Length: 16.2km (10.2 miles) - with possible sandwichistas' shortcut** of 12.8km (7.9 miles) T=swc.22
9.35 train Thameslink train from London Bridge (9.20 St Pancras, 9.24 Farringdon, 9.49 East Croydon) to Balcombe, arriving 10.16.
Note: Only the front eight carriages of this twelve-car train fit onto the platform at Balcombe, and they sometimes forget to remind you of this fact. You have been warned!
Walk directions, GPX and a map of the route available here.
There is a reason this version of the walk is called the Winter Walk, as a fair percentage of the route is on firm surfaces. Though not all, so don't wear your party shoes!!! One major exception is before and after Ouse Valley Viaduct, where there are some potentially squelchy fields.
Passing under the viaduct is one of the highlights of the walk - even non-transporters will thrill at the sight - and another is the Ardingly Reservoir, which is followed for much of the afternoon and which looks very lovely in low winter sunlight (see photo: a man can dream...).
** If you are just going to eat your own sandwiches, you could have them on the benches by the reservoir and then carry on along its edge in the afternoon - this reduces the walk to 12.8km (7.9 miles).
Otherwise, there are three possible lunch options in two different places. In Ardingly village there is the Ardingly Cafe (open to 2.30: soups and toasties) and next door to it the Ardingly Inn (serving lunch at weekends as far as I know, but do check before relying on it). It is an out and back journey from the reservoir to both of these places.
Alternatively, the Gardeners Arms is the opposite direction from the village after the climb up from the reservoir. This is a deservedly popular lunch venue and it is definitely a good idea to book a table. Again, you can simply return to the reservoir from this pub to complete the walk, but another option is to follow the shortcut to Wakehurst Place, possibly have tea there, and then do the last bit of the summer route of this walk over the hills to Balcombe. This makes a total walk of 15.4km (9.6 miles), but is likely to be VERY MUDDY after Wakehurst Place.
Whatever route you take, the Half Moon pub in Balcombe serves tea and sometimes cakes, as well as drinks.
The back route to the station is recommended (especially if skies are clear, as it is a near full moon tonight), but there is a slightly shorter route along the main road.
Trains back from Balcombe are at 25 and 55 past
7 comments:
Is anyone interested in trying the Gardeners Arms for Lunch? If so I will book a table.
I have booked a table for 4 at 13:00 in the casual dining area. Another walker has also booked a table so space for 8
26 assembled on the station platform, but I am told 3 got a train half an hour later, so n=29 in all. With such a large group it is hard to keep tabs on what everyone did, so this must inevitably be a partial, prejudiced and ignorant account.
Let me fess up at once and say that this walk was a bit muddier than I predicted. I make no apology for the stretches before and after the Ouse Valley Viaduct - I did warn about these in the walk post!! - but I had not sufficiently taken into account that the gravel path alongside the reservoir in the afternoon would be afflicted by regular gloopy puddles.
The weather also did not quite live up to the expectations raised by the weather forecast, being w=more-cloudy-than-not. But that left room for some bursts of sun. One hit me as I was climbing up from the reservoir towards lunchtime: how warm the rays felt, having lost their winter weakness! Later, walking along the reservoir in the afternoon, there were moments when the view approximated to the photo I included in the walk post.
I know that for lunch some went to Ardingly village, planning to visit the cafe. I would love to know how they got on. Another went to the Ardingly Inn, found it closed (“open sometimes and not others” according to locals) but reported a bakery next door selling takeaways but with no seats. I am not sure if this is the cafe or another place.
Three tables had been booked at the Gardeners Arms and it managed to accommodate all who turned up, which was quite a few of us. We ended up having a whole corner to ourselves, which was very congenial. The young staff were efficient and the food came very quickly and was tasty when it did. It is always a pleasure to eat at this pub.
After lunch some did the shortcut to Wakehurst Place: I am not sure how they got on later with the muddy route into Balcombe. Others returned to the reservoir, but we got quite spread out and I don’t know what happened to lots of the group.
A fair number of us convened in Balcombe, where the idea of going to some kind of local club was mooted: this served drinks but with a £2 membership fee added, which seemed a bit pointless, so all (most?) of us returned to the Half Moon Inn. In the past I have found this place tolerably friendly, but today they were in full “frosty to everyone but locals mode”. I was grudgingly made a pot of tea but was told in advance what an intense effort it would be (she boiled a kettle and put a tea bag in a pot) and was charged £4.75. Others complained about overpriced drinks. Still we had a pleasant chat.
We all set off to get the 16.55 train (still in daylight!). A few risked the back lanes even though time was short. I was so entranced by the birdsong on this route (several song thrushes and my first blackbird song of the year) that I decided to let the train go and get the next. One other walker kindly stayed to keep me company.
We returned to the back lane, heard another blackbird, and walked a little way up the lane as the sky - to my surprise - cleared completely and the 98% full moon rose. The next train was delayed by 25 minutes, so we had nearly an hour to enjoy the increasing dark, the glitter of the moonlight on the wet surfaces of the road, and the appearance of our moon shadows.
We then went for the 17.50 (the delayed 17.25) but once again the prospect of such perfect moonlight conditions made me hesitate. So my companion got the train and I did not. Sadly at this point it started to cloud up, and despite hearing an owl (“Owl met by Moonlight”?) the moon had gone within 15 minutes.
I write this on the utterly rammed 18.25 train. The train down this morning was pretty crowded too. Is there a fool standing on Brighton Pier handing out £50 notes?
To the walk poster I fill in gaps where possible
Walker #30 (me) meet three others on the next train from the recommended one. However apart from the steep tarmac climb at the start, this walker did a hybrid version of this route solo, mixing aspects of the summer and winter options. Key takeaways
1: At the Ardingly reservoir the activities cafe was open (9-3pm) light food is served so this walker took an early lunch. Timings worked well.
2: A section of the route is impassable and must be amended and avoided (Hoathly shaw stretch)
3: Navigation was difficult at the Kew site at Wakehurst due to poor signage - I would recommend using the text
4: Completed the walk and intended to also take the 17:25 but this was significantly delayed
5: Perhaps as well as checking football fixtures of a well known SE London club :) I might also check when Brighton FC are playing at home because the trains were busy
Five of us decided to return after lunch via Wakehurst Place, inside knowledge and a gate labelled staff only leads from the car park to the public footpath. The bull in field sign turned out to be true, he was a big chap and kept a close eye on us but we passed without incident. It was no more or less muddy than the morning and we managed to reach the cafe in Balcombe at 15.15 where they were closing but provided takeaway teas and very good cakes. We sat on the tables outside the village hall and I think most got the 15.55.
Thanks John. I also reached the same car park and couldn’t find the public footpath. Without inside knowledge I asked at the shop where I was told to leave and go around back down the staff and deliveries lane.
Thanks for the extra reports and intel. How to get from the Wakehurst Place car park to the public footpath is described in the walk directions - which sadly no one uses these days!!!
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