Backup Only

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.

Thursday 10 August 2017

A South Downs Leg Stretcher

SWC 47 - Lewes Circular via Glynde and Southease

Length: 23.5 km (14.6 miles)
Toughness 7 out of 10

London Victoria:  09-47 hrs    Ore service.  CJ  09-53 hrs    EC 10-03 hrs
Arrive Lewes: 10-47 hrs

Return: Lewes to Victoria: 16-14, 16-54, 17-17, 17-52 and 18-16 hrs. Plus additional services to Victoria via Brighton.


Younger walkers, whose railcards only come into play after 10-00 hrs: make your way to East Croydon and buy your off peak tickets from there.

This is an energetic walk, with 3 steep climbs, but the effort is worth it for the lovely views you enjoy from hilltops. The walk comes in 3 sections: 1. Lewes to Glynde. 2. Glynde to Southease. 3. Southease to Lewes.  You can tackle the walk either clockwise, or anti-clockwise. I prefer to do the walk clockwise and have lunch at the Abergavenny Arms in Rodmell., but we can decide on the direction on the day.
T=swc.47
Walk Directions here: L=swc.47

Next Week, Tuesday 15 August:  SWC 24 - Sandling to Wye








9 comments:

Walker said...

For more detailed and up to date directions than those provided on the introduction page, see the pdf

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/lewes-circular-via-glynde-and-southease/SWC_Walk_47_Lewes_Circular_via_Glynde_and_Southease.pdf

Walker said...

If you want to have lunch at the Abergavenny Arms the ANTI-clockwise direction is recommended - 6 miles to lunch versus 8 miles + the other way. Anticlockwise also gives you the nicest finish into Lewes.

Going clockwise you have two long climbs - one after Glynde and the other after lunch - slow, dull climbs with the view behind you, whereas anticlockwise both of these are lovelyt long descents with the view in front of you

Anonymous said...

Can we agree which way we are going? Let's not split what will already be a small contingent, thus detracting from the whole experience.

Walker said...

Sorry, it was not my intention to be splittist. The walk poster has indicated a preference for clockwise, so I guess that should be the default. Note that there is no longer an early pub option in Glynde in this direction, however

Anonymous said...

Could Marcus confirm if he himself will be on the walk, please. Thank you.

Marcus said...

I hope to be on the walk - if my back is better come tomorrow: I'm struggling to move today.

Thank you to Walker for his advice on the best way round. Given the chalky ascent onto the Downs from Lewes is not clever after rain when done as a descent (clockwise route), I suggest we adhere to Walker's advice and go anti-clockwise.

We should have much better weather than our colleagues in Oxfordshire will experience today.

Marcus said...

10 off the train at Lewes, plus 4 others who were not aware of the procedure of assembling on the platform, so they set off ahead of us: we met up, initially at Southease, then again at Glynde: so let's make that n=14, not bad for a Thursday outing (numbers probably enhanced by refugees from the wet Wednesday walk).
We set out in the anti-clockwise direction, with the lovely opening leg up onto the Downs via Kingston, to enjoy delightful views with only a modicum of effort. Arriving on top the overcast and windy conditions morphed into w=wind-and-light-drizzle-until-lunchtime-then-turning-sunny-and-warm-later.
Lunch was enjoyed by 5 of us in the Abergavenny Arms, whose staff were attentive and friendly, and food and drink excellent.
The sun was coming out as we climbed back onto the Downs for leg 2, again with panoramic views. When we reached Glynde my efforts to keep going with my dodgy back caught up with me, and I was forced to bale out and make a graceful retreat to the railway station: it was nice that I had the company of one other who wanted to return to London early. And I must thank her and all today for showing concern over my incapacity - a few days of waddling around like a pregnant duck and I hope to be back upright......or whatever.
I hope the 8 plus 4 enjoyed the ascent and descent of Caborn Hill, from Glynde to Lewes - one of you might like to add a supplementary report to my drivel here.
A lovely walk, best of company and super views.

Frankie said...

Frankie

From Glynde the rest of us enjoyed a fairly easy climb through the colourful nature reserve to the top of Caburn Hill. In the late afternoon sunshine the views were beautiful. With little time to linger the front three descended into Lewes in time to catch the 17.17 train back to London and, for one, the beer festival at Kensington Olympia.
Oh, what a perfect day..Thank you Marcus for your cheerful stoicism and a delightful walk.

branchline said...

3 of us just missed the 17.15 train so went into the Lewes station tearoom which is excellent. For future reference the tearoom has phonecharger for the public.