9.35 train from London Bridge (9.49 East Croydon) to Balcombe, arriving 10.18. Be in the front eight coaches of the train, as Balcombe has a short platform.
For walk directions click here (you only need pages 1-6), for GPX click here, for a map of the route click here.
I am aware that this walk was posted just before Christmas as a Sunday walk, but not aware that anyone did it on that occasion, since there was no walk report. Apologies to anyone who did.
This is a winter walk for a reason, since it was created to have more than its fair share of mud-free surfaces, ie tracks and roads. Nevertheless, do not wear your party shoes, as there are some squelchy bits. During the morning you pass under the dramatic Ouse Valley Viaduct, which has been carrying the Brighton main line uncomplainingly since 1841 (and is now a bit of a bottleneck on the line...).
Picnic types can eat their lunch on benches by the Ardingly Reservoir and so cut out the walk up the hill to lunch, reducing the walk to 7.9 miles. Those seeking a pub lunch can try the Gardeners Arms, exclusive to this version of the walk. In the past it has been a popular pub, but we may squeeze in.
Otherwise, in the other direction, you come to Ardingly Village, where the Ardingly Arms may or may not do food. It has been reported to be no longer doing food midweek, and I have heard rumours it only does pizza on Saturday or Sunday (or neither or both). Its website is unenlightening, talking of its fine restaurant but giving no opening hours. The Ardingly Cafe next door is supposedly open to 3pm and has provided us with light lunches in the past.
After lunch it is an easy walk along the Ardingly Reservoir to Balcombe. Forget about the tea rooms here, which always seem to be closed when we arrive, but the Half Moon Inn has been known to do hot drinks and even cake.
You will probably not be lingering long in any case, with trains back being at 20 and 50 past the hour, and *** the last train at 17.20 *** due to strike action.
3 comments:
Another refreshment stop on this walk is the Black Hut Cafe on Ardingly Reservoir, at the Activity Centre on the south west corner of the reservoir. The route passes it just before it crosses the reservoir.
www.ardinglyactivitycentre.co.uk/our-cafe/
I have booked a table for 4 at the Gardeners Arms at 12:30
They are a tough lot, the Saturday Walkers. N=12 turned up on this walk despite rail strikes and a forecast of heavy rain. You know what I am going to say next, right? W=It-hardly-rained-at-all - just a lovely mild wind and scudding clouds and yes, one short shower after lunch.
One walker decided at the start to do the summer version of the walk and was thus lost to history. We hope he did not sink without trace into the gloopy mud. The rest of us walked along the road, passed by an irritating number of cars (normally there are none). Later we came across a Meet-Up group of about forty twenty-somethings, who helpfully waited for us to catch up before resuming their walk. Thanks for that, guys: we were feeling lonely.
We hurried to extricate ourselves from them as we walked along the farm track, passed by another procession of cars, this time with beefy male occupants. I correctly guessed a shoot and indeed in a field soon after we came across the “guns”. They were probably as pleased to see us as we were to see them. They must have loved the Meet-Up group.
On to the Ouse Valley Viaduct, which always takes the breath away. Bits are falling off it apparently so there was a short diversion to pass under it. Beyond we squelched along the valley and then climbed to the reservoir, where one walker lost a very nice hat (it upsets me to think of it..), whipped off by the wind onto the inaccessible lower reaches of the dam.
Two tables of four had been booked at the Gardener’s Inn. Three more of us squeezed onto a bar table. Nine of us got our meals with astonishing speed - we had barely sat down after ordering when they arrived. Two - including hat guy, who was having an unlucky day - had a much longer wait.
After lunch yours truly wanted to check out a supposed permissive path to Wakehurst Place. It did not exist (locked gate) but it prompted us to go off piste and pioneer a lovely route down hill, across an arm of the reservoir, and up to a lane. Most stayed on the lane into Balcombe: three of us descended to the reservoir and met two others there coming the other way (I am not sure why).
All eleven of us ended up in the Half Moon Inn in Balcombe at around 3.30pm (near top marks for group cohesion!). Some had tea, some alcohol: all were provided by the landlord with bag covers for their boots. Some got the 4.20 train, three of us went for the 4.50, walking the back lane in the atmospheric dusk - and getting totally drenched by a torrential shower (than God it did not rain like that all day!). One got befuddled by the rain and just missed the train: hopefully the last service of the day, the 5.20, carried him home.
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