Difficulty 4/10
Short Walk, omitting Selsdon Wood: 13½ km (8.4 miles) (recommended).
Main Walk 17 km (10.6 miles).
This part of the London/Surrey border feels pretty rural, the woods, fields and isolated valleys having escaped suburban expansion.
The walk starts with a climb to the top of Riddlesdown and the adjoining Sanderstead to Whyteleafe Countryside Area, (now part of the South London Downs National Nature Reserve). A tiny 11th C church is then passed on the way to a lunch pub on the edge of Great Farleigh Green.
The return leg comes back across the valley to King's Wood, this time, through its full length. The walk ends with a longer stretch through the Countryside Area, and a flight of steps takes you down to a café in Whyteleafe Recreation Ground and a choice of return stations.
Trains: Get the East Grinstead train from Victoria at 10:21 (Clapham Jct 10:28), arriving Upper Warlingham 10:51.
Or... the 10:10 Caterham train from London Bridge to Whyteleafe station, arriving 10:47. (The stations are near each other - directions given from both).
Return from Upper Warlingham to Victoria at xx:08 and xx:38
Return from Whyteleafe to London Bridge at xx:40 and xx:10.
Both. stations are at the outer edge of TfL Zone 6 so a Travelcard or London Freedom Pass would suffice.
Lunch: The Harrow (01883-627565) on Great Fairleigh Green. The suggested place for a picnic lunch is at Farleigh church, which has several benches in its churchyard.
Tea: The suggested place in Whyteleafe is the small Pavilion Café (01883-770666; open daily to around 4pm) in the Recreation Ground, a friendly place serving hot drinks and a selection of cakes. Stronger fare is available at the refurbished Whyteleafe Tavern (01883-624547) and the Radius Arms micro-pub (07514-916172), but neither do hot drinks. Both are on the A22 between the two stations.
Walk directions: here
Given the hours of daylight, the shorter walk, omitting Selsdon Wood is recommended – but it’s up to you.
T=swc.43
2 comments:
4 of us left Upper Warlingham station, and only 3,as far as I know returned. It was good to get out on a drizzly day. There ought to be a score out of 10,slightly higher than the 4 out of ten, when the mud intervenes.
It was an enjoyable walk though. 2 had a pub lunch in the Harrow by Farleigh Green. I can't remember going there before. The calamari I had, which was a starter was pretty good value, quite a lot and enjoyable. I had a cappochino to go with it, as I don't drink alcohol on the 2nd Sunday in December.
I left the walk at Sanderstead and caught the 403 bus to catch some jazz in the Oval pub jazz venue in East Croydon, as it seemed an opportunity not to be missed.
N=4 w=drizzly
Post a Comment