Length: About 12 km (7.5 miles); Toughness: 3~4/10. See below for a longer option with an earlier start.
The landslip has been repaired and trains are running again to East Grinstead, so this walk will go ahead as shown.
10:23 East Grinstead train from London Bridge (Norwood Jct 10:35, East Croydon 10:39), arriving East Grinstead at 11:18. Buy a return to East Grinstead. Note that there are no trains from Victoria or Clapham Jct to East Croydon.
On arrival, nip smartly outside East Grinstead station to Bus Stop A where Metrobus 270 should be waiting to depart at 11:25. Alight at the Brambletye Hotel stop in Forest Row to start the walk at 11:39. If the train is late or the 270 doesn't run, there's a Metrobus 291 due at 11:42. If this also fails switch to the “Short Circular Walk to Standen” described in the walk document (or walk down the old railway line to Forest Row: see below).
Trains back from East Grinstead are at xx:12 & xx:42.
This abbreviated version of the East Grinstead Circular walk certainly won't be mud-free but I recall the worst stretches being on the outward leg, where one path is described as “a positive quagmire in winter”. Taking the bus to Forest Row neatly sidesteps that problem and the connection worked perfectly on another walk last summer.
From Forest Row the walk essentially heads west along the low hills to the south of Weir Wood Reservoir, then swings round its western edge to climb up to Standen, a fine National Trust property. In theory the café here is only open to visitors, but the walk document hints that on a quiet day the staff at the ticket kiosk might let you in. Failing that it's not much further to East Grinstead, where the longer ending will take you past a choice of eateries in its town centre.
PS. Anyone wanting a longer walk could take the train one hour earlier and then either follow the ‘shorter start’ directions through those muddy fields or (much better, if you know the route) simply walk down the disused railway line to Forest Row. You should have time to grab a coffee while waiting for the main group to arrive on the 270 bus.
You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.40 - you'll only need the directions from the last five pages of the PDF download for the Forest Row start.
3 comments:
This walk option starts at para 147 of the pdf, the Chequers Inn. What is the direction from the Brambletye Hotel bus stop to the Chequers Inn?
The Brambletye stop is right next to the Chequers. Just cross the main road from the bus stop and you'll find the signposted footpath mentioned in ¶147.
8 at the station and 1 more waiting at the Brambletye made 9 on a day best described as w=cloudy (slightly damp, but not really damp enough to call rain). The walk started ominously with seven stiles in quick succession but that was it. No more. There was mud, though. God was there mud. Somehow not as debilitating as yesterdays mud. Quite a brisk pace but, at one point, the group did stop to let poor old Mr Tiger catch up (not that he was far behind).
The lunch stop was Standen’s ‘Coffee Barn’ which seemed to be free to access. A choice between soup or cake. Two more joined us here, making the number n=11
Then on, maybe going a little off-piste in Rockinghill woods (I blame the others), but not seriously so.
Mr Tiger’s assertion that at least today he’d get home without wet socks was cruelly demolished by a large puddle near the end.
At last, mercifully, the Dorset Arms loomed out of the encroaching murk. A litre or so of cider later, a short walk to the station.
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