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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.

Monday 29 August 2016

Bank Holiday Monday Walk 2 - Uckfield to Lewes

Extra Walk 272 Uckfield to Lewes
Length: 20.9km (13 miles). Toughness: 4/10

10:08 Uckfield train from London Bridge (East Croydon 10:23) arriving at Uckfield at 11:21.
Or 09:53 East Grinstead train from Victoria (Clapham Junction 09:59), changing at East Croydon (arr 10:10, dep 10:23), arriving at Uckfield at 11:21.

Return trains from Lewes direct to Victoria are at xx:16 and xx:54 (journey time around 1 hour 10 minutes). Indirect trains are at xx:07 and xx:28 (change at Brighton).

Buy an off-peak day return to Lewes, which is valid for returning via Brighton as well as for the outward journey to Uckfield.

This walk has been neglected because it wasn’t in the main repertoire of SWC walks but this has now been rectified, so it’s time to give it another outing. Much of the walk traverses fields, woods and riverside paths through two quiet river valleys (the Uck and the Ouse), before finishing with an invigorating climb over the South Downs above Glyndbourne. There are swimming opportunities along the River Ouse, both before and after lunch, and the lunch pub offers boat hire if you fancy spending a lazy hour on the river before continuing the walk. In the afternoon you can shorten the walk, and avoid the stiff climb, by following the river all the way into Lewes.

The recommended lunch pub is the Anchor Inn (01273 400414) standing in splendid isolation on the banks of the Ouse. .

Further information and the walk directions can be found on the Walk 272 page
T=swc.272

8 comments:

Marion said...

This looks a good bet with useful CJ train and easy level option for those of us with dodgy knees. Intend going if forecast good.

Marion said...

Thanks to engineering works I have no trains between Barnes and Clapham junction all over the whole bank holiday weekend inc Monday so no chance of connecting with any walks on BH Monday. Any chance of anyone posting a walk involving a stop at Ealing Broadway?

Anonymous said...


Buses replace trains between Clapham Junction and Barnes from Saturday 27 to Monday 29 August

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/139833.aspx

Anonymous said...

Hi. Will there be a Wednesday walk next week? Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Yes.Weds walk this week, pls. Unable to walk today.

Chris L said...

10 walkers on a warm and mainly sunny day. The morning section from Uckfield to Isfield was a miserable experience due to several paths being horrendously overgrown with bracken, nettles, brambles and worse. Some shorts wearers finished the morning severely scratched and stung. Footpath maintenance hereabouts seems non-existent, so until that is remedied, walkers are advised not to attempt this section of the route.

Owing to these serious delays the very busy Anchor pub was reached at 2:00pm, only to find that the wait for food would be at least an hour. The four would-be lunchers decided to press on with the others, and eventually picked up some sandwiches in Ringmer some time after 4:00. Two swam in the River Ouse near Barcombe Mills and caught the others up for a final rest and refreshment stop by the Glyndebourne wind turbine, before all descended from the downs into Lewes at 6:30pm.

At present this walk would best be done as a Lewes Circular, heading out to the lunch pub along the river route and returning over the downs.

Anonymous said...

n=10 w=warm-and-mainly-sunny

Anonymous said...

Just to add to Chris' note, despite the bad experience in the morning, I thought the afternoon section of this walk was fabulous and very enjoyable.