Book 2 Walk 18: Wadhurst Circular
Length: 19 km (11.8 miles) (Probably understated - nearer 21 km - 13 miles)
Toughnesss: 4 out of 10 (Very understated - per my scale, a minimum of 6 out of 10 in good weather)
London Charing Cross: 10-15 hrs Hastings service Waterloo East 10-18, London Bridge 10-23 hrs
Arrive Wadhurst: 11-19 hrs
Return: 16-00, 16-25 (changing at R.T.W), 16-58, 17-24, 17-59 and 18-29 hrs
This might be the first mid-week posting of this walk, a lengthy hike through the unspoiled countryside of the High Weald. It's a good time of year to do this walk as it can be very muddy and hard going in winter. Please note the walk length and toughness rating are both understated per my own notes and unofficial records. You need to maintain a good, steady - but not fast - pace to get to the pub in Mayfield in time for lunch. This pub was good the last time I paid it a visit, but that was some time ago. As was the Carpenter's Arms further into the village which, alas, closed down in 2014. Your lunch stop The Rose and Crown, No bad thing to 'phone ahead with numbers; 01435-872200.
After lunch do wander around Mayfield, an interesting village, and visit its historic church, St Dunstans. Then continuing on your walk, you head for Wadhurst Park, with its herds of deer, and then proceed to the village of Wadhurst, where you can stop for tea. It's a hike from the village to the railway station- the Directions give you two options for this homeward leg. The Wag's response to the query "Why is Wadhurst's railway station sited so far out of Town ?" is it was considered more useful to site the station beside the railway line.
T=2.18
Walk Directions here L=2.18
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3 comments:
7 of us met on the platform at Wadhurst and then met up with another 2 close to the pub in Mayfield so 9 altogether.
Lovely warm autumn day, a bit muddy underfoot in places and plenty of stops to try to interpret the directions. Some updates necessary we thought. Those who lunched in the sunshine outside The Rose and Crown were very satisfied with the food and the beer drinkers inspired envy among at least one. At that point the group began to fragment with 3 rushing off perhaps to catch the 16.58 train. The rest of us added an unintentional loop to the walk making it feel more like 14 miles altogether by the end. Caught sight of some deer endowed with very impressive antlers in Wadhurst Park, followed by the further pleasure of collecting chestnuts and blackberries. Arrived at Wadhurst too late for tea and after an interminable walk to the station with yet more climbing 2 of us then caught the 17.59 train, delayed by 10 minutes due to 'disruptive passengers' - not us.
A beautiful walk through autumn sunshine with frequent stops to admire the vistas and autumnal colours. Rose & Crown in Mayfield a lovely old village pub. I ate my packed lunch on a convenient bench on the green outside, but pub food reported as good.
On the return leg, us two old(er) codgers took a direct route to Wadhurst after Lodge Hill Farm, leaving Wadhurst Park for another day, and enjoyed a couple of pints in the White Hart while waiting for the bus to the station.
n=9
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