10.00 train from London Bridge (10.16 from East Croydon) to Merstham, arriving 10.29
Best ticket: Merstham is annoyingly one stop outside zone 6. You can use Oyster (and contactless) but you get charged full fare with no railcard discounts. Best buy a one stop extension from Coulsdon South.
At the end of the walk, Tattenham Corner and Tadworth are in zone six
Acting in loco stargazerensis, I have been asked to post a walk to coincide with [a certain social event] this evening, which, combined with the RMT strike, somewhat constrains my choices. So apologies for a repeat post for this walk which last had an outing in June.
It is not a second best option, however, as in its early stages it climbs to a beautiful downland escarpment with wonderful views - possibly the best North Downs view of all - which should also still have some good wildflowers and few remaining butterflies. The less scenic part after lunch crosses green fields and woods to Epsom Racecourse, which out of season looks like some great ruin of a former civilisation.
Lunch is available after 5 miles or so at the Sportsman in Mogador or there are further options a bit later in Walton. Quite early in the walk there is also a charming tea kiosk on Reigate Hill, worth a stop for a coffee. At the end of the walk you will probably be rushing to get the last train, but there is a pub and a tea kiosk if you have time for refreshments.
A shorter option, if you are in even more of a rush, ends at Tadworth (7.3 miles)
Trains back from Tattenham Corner are at 01 and 31 past the hour and from Tadworth at 05 and 35 past. Due to strike action, the last train is at 18.01 from Tattenham Corner, 18.05 from Tadworth.
All these trains stop at Coulsdon Town - *** except the last one ***: ie the last one to Coulsdon Town is 17.31 from Tattenham Corner and 17.35 from Tadworth
** Return train information is correct as of 22/8/23: I advise you to double check on the day **
4 comments:
Just wondering how the train strike will affect this walk and especially anyone going to Coulsdon afterwards and their journey home in the evening. I have no southwest trains to get home but if people can travel to Kingston then the 65 bus would take them to Richmond for the tube or Overground. Or a bus to Croydon could link to Canada Water and onward north and east if tubes and overground are running.
Hi Marion,
If you're worried about being in time for the last train from Tadworth/ Tattenham Corner you could do the walk in reverse and finish at Merstham. That way, if you miss the last train at Merstham, TFL bus 405 is a 20 minute journey to Coulsdon and Oyster cards are valid.
For travel from Coulsdon, I think the best information is at citymapper.co.uk as it takes into account all forms of transport that are running on the day.
The rail strike will affect this walk in the way specified in the walk post, which gives the last trains from Tattenham Corner and Tadworth.
As for getting back later from Coulsdon, that is beyond my remit as a walk poster, but various ideas have been discussed and will I am sure be shared among other participants at the event.
12 gathered on Merstham station and one joined us a little way into the walk, making N=13 (lucky for some) on this walk, plus a well-behaved dog. The weather was w=showery. Not that much rain in total, I suppose, but some impressive clouds.
What to say? A nice walk up onto the Reigate and Colley Hill, with its magnificent view. The pub in Mogador was empty, though filled up later, so perhaps we were just early. Five or six of us ate. Others had sandwiches outside in the sun - I was a bit jealous, though Iater it rained (probably the heaviest of the day) and I was less jealous.
After lunch, flowery fields - except it was late August and most of the flowers were over. As a note to future walk posters it would be a lovely walk in July or early August.
After some inadvertent (but minor) deviations from the walk route, we got to Epsom Downs, where the view over London was enlivened by incredibly gloomy cloud, though we were in sun. Some of us had tea at the kiosk, one or two went to the pub. We were 25 minutes early for the 5pm train, but it was at the platform, so we sat on it chatting.
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