Bank Holiday Monday walk - bluebells, views, Chartwell, ridges, an NT garden

SWC walk 79B - Hurst Green to Westerham
Length: 17.3km (10.1 miles) - but lots of options to shorten: see below
Toughness: 8 out of 10

9.53 train from Victoria (9.59 Clapham Junction, 10.10 East Croydon) to Hurst Green, arriving 10.34.

Buy a day return to Hurst Green (or a single: return is by bus: see below)

For walk directions click here

For those who think the Brecon Beacons is a bit far to go on a day trip, a walk closer to home. You still get to scale a ridge with fine views, but the floral displays will be nicer.

At the heart of the walk are the fine bluebell displays around Toys Hill and Ide Hill, but I have also chosen the Hurst Green start ("Alternative route B") to this walk which passes a few bluebell woods in the morning too. To do this, start with the directions on page 11 of the walk document

If you did the Hurst Green to Chiddingstone Causeway walk two weeks back and think you have been here and bought the T-shirt, be assured that the walk 79 route is largely (though not entirely different). It takes a beautiful route along the escarpment in the morning and explores the bluebell woods around Ide Hill much more fully. You also go to the National Trust Emmett's Garden in the afternoon with more bluebells.

Though there is an early lunch pub in Crookham Hill, but it is rather tiny and always seemed to be booked up. The National Trust self-service restaurant at Chartwell is the easier choice, though its portions can be a bit on the small side. The walk also includes a diversion to the Fox & Hounds in Toys Hill, but they turned us away two weeks ago, so book a table with them before relying on this. If you can hold on till then, the Cock Inn in Ide Hill serves food until 3pm (assuming they are on Saturday times today) or 4pm (if on Sunday times): but be warned, it is popular and busy.

For tea, Emmett's Garden has a National Trust tea place, but queues can be long. Westerham has lots of choices otherwise.

SHORTER OPTIONS

If you want to visit Chartwell or explore its area at leisure, the 246 bus runs from there to Westerham 6 mins), Hayes station (34 mins) and Bromley South station (46 mins) at 20 past the hour until 17.20.

You can combine the Hurst Green start with Alternative Route A, the shorter ending to Westerham, but you miss the nice bluebell displays around Toys Hill and Ide Hill: this reduces the walk to 11.4km (7.1 miles): you can visit Chartwell and then do this ending.

The main walk directions also contain a short cut to Emmetts Garden, but this also cuts out the bluebells around Toys Hill and Ide Hill

GETTING BACK

To return from Westerham to civilisation, you have to get the 246 bus. This takes 28 minutes to Hayes station (LT zone 5) or 40 minutes to Bromley South (also LT zone 5): from there you will need to pay your way with Oyster or contactless to wherever you live. The bus leaves Westerham at 26 past till 17.26, then 18.34, 19.22, 20.22, 21.12, 22.12 and 23.12
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