20.3km (12.6 miles) Difficulty 9/10
Said to be one of our hardest walks, but Mr Tiger’s done it a few times so it's not impossible. The start from Winchelsea is flat to begin with, but things don't stay that way. No sirree. The afternoon route takes you up, down, up, down, across 3 steep glens, eventually descending into quaint old Hastings.
An unofficial diversion (at your own risk) would take you down to the naturist beach at Fairlight Glen.
Trains: 9:40 from St Pancras, (Platform 13) to Ashford, arriving10:18. Change to the 10:24, Platform 1, to arrive at Winchelsea 10:53.
Returning from Hastings
xx:50 xx:30 to Charing Cross
There's an xx:19 to Victoria (slower)
Or the xx:25 and change at at Ashford for High Speed back to St Pancras
Get a return to Hastings (any permitted). To travel to/from St Pancras, include the High Speed supplement.
Lunch: The 17th century Queens Head (tel 01424 814 552), Parsonage Lane, Icklesham
Or later in the village of Pett, The Royal Oak Inn (tel 01424 812 515)
In Pett Level, there's the C-Side cafe (on the sea wall) and a little further on, the Cockles and Dreams
Tea
An early tea stop is possible, inland from Firehills at the Coastguards. Open till 5.
No shortage of tea places in Hastings and at least a couple of pubs in the old town.
There's also the Old Seadog near the station, 32 Station Road.
Directions: here T=1.25
8 comments:
The 8:25 from Charing X to Ashford is less crowded, cheaper and avoids the need to run through the subway at Ashford in order to stand any chance of boarding the Marsh Link train.
Just swam at Fairlight Glen today, a little before high tide. The old beach seems to have completely gone: you clamber into the water over boulders, though they seem to shelve away quite quickly, so one can soon launch out. Beautiful swim! Probably the best place to swim in the coast (though the sea might be quite rough at the weekend).
There is a new beach about 200 metres west of where the path comes down, but I am not sure how to get to that. There must be a way, as I could see people on it.
The local seal popped up at one point, about 50 metres off shore
Hello, I am a newbie here. Thinking about joining the Sunday walk but wondering if I can park the car at Winchelsea and get a train back there from Hastings at the end of the walk? Thanks!
You can: trains go at 25 past the hour to 20.25, then 21.24, which seems to be the last.
Thank you!
I got into London too late to get the 0940 so am going to Hastings instead. I’ll either get a local bus or walk the route in reverse and hope to see you in the afternoon
#9 #warm-with-a-breeze-from-the -east
Great swim at the end albeit not Fairlight Glen but Hastings.
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