Length: 19½ km (12.1 miles). Four hours 30 minutes walking time.
4 out of 10 T=swc.135
"The walk goes across a meadow to the neighbouring village of Limpsfield, where a stained glass window dedicated to St Cecilia in St Peter's Church commemorates the celebrated musicians who are buried in its churchyard. After continuing over the wooded Greensand Ridge the remainder of the walk is across the Low Weald, a gently rolling landscape of scattered settlements.
The afternoon section is mostly across low-lying farmland but a number of low hills offer surprisingly good views. The walk crosses the River Eden and comes to a churchyard containing a magnificent ancient tree, the Crowhurst Yew.
The route into Lingfield is through Lingfield Nature Reserve, which includes a Community Orchard. The conservation area around the grand parish church contains many well-preserved buildings from the 16th–18thC. By the village pond there is another ancient tree (the Lingfield Oak) and a cage which was still being used to imprison miscreants in the late 19thC."
Trains: Get the 0950 from London Victoria (Clapham 0957, East Croydon 1010) arriving 1031 OR the 1007 London Bridge (East Croydon 1022), arriving 1035. Return trains from Lingfield xx13 xx43
Lunch: the Royal Oak (01883-722207) on the edge of Staffhurst Wood, 10¼ km from Oxted.
Tea: In Lingfield the suggested tea place is Costa Coffee open to 6pm on East Grinstead Road, near the village pond, or with earlier closing times is the Red Rum Caffé or Greyhound pub. The closest place to the station is The Star, just outside the Old Town.
1 comment:
It looked at first like there were only a few of us on the Victoria train, but others materialised and we eventually mustered at a respectable n=20. Off we set into w=showery weather, but it was not too bad a day. Some long dry stretches, some sun; the showers usually not too long.
A woody morning before we descended onto the plains. The group fragmented a bit and when the three I was with got to the lunch pub we found only one other walker at a table for four. Others then drifted in, and maybe six or seven ate in the end, with as many more having drinks, some in the garden. The latter enjoyed the longest sunny period of the day: when those of us inside finally emerged it was raining again.
In the afternoon lots of flowery meadows, which soaked the legs. Several of us got a bit lost at times. But seven of us finally located the well hidden Costa in Longfield for tea, while some others, I hear, went to the Star pub.
The Costa crowd were having a nice chat over tea until someone uttered the tragic words “next train”. This precipitated a rapid rush for the station, where we got the 17.13.
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