Length: 16 km (9.9 miles). Toughness: 3/10
10:35 Bognor Regis train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:42, East Croydon 10:54), arriving Redhill at 11:07. Alternatively the 10:24 Three Bridges train from London Bridge arrives a few minutes earlier at 11:00. [If you take this, wait for the Victoria train near the front of Platform 3 because the walk notes suggest exiting there, not via the main exit in the ticket hall.]
If you miss both of these you could get off the next train at the stop before Redhill and do the walk's alternative start from Merstham. You should connect with the main group where the two routes join at Spynes Mere.
Trains return from Redhill at xx:22 & xx:53 to London Bridge and xx:58 to Victoria. You can use Oyster or contactless at Redhill but you might find that buying a day return paper ticket is cheaper, especially with a railcard discount.
If you want to cut the walk short two buses an hour go through Nutfield to Redhill. Alternatively you could divert to its station for the hourly train to Redhill at xx:49, which connects with the Victoria train. However, rail replacement buses are running from Earlswood, the other possible short ending mentioned in the directions.
This new outing should boost its author's well-deserved reputation for motorway walks. It heads unerringly towards the M23/M25 junction and although it's well screened by trees you won't be able to avoid some traffic noise. The feeble justification for this close encounter was to take in a series of lakes created from the worked-out sand quarries in the area, now transformed into nature reserves or (in one case) used for water sports. There's another lakeside stretch in the second half of the walk but it's not a complete doddle as you have to climb over the Greensand Ridge twice.
For this Sunday I'm proposing the walk's shorter version, via Nutfield. If you want a pub lunch you'll reach the Inn on the Pond in the rural location of Nutfield Marsh at around 12:20~30pm, and the Queens Head on Nutfield's High Street half an hour later. As usual, call one of them if you want to be sure of a table. There are several refreshment places in Redhill's pedestrianised town centre at the end of the walk.
You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.425.a page.
1 comment:
As reported to me:
3 off the train at Redhill with one on the platform having travelled from Sussex. Weather - steady light rain in the morning. Mixed going with some firm paths and some patches of deep mud & standing water. Lunch at The Inn on the Pond, a Shepherd Neame establishment, served two an excellent roast lunch. Walk back was better underfoot arriving at Redhill station at 16.30.
N=4 w=steady-light-rain-in-the-morning
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