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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Saturday, 2 August 2025

Saturday Walk - Uckfield to Lewes [Swimming Walk]

Length: 21.3 km (13.3 mi) 
Ascent/Descent: 234/250m 
Net Walking Time: about 4 ½ hours 
Toughness: 4/10

 

Take the 09.07 Uckfield train from London Bridge (Croydon 09.22), arrives Uckfield 10.22. 
Return trains from Lewes are on xx.25 and xx.55. 
Buy a Lewes return , this should be accepted on the Uckfield line.
 
A gentle walk along river valleys through fields and woods, finishing with a climb over the South Downs above Glyndebourne.
 
Walk Options: 
Cut out the afternoon climb onto the Downs by following the Ouse Valley Way all the way to Lewes. This reduces the total length to 18.2 km. 
Take a bus from Ringmer to either Lewes, Brighton or Uckfield. 
Swimming: The Ouse near the lunch pub has some popular swimming spots (water levels permitting).

Lunch: The Anchor Inn and Boating, Barcombe, a country pub and restaurant set on the west bank of the River Ouse, in a very isolated spot. It is very popular in good weather. 
Tea: Many places in Lewes.

For a summary, photos, height profile, gpx/kml files and the walk directions pdf click here .T=swc.272

1 comment:

Mr M Tiger said...

N=8 today, though another 2 were spotted doing the walk independently.
The weather was w=largely-sunny-sometimes-cloudy . A walk over-endowed with stiles. Some dilapidated and possibly dangerous. Those nearer Ringmer are newer, easier step stiles. Plenty flowers. Plenty butterflies. Some found it amusing to tap the Himalayan Balsam pods so they explode. (Of course, we swept up all the seeds to stop it spreading)
The route is largely navigable. There was an overgrown path off Worth Lane but, by continuing down the lane, we found a way to double back and rejoin the route.. it was also noted there are plans for a large housing development near Owl(something) piggery that may affect the route.
I only noticed one buying food in the Anchor, a kindly benefactor who fed Mr Tiger chips.
No-one went swimming.
After lunch the group dissolved into splinters with poor Mr Tiger soon lagging behind.
Much fortified by the few chips, he had determined to do the over the top route. And so he did. I didn’t see anyone sneaking along the river, so I think the others did too . The climb is do-able but the way along the top feels much longer this way round. Quick pint in the John Harvey then home. GDO