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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 11 March 2017

Saturday Walk - Burgess Hill to Hassocks

SWC Walk 108 - Burgess Hill to Hassocks (or Hurstpierpoint)
16.8 miles/26.7km - see below for shorter options

A long almost circular walk via the Sussex Border Path, Sussex Villages, and the South Downs Way ridge from Ditchling Beacon to Wolstonbury Hill.

There are numerous ways to shorten the walk - the simplest being to head straight back to Hassocks after lunch at Pyecombe, this reduces the distance by about a quarter.  Or take a short bus journey from Hurstpierpoint to Hassocks to skip the last few miles, this service runs hourly til 16:47.

Trains: Take the 09:12 Brighton (Thameslink) train from London Bridge, arriving at Burgess Hill at 10:01.  Return trains from Hassocks are at xx15 and xx45 to St Pancras/Blackfriars (Thameslink), xx36 to Victoria (Southern). Buy a day return to Hassocks - a Thameslink only ticket is the cheapest option.

LunchThe Plough at Pyecombe, 01273 842796

Hurstpierpoint has several pubs, and by Hassocks station you will find The Hassocks pub and Carol's Café.

Click here for full walk details T=swc.108

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thinking of doing this walk tomorrow. Does anyone know if an off peak or super off peak return to Hassocks will be valid on the 09.12 to Burgess Hill? It seems to be on a different route. Not sure which ticket to get.

Anonymous said...

n=20 w=warm_and_sunny
The sun quickly burned through the early morning mist and it continued to shine until evening when it gave way to the rising moon. This was a lovely walk with great views from the downs and varied lowland paths with daffodils, birdsong and regular stretches of very sloppy mud. Most did the full 16.8 miles. Some ate their sandwiches up on the downs while others sat around a tombstone in Pyecombe's churchyard. Some delicious brownies were bought from a table outside someone's house on the way up to the church. A few dined at the Plough. After lunch, three opted for the short route to Hassocks. The fast walkers set off apace and were not seen again. The rearguard of eight completed the route to Hassocks via Hurstpierpoint at a brisk enough pace to catch the 5.15 train to London, all very pleased to have covered the distance.