Wadhurst Figure of Eight + evening bonfire and fireworks

Length: 17.6km (10.9 miles) or 20.3km (12.6 miles) T=swc.5

9.45 train from Charing Cross (9.48 Waterloo East, 9.54 London Bridge) to Wadhurst, arriving 10.50

Buy a day return to Wadhurst.

This walk has been chosen to coincide with the Wadhurst bonfire, a very pleasant village event which nevertheless gives you a big blazing bonfire and fireworks as good as any you might see at a big city event. Tickets cost £10 if booked in advance here but you can usually pay on the day too. So far I have never known this event sell out. The bonfire is lit at 6.30pm (your last sunbathe of the year!), the fireworks are at 7.30pm, and we are usually exiting the ground at about 8pm. Beer, hot dogs and burgers are on sale.

First we have to do a walk, however. This year I thought we might try the Wadhurst Figure of Eight. The morning of this is the short walk of the Wadhurst Circular walk (directions, GPX and map). This gets you to Wadhurst village for lunch in 4.3 miles. 

Here the pub choices are the Greyhound and White Hart, while cafes include the Artful Grocers and Jempsons. There is also a supermarket (also Jempsons) and a convenience store.

After lunch you switch to the Wadhurst via Bewl Water walk (directions, GPX and map). You follow the path down to Bewl Water (starting in paragraph 96 on page 7 if using the written directions) and either do the main walk ending (4.7 miles) or the longer ending (6.3 miles), the latter including a longer section along the edge of Bewl Water.

To get from Wadhurst village to the station there are three choices:

- there is a bus (the 1066) from outside the Greyhound at 16.27, 17.12, 18.26 and 20.14, which gets to Wadhurst station in six minutes. This means that the 16.27 and 18.26 just miss a train, so on these buses you could stay on till Tunbridge Wells station 14 minutes later. 

- walk down the main road. This 1.4 mile walk is perfectly practical even in the dark, with a pavement all the way: it is just a bit unglamorous. Allow 40 minutes just to be sure of getting your target train.

- by far the best option: walk down the back lanes, following the main walk route. This is 2 miles, so allow an hour to be on the safe side. Every year some of us do this in the dark after the fireworks, which is a magical experience. This year there may even be some moonlight (moonrise at 6.30pm). I know this route well, so if I am on the walk I am happy to guide others along it.

Trains back are at 00 and 30 past to 22.30, and then 23.08