SWC Walk 283: Christ’s Hospital to Billingshurst t=swc.283
Distance: 16.9 Miles or 27.1 km for those more
metrically minded (with shorter bus options available)
Difficulty: 4.5 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:35
AM Portsmouth Harbour train from London
Victoria (stopping at Clapham Junction at 9:42 and East Croydon at 9:53),
arriving at Christ’s Hospital at 10:39. Return trains from Billingshurst are at 11
past the hour. Buy a day return to Billingshurst.
This interesting walk explores a re-wilding
project taking place a Knepp Castle, featuring Old English Longhorn
Cattle, Tamworth Pigs, Fallow Deer and Exmoor Ponies (unfortunately, no native
elephants or giraffes…) As an added bonus at this time of year, we may be lucky
enough to see some deer rutting taking place…..Although long, the route is more
or less flat, so probably not as challenging as you may think just looking at
the numbers…..You can find more information about the walk and download the
walk instructions here.
The recommended lunch spot is the Crown Inn (01403 710 902) in Dial Post
(what a name!) (8.9 miles/14.3 km into the walk), food served until 2.45pm. Tea and other post walk refreshments
can be had at the Railway Inn across
from Billingshurst Station.
Enjoy the walk!
4 comments:
Hi All
Just checking who's interested in this walk?
And would like to confirm start and approx end time if doing the full walk?
Thinking of getting an advanced ticket with rail card
Thank you
Mishlin
Hi, I am planning to do the walk. The train to take is specified in the post, as is its arrival time at the start of the walk. Look forward to seeing you there!
Train abruptly canceled at Gatwick -- some are making there way to Horsham to discuss options.
After a complicated logistical start with the designated train calling it quits at Gatwick airport, a group of 3 eventually met at Horsham and opted to take a taxi the short distance to Christ's Hospital (actually a pub about 2 kms into the walk route) where we met a fourth walker who had driven. By the time we set off, the overnight rain at stopped and it was w=cloudy-soon-becoming-mostly-sunny. Not far along the route, we bumped into a fifth walker who had started from a delayed earlier train and near Knepp Castle we met with two others who had parked near the pub and walked the route in reverse until finding us and returned with us to the pub where 6 enjoyed a delicious and leisurely lunch...one sandwich eater set off before the three of us completing the walk set off ()while 3 opted to ended their walking after lunch. During our time in Knepp, we saw a good number of long-horn cattle which popped up in various parts of the estate and were a joy to see doing their thing....a few pigs were also spotted some before lunch and some after lunch.....We spent time at the peaceful lookout where we heard male fallow deer making their rutting noises -- but they did not appear in the clearing to see unfortunately.....We also stopped for a short break in the garden of the Quaker House passed along the way...and eventually arrived in Billingshurst just after 7pm with time to grab some supplies for the 7:11pm train back to London which ran very smoothly...I understand that 2 others were on the train that stopped at Gatwick in the morning and caught the next train to Christ Hospital from Gatwick, so presumably did the walk an hour later...we did not see them en route...but, hopefully, they had a good time....so I believe there were n=9 in total doing some or all of the walk.
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