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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Saturday 9 January 2016

Saturday Second Walk - Weald: Cowden (or Ashurst) to Eridge


SWC Walk 3 – Cowden to Eridge

Length:  21.2 km (13.2 mi)
Ascent/Descent:  370 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 5 hours
Toughness:  6 out of 10 
   or
Ashurst to Eridge
Length:  16.0 km (10.0 mi)
Ascent/Descent:  330 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 4 hours
Toughness:  4 out of 10 
  
For the full walk take the 09.08 Southern service from London Bridge to Uckfield (although the departure board may say ‘Crowborough’, as a bus replacement is in place south of there), arrives Cowden 09.53; or the 10.08 train if walking the short version (arrives Ashurst 10.58, just about when the long walkers pass by).
Return trains: XX.50 (62 minutes journey time). All three stations are on the Uckfield line. Buy an Eridge return ticket.
 
This is a beautiful walk on the Kent/East Sussex border in classic, pretty Weald territory of pasture, woods and hills. In the lunchtime village of Hartfield you will find Pooh Corner, selling all kinds of paraphernalia relating to AA Milne's famous creation. Withyham has several interesting buildings. The path into the village goes through the grounds of Old Buckhurst, in its time one of the largest houses in England but with only a stone gatehouse standing today. Next to the impressive Rectory, a corner of the adjacent Monk's House has been cut off, supposedly because one 19th century Rector wanted to be able to see Old Buckhurst, the home of his ancestors. The Church of St. Michael and All Angels contains full-size reproductions of four 14th century Italian paintings and some impressive monuments.

Lunch is either at the Anchor Inn, Hartfield (10.9 km/6.8 mi into the full walk, 5.7 km/3.6 mi else, food until 15.00 hours), or at The Hay Waggon just next door, or at the Dorset Arms, Withyham (13.3 km/8.3 m into the full walk, 8.1 km/5.1 mi else, food served until 14.30 hours).
For tea in Eridge, The Huntsman right by the station seems to be the only option, it is open all afternoon these days.

A further shortcut is possible around lunch (cut 3 km and the two pubs in Hartfield). Details in the walk directions, found here, as are map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files.
T=swc.3
L=swc.3

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

is anyone doing the short version please ?

Anonymous said...

Where can I find the walk direction ? It is not in the linked page.

Thomas G said...

From the linked page click on the respective tab: 'Download Walk (pdf)'

Anonymous said...

I found it. Thank you, Thomas.

Thomas G said...

n=7 w=dry-then-wet-then-dry
5 intrepid souls alighted from the train to start the slide through the muddy fields and hills. 2 others had taken the later train to walk from Ashurst ('caught' at lunch). V beautiful countryside, quiet and undulating, with a fair amount of far views and gushing streams. Muddy paths, slithery hillsides, churned paths and lots of standing water turned this into a proper workout. We decided early on that the Withyham pub would be our lunch choice, so from the church in Hartfield spared ourselves the short out-and-back into the village. Fabulous lunch at the Dorset Arms (we took over the table from the short walkers). Welcome bevvy stop at The Huntsman in Eridge. 15.50 train for some, 16.50 for the others.