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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.

Sunday 6 August 2017

Sussex coast sliding away

Book 2 Walk 29 – Hastings to Rye
Length: 19km (11.8 miles) Toughness: 7/10

09:25 Hastings train from Charing Cross (London Bridge 09:33, Orpington 09:51) arriving at Hastings at 11:00.

Return trains from Rye to Charing Cross, changing at Hastings, are at xx:39 (journey time 2 hours 28 mins, including a 34 minute wait at Hastings).
A much faster alternative is to take a train from Rye to Ashford International at xx:38, changing there on to the high speed service to St Pancras (journey time 1 hour 17 minutes). Buy a Super Off-Peak Day Return to Rye, specifying that you want to return on the high speed service. Buying separate Advance tickets for the outward and return legs the day before travelling will be a bit cheaper, but you’ll need to select a particular timed train for the return journey.

This is a dramatic coastal walk, starting out through Hastings Country Park with some steep climbs through three glens in the morning, followed by flatter territory in the afternoon. Ongoing landslides in Ecclesbourne Glen mean that path diversions will be in place until at least May 2018. You are strongly advised not to ignore these. Details of the detour can be found on the Hastings to Rye Walk page.

It is also a popular swimming walk, with swimming opportunities at Fairlight Glen, and later at Pett Level.

The walk can be shortened to 10 miles by taking a train to Ashford.from Winchelsea (trains at 15:33, 17:33 and 19:33) or by catching a bus from Winchelsea to Rye.

The recommended lunch spot is the Coastguards Tea Room (01424 814 131) at the top of the last hill and just a bit inland from the Coast Guard Tower. Alternatively, faster walkers can eat at the Smugglers Inn at Pett Level (01424 813 491). Tea can be taken at The New Inn in Winchelsea, or at a number of places in Rye.

You will need to download the Walk Directions.
T=2.29

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

all walks this weekend are south of the river, is this a record? and rye to hastings has just been on a few weeks ago (I am aware that this is hastings to rye)...

Unknown said...

If you want an excellent light lunch or splendid cake with brilliant coffee try The Red Pig food truck parked about 200 metres in a layby beyond The Smugglers' Inn in Pett Level. It is open at weekends only and is a blend of Romany caravan and Brooklyn chic. It is powered by golf buggy batteries and calor gas. Mainly outside seating but very cosy inside.

Unknown said...

I have travelled from Hastings to London on the past two Sundays and the Charing Cross trains were going into Cannon St even though the website indicated Charing Cross. However an attendant at Waterloo East last night assured me that it would be Charing Cross on Sunday! Alternatively the Victoria route to Hastings is working reasonably well at the moment.

Anonymous said...

Is there a cheap train offer on this one pls?

Django said...

5 in total on this beautiful walk. Weather was glorious. Sunny day with a breeze to keep us from frying.
Two of us went to the Red Pig for lunch. Excellent food and really unusual. We spoke to the guy running it and he suggested a short cut across Petts level so that we didn't have to retrace our footsteps. Winchelsea and Rye picturesque.
A great walk with varied scenery. One of the best that I have done with SWC. Thanks

Anonymous said...

n=5 w=Sunny-day-with-a-breeze