10.09 train from London Bridge (9.54 St Pancras International, 10.23 East Croydon) to Balcombe, arriving 10.51.
OK, pay attention at the back.... The idea today is to do the summer version of this walk, but with a twist. Since lunch is essentially no longer available in Ardingly village, a new option in the walk directions (and GPX) diverts you to the Gardeners Arms, if you can squeeze into it (it is quite popular), for a pub lunch. A short link route then takes you direct to Wakehurst Place, whose Seed Cafe gives the option of an early tea (or perhaps an alternative for lunch, though from memory it is limited to sandwiches and cakes). Resuming the normal walk route from there back to Balcombe village gives you a walk of 10.4 miles.
If you are planning on having a picnic lunch, you can if you wish do the full summer walk route (12.1 miles) which includes some fine Wealden scenery, but then your first refreshment option would be Wakehurst Place after 8.8 miles (unless the "seasonal cafe" by the reservoir is open to sell you a tea).
Other options include switching to the start, finish or middle section of the winter walk, since these are interchangeable with the three corresponding sections of the summer walk.
At the end of the walk the Half Moon pub is your tea stop (and it does sometimes even have cakes)
Trains back are at 25 and 55 past
1 comment:
I think #21 did the walk although I'm not confident that I counted the numbers right - two walkers did the short start and at least three joined by car so we were never all together. It was #warm-with-sunny-spells. Most went by the viaduct which we agreed was impressive, especially the view inside the arches. We spread out rather over lunch - at least 9 ate in the very nice Gardener's Arms, there were a number of picnic spots and some tried the kiosk at the reservoir (open for it's last day of the year) where the cake was reported to be excellent. I don't know if anyone went to the Ardlingly Cafe.
The majority then walked to Wakehurst more or less together, with racing cars bombing round the circuit in the South of England Centre making that section less pleasant. Confusion ensued as we tried to figure out how to get past the Wakehurst entrance and out of the car park. Two had stopped for tea and some of us got rather left behind, mainly because of my stupidity in assuming an obvious gate was locked.
Those who made a cleaner exit went straight for the 1625 train I hear.
When we got to Balcombe, the Half Moon looked very tempting. Our band, by now five, stopped there and were later joined by the two who had stopped earlier for tea and two who had done the full summer route. We then got the 1655 or 1725 home.
All in all, a grand day out and thanks for posting - the modified route worked well but I'd be looking for a different way from Ardingly to Wakehurst next time.
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