Sunday Walk – Merstham to Tadworth

Extra Walk 4b – Merstham to Tadworth

Length: 11¾ km (7.3 miles); see † below for a longer walk. Toughness: 3/10

Take the Thameslink train towards Three Bridges from either St Pancras at 10:09 or Blackfriars at 10:18 (but not London Bridge this Sunday), arriving Merstham at 11:06.

If it's more convenient you could take the 10:21 East Grinstead train from Victoria and change onto the Thameslink train at East Croydon (arr 10:38, dep 10:48).

Trains back from Tadworth are hourly at xx:16 and go to Purley, where there are trains to London Bridge, Blackfriars or Victoria.

You can use Oyster PAYG or contactless at both stations but note that Merstham is one stop outside Zone 6, so with a Travelcard or Freedom Pass you'd need an extension from Coulsdon South. Alternatively you could chance a simple day return to Merstham, which is unlikely to be challenged on the train back to Purley (where the two lines meet).

This short walk goes through the landscaped Gatton Park and along a stretch of the North Downs with fine views. After a possible pub stop in Mogador it continues across Banstead Heath to Walton on the Hill and Tadworth. Getting Sunday lunch at The Sportsman might be even trickier than usual ten days before Christmas, but you could break for refreshments earlier at the Junction 8 servery on Reigate Hill or later at Walton on the Hill, which has the Blue Ball pub and a café overlooking the village pond.

† For a longer walk of 17¼ km (10.7 miles) you could do the full Main Walk, ie. continue past Walton on the Hill to Tattenham Corner. Return is on the same line as Tadworth, leaving four minutes earlier at xx:12. See the walk document for more details.

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.4.b page.