Re-post from early August, when all lines were closed out of Waterloo in that direction...
Length: 21.7 km (13.5 mi) or 20.8 km (13.0 mi)
Ascent/Descent:
469/587
Net Walking Time: 5 ¼ hours
Toughness: 6/10
Take the 09.30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (09.55
Woking), arrives Haslemere 10.20.
Return to Haslemere Station from Midhurst by Bus Line
70 (26 mins journey, relevant buses: 16.05, 17.05, 18.10 and
19.15 (or by taxi).
Return trains from Haslemere are on xx.00, xx.32
and xx.37 (slower).
The route leads from Haslemere station through the
town’s centre and along the waymarked Serpent Trail through a small Nature
Reserve to rise steeply out of town and back down through Camelsdale to then
rise with the Sussex Border Path through pastures and pine and heather covered
slopes up to the Black Down. Following the crest through open heathland, with
far views across West Sussex and out to Hampshire, you reach the Temple Of The
Winds viewpoint, with further panoramic views over the Rother Valley to the
South Downs escarpment and easterly across to the West Weald.
A long descent through the sloping open grounds of
Blackdown House and through woods carpeted in bluebells in season, leads to either the classic
Sussex village of Lurgashall, with its pub and church at the corner of a
picturesque village green and cricket pitch, or to the hamlet of Lickfold with
its renowned Three Horseshoes Inn.
The afternoon takes you through a mix of flat
farmland and wooded hills to the Cowdray Estate, with its golf
course-with-views as well as several polo fields, to the romantic ruins of
Cowdray House, as captured by JMW Turner. Climbing from the River Rother’s
banks, Midhurst's Norman castle ruins are passed en-route to the old market
town's attractive centre with its many tea options.
Lunch : The Noah's Ark in Lurgashall (10.3
km/6.4 mi, food to 14.30, a table has been booked for 12.45). Or The Three Horseshoes Inn in Lickfold
(11.0 km/6.8 mi, food to 16.00, booking recommended). Tea: lots of choice en-route to and in Midhurst (see the pdf for details), recommended are The Halfway Hut (3 km
from the end), Cowdray Farm Shop & Cafe (2 km from the
end, open to 17.00), Garton’s Coffee House, The Wheatsheaf or Fitzcane’s.
For summary, map, height profile, some photos,
walk directions and gpx/kml files click here . T=swc.48
2 comments:
5 off the train, only modest mud (for the time of year) and w=very-low-clouds, which made for some atmospheric walking, especially as - apart from dog walkers - there weren't many walkers about. An amazing stillness in most places. But no views from the top of course.
On Black Down we caught walker n=6, who had taken an earlier train and then reached Lurgashall 15 minutes or so earlier than the pre-booked lunch slot. Our table was in the barn-like main room, which is a very nice place. One of the 2 picnickers joined us for a drink, but the other one walked on.
On then, just after 14.00 hours, with more low clouds/fog and some slightly more serious mud on the ascent up Bexleyhill common, and then we found the bridleway down Hoe Hill 'closed' (18 Dec for 6 months) due to a 'collapsed culvert'. That was a bit of a non-event, as the remaining path over the culvert was still wide enough for two or more walkers (but maybe not sturdy enough to support a horse?). Walker 6 was caught again just by the Cowdray Cafe and we had well enough time for a stop there before taking the 17.05 bus.
This being my last walk of 2024, I highlight a quirky/funny incident that happened. At a kissing gate we were joined by two extra walkers of the 🐑 variant. It seemed they were patiently waiting for any human walkers. Despite one walkers best efforts the 🐑 were defiant. Not seeing a way to climb any fences the group decided to let the 🐑 through into the next field. A delicate task ( not crushing the 🐑 between the gates) but we managed. Once through the gates it was clear the 🐑 were in the right place scampering but obviously they had lost their usual entry point. Overall a pleasant walk to end another year with SWC. Thanks
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