South Downs Way Section 3: Petersfield to Cocking (return by bus to Haslemere) (map-led)
Length: 20.4 km (12.7 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 508/470m
Net Walking Time: 5 – 5 ½ hours
Toughness: 6 out of 10
Up and down the Downs, with a lunch pub down the hill a km away, or a tea stop off route a km away at Uppark House and Garden, which you could visit, have tea at and then take the bus back to the station from.
Take the 09.30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (Woking
09.55), arrives Petersfield 10.32.
From Battersea Central (a.k.a.
Clapham Junction) take the 9.19 Basingstoke service (calls Surbiton
at 09.30), and change at Woking (09.48/09.55).
In Cocking take bus line 60 to Midhurst Bus Station (every
half hour on xx.12, takes 15 minutes) and change there to bus line 70 to
Haslemere (16.05, 17.05, 18.10 and 19.05), through-tickets ought to be
available. Any waiting time in Midhurst can be bridged at Fitzcane’s Café or a
pub.
Return trains from Haslemere are xx.02, xx.14,
xx.30. Buy a Petersfield return.
Shorter Walk: Bus 91 to Petersfield from outside
the lunch pub, at 16.20. Or Bus 54 to Petersfield, either from Uppark
House (on the main road) at 16.44 or from outside the lunch pub (16.47).
Lunch: Picnic or The White
Hart in South Harting (10.3 km/6.4 mi, 1 km off route
downhill, food to 15.00) or the Café at Uppark (10.3 km/6.4 mi, 1 km off
route but not downhill, NT membership or ticket needed, open 10.00-16.00).
For summary, map, height profile, some photos
and gpx/kml files click here.t=swc.155
1 comment:
n=9 walkers on a w=sunny day, although there was always a cold wind about, most notably on the final descent into Cocking.
Some mud in the pastures just south of P'field, then again some muddy stretches on the Hangers Way section in that valley up to Buriton, else fine. Glorious views all around today.
The group stayed together 'til the turnoff for the pub in South Harting. A table for 4 had been booked, and 4 people were interested: perfect. 1 other later visited Uppark House and Garden and then bumped into the lunchers, the other 4 caught the 15.42 bus, I hear.
Lunch was lovely, well worth the extra 20-30 minutes of walking. Us 5 then reached Cocking village just after 5, and with the Blue Bell closed for a function, so we took the next bus, although it would not connect in Midhurst. That left time there for a visit of The Wheatsheaf. 18.05 bus to H'mere. Apart from the chap that thought he'd dropped his railcard and oyster card in the pub and went back to fetch it.
Group Cohesion Factor: 8/10
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