Length: 18.7km (11.6 miles), or 14.8km (9.2 miles) with short cuts.
9.35 Thameslink train from London Bridge (9.20 St Pancras, 9.24 Farringdon, 9.29 Blackfriars, 9.49 East Croydon) to Wivelsfield, arriving 10.26. Tip: sit at very back of the train in the (declassified) first class section: nice seats, tables, charging points...
You could also get the 9.24 from Victoria (9.31 Clapham Junction, 9.40 East Croydon), arriving at Wivelsfield at 10.12. T=swc.225
Buy a day return to Wivelsfield. Cheaper "Thameslink only" tickets may be available at London Bridge, St Pancras etc
For walk directions and more details about the walk click here, for GPX click here, for a map of the route click here.
Today happens to be the fourth anniversary of that doleful day when we were first told to "stay at home, save lives" at the start of the Covid pandemic. The walk I had posted for the following Saturday was this one. It obviously did not take place, but better late than never, eh?
My reason for picking the walk then and now is illustrated in the photo - wood anemones, which grow in a number of woods on the route, especially at the start. It is early in the season, so they are unlikely to be out to anything like the extent illustrated - but we did see a surprising number on last week's Ashurst to Eridge outing. One caveat is that they only open up in fine weather: if it is grey, cold or rainy, you may only see tightly closed bells.
Otherwise this is a Wealden walk, which skirts round to the west of Haywards Heath (though you never suspect its proximity), and comes to the substantial village of Cuckfield (pronounced Cookfield) for lunch. There is a pub here, which got good reviews on the last outing, and (at the last check) several cafes. I can't guarantee a convenience store, but there probably is one
Two short cuts, one just before lunch and one just after, reduce the walk length to 9.2 miles, if you wish.
There was once a nice tea room at the entrance to Borde Hill Gardens, mid afternoon, but it is long gone, alas. There is a cafe in the gardens themselves, but only if you pay to go in to them. That leaves the main tea option as the Waitrose next to Haywards Heath station. Bear with me here: it has a nice cafe, with a good range of cakes, and is open till late (the store closes at 9pm at all events). There is a pub nearby.
There is a positive embarassment of trains back to London, the Thameslink ones being at 01, 19, 31 and 49 past, with others in between going to Victoria, and connections on all of them at East Croydon to all other places in the known universe.
3 comments:
The train seems to get in at 10.26 is that right?
Yes. Corrected!
It was me!! I am the guilty party - the one who inveigled n=28 other walkers onto this gloop-fest. Reader, it was muddy. Slipping, sliding, slithering and sinking. Leg muscles getting a double workout.
One walker sprained an ankle in the morning (not sure if mud was a factor, but it probably didn’t help). We hope she suffered no long-lasting effects. She managed to continue to Cuckfield where one of our number kindly drove her to Haywards Heath.
All this apart, a fine day out. W=Sunny-in-the-morning, which was a real tonic. And spring is really springing. Blackbirds singing all over, pussy willow catkins out, banks of primroses, and half a dozen chiffchaffs (our first spring migrant bird arrival), making the start of the season official.
The promised wood anemones were out in reasonable numbers too - the best displays being just after lunch on the main route and on the approach to Haywards Heath. Lots more to come, though.
For lunch the picknickers had nice benches in the churchyard, with fine views of the South Downs. A number of us squeezed into Tom’s Food (the lucky early arrivals getting tables outside in the sun): very tasty food. I am not sure if any ate at the Talbot, but some certainly had drinks there.
After lunch eight or nine of us set off to do the short cut, but one persuaded three others of us to revert to the main walk through the woods, which was a good choice as there were many interesting nature things to see there.
No tea at Borde Hill anymore, alas, and the last bridleway into Haywards Heath was as muddy as ever (though with diversionary side paths). Once in the latter place some went to the pub to watch rugby, while two of us went to the Waitrose cafe, meeting another walker there. This is a very nice place and we sat there happily talking of this and that until booted out at closing time (6pm: 4.30pm Sunday).
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