Length: 18¾ km (11.7 miles), or 16½ km (10.3 miles) if finishing in the village. Toughness: 5 or 4/10
For the cheapest (Thameslink-only) fare from central London, take the 09:00 Brighton train from St Pancras (Blackfriars 09:09, London Bridge 09:15), arriving Haywards Heath at 09:59.
Alternatively, take the 09:24 Eastbourne train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:31, East Croydon 09:40), arriving at 10:07. [From Victoria you could also take the Gatwick Express service at 09:29; this calls at Gatwick only and arrives at 10:11.]
At Haywards Heath make your way to the Perrymount Road bus stop for the East Grinstead-bound Metrobus 270, departing at 10:21 for the 15-minute journey to Horsted Keynes Station. Bus fares are still capped at £2 each way.
Buses from Horsted Keynes village back to Haywards Heath are hourly at xx:39 until 16:39, then at 17:57 and 19:34. All except the last one call at Horsted Keynes station four minutes later if you choose to complete a full circular walk. At Haywards Heath there are four Thameslink trains an hour back to London (at xx:01, xx:19, xx:31 & xx:49) plus six Southern ones.
An early train with a bus connection doesn't suit everyone, but I've chosen this somewhat neglected walk because there's a Bluebell on Parade weekend on the heritage railway. I've chosen to start the walk from the Bluebell Railway station rather than the village because this way you should get a close-up encounter with a couple of steam trains on the stretch alongside the track, a southbound one just before 11am and a northbound one shortly afterwards.
After an undulating climb onto the fringes of Ashdown Forest you should reach the Red Lion in Chelwood Gate at around 12:30-45. There's an optional short cut at the start of the afternoon leg, which might tempt you as the gorse and heather won't be at their most colourful in June. A gradual descent through woods and fields brings you back to Horsted Keynes, where a couple of decent pubs will be vying for your custom before the bus ride back to Haywards Heath.
You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.132.a page.
1 comment:
6 at Haywards Heath, 1 at Horsted Keynes Station and 1 more catching up at lunch. That makes two hands less two fingers = n=8
After starting off we saw 2 chuff-chuffs. It was sunny. It is was hot. It was w=very-hot Mr Tiger should be used to that, what with coming from the jungle and everything, but it was too hot, even for him. The hills didn’t help. But he soldiered on with a cheerful smile, never complaining.
The lunch pub was fine. Maybe it was the heat but Mr Tiger’s cider seemed to evaporate at an alarming rate. Nothing for it but to get a top up.
At least the afternoon was mostly downhill. The group had divided into fasties and slowies. The slowies decided to take the shorter afternoon. Cos of the heat, see.
Most of the slowies then took the shorter route to HK Green and the bus. But not before a quick thirst slake in the Crown.
Trains back were horrendous. Massive delays. Mr Tiger was advised to take another that was leaving sooner. Then turfed off that one at East Croydon. He was getting so cross he could easily have eaten someone. But he didn’t. He maintained his cheerful countenance with claws fully retracted.
Nice walk though, apart from the heat. And the trains back.
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