 metres: your next direction is then paragraph 73 on page 8 of the SWC 40 document.

Trains back from East Grinstead go at 07 and 37 past until late.
T=3.109

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

might do this ..anyone else pls?

Walker said...

I am sure it will be a popular walk, do not worry

Bridie said...

I intend to do this one

Anonymous said...

Me ... sounds superb!!

Anonymous said...

myself and one v.well behaved canine hoping to come along..I'm sure that's fine with you Walker ?

Walker said...

No, no objections

Anonymous said...

Thanks walker!