Length: 27km (16m) or 20km (13m)
Toughness: 7 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:15 from London Bridge (9:29 East Croydon) arriving in Balcombe at 9:55. 4 trains / hour return from Horsham to either London Bridge or London Victoria.
Either buy a day return to Balcombe and sweet-talk the station master in Horsham to let you through the barrier or buy a single from Horsham to Three Bridges for a return to London Bridge, or buy a day return to Horsham (Balcombe does not have barriers) and potentially explain to the conductor that you want to walk from Balcombe to Horsham.
In the morning this walk follows the Balcombe circular before heading off towards the west and St Leonards Forest, the watershed between the Thames and the Channel and the source of the river Arun. There, you have a choice of either going straight towards Horsham station or following a southward loop to enter Horsham centre passing its church and explore this pretty market town with its many pubs and restaurants. A mixed walk of woodlands, water features and farm land.
4 comments:
I'm not sure where to upload a walk report so I will leave it here,
Walk Reports
07 August 2021 Balcome to Horsham (the long way round).
Four walkers 4 alighted from the train at Balcome, starting the walk in sunshine, but with ominous grey clouds never far away. There were passing showers but also long spells of sunshine to dry off so you could say a mix of sunshine and fast-moving showers.
We enjoyed familiar delights walking towards Handcross through the lush and extremely green West Sussex countryside. All the streams were gushing and the rivers swollen with water, as we negotiated water-logged fields and muddy paths, soaking ourselves as we pushed through the extensive foliage.
Lunch was taken at the quite empty Wheatsheaf, where we enjoyed Harveys on tap and rose wine, not so much the food which was disappointing.
The long afternoon section was most enjoyable, less rain in the afternoon meant we could dry off and enjoy the higher ground through St Leonards forest and farmland with many fields left to wildflowers, gorgeous purple thistles and abundant yellow ones, many butterflies were seen but not identified. The two at the front were lucky to spot a stag with full head of antler on the path before darting away into the undergrowth. Sliding about on wet paths got a bit tiring after a while and we were all relieved to arrive into Horsham via the old town and church – much improved route. Three of us enjoyed drinks, food and more drinks in the Black Jug near the station before catching the 18:50 home.
N=4 walkers alighted from the train at Balcome, starting the walk in sunshine, but with ominous grey clouds never far away. There were passing showers but also long spells of sunshine to dry off so you could say a mix of w=sunshine-and-fast-moving-showers.
We enjoyed familiar delights walking towards Handcross through the lush and extremely green West Sussex countryside. All the streams were gushing and the rivers swollen with water, as we negotiated water-logged fields and muddy paths, soaking ourselves as we pushed through the extensive foliage.
Lunch was taken at the quite empty Wheatsheaf, where we enjoyed Harveys on tap and rose wine, not so much the food which was disappointing.
The long afternoon section was most enjoyable, less rain in the afternoon meant we could dry off and enjoy the higher ground through St Leonards forest and farmland with many fields left to wildflowers, gorgeous purple thistles and abundant yellow ones, many butterflies were seen but not identified. The two at the front were lucky to spot a stag with full head of antler on the path before darting away into the undergrowth. Sliding about on wet paths got a bit tiring after a while and we were all relieved to arrive into Horsham via the old town and church – much improved route. Three of us enjoyed drinks, food and more drinks in the Black Jug near the station before catching the 18:50 home.
All you do, Sarah, is put your walk report in a comment. No need to worry about the date or walk name. Use "n=X" to give the number, and w=words-separated-by-dashes to do the weather, and then the system recognises it as a walk report and puts it under "Walk Reports" and in the history section for that walk, so others considering the walk can read it in the future.
You had much better weather than we did. Curses!
Thanks I will try this next time 😀
Post a Comment