Ascent/Descent:
approx. 400/514m; Net Walking Time: 4 ¾ - 5 ½ hours
Toughness:
7/10
Take
the 10.00 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (10.25 Woking,
10.34 G’ford), arrives Haslemere 10.49. From Clapham J take the 09.52
stopping service (arrives H’mere 10.45).
Return
to
Haslemere from Midhurst by bus number 70 (xx.05, then 19.10, journey time 25 mins).
Return trains from
Haslemere are on xx.02, xx.15, xx.32, journey time from 52
mins.
From
the medieval town well in Haslemere to the stocks and pillory in Midhurst, this
walk is a journey partially in the footsteps of a poet. It gently climbs the
highest point in Sussex (the Black Down), and then drops steeply to traverse a
valley along a roller coaster of a path through some light woods before
entering more thickly planted pine forests, allegedly haunted by the ghost of
the last wild bear killed in England. After lunch in the idyllic hamlet of
Henley at a pub boasting views back to the Temple of the Winds, the route again
gently climbs a second hill offering stunning views back across your journey of
the morning before a long descent into Midhurst across the Cowdray Estate with
the mighty South Downs ahead, passing by the intriguing ruins of Cowdray House
en route where various historic figures of note were either voluntary visitors
or held captive prior to execution.
Note:
the last few km may have to be negotiated in darkness, but it’s along car wide
gravel tracks through the Cowdray Estate, so shan’t be a problem.
Lunch: The Duke of Cumberland Arms in Henley (12.8 km/8.0 mi, food
to 14.30), or The Kings Arms
a little earlier on a 1 km diversion (11.9 km/7.4 mi, food to 14.30).
Tea: lots of choice in Midhurst
(see the pdf for details), recommended are Cowdray Farm Shop
& Cafe (2 km from the end), Garton’s Coffee House, The
Wheatsheaf, The Angel Inn, The Olive & Vine and Fitzcane’s.
For
summary, map, height profile, some photos, walk
directions and gpx/kml files click here.
T=swc.263.c
2 comments:
N=13 on this walk on a lovely w=sunny day. A perfect autumn walk on a perfect autumn day. It was only a pity its author could not be with us to enjoy it.
Autumn colour is past its best - the foliage getting thin on the trees, even on some oaks. But there were still plenty of bits and pieces of colour for the sunlight to catch. I even saw a butterfly, though it flew off before I could identify it.
All options for this walk got an airing. Most of the group did the main morning, but two of us did the (only slightly) shorter option with its amazing westward views. The main walkers still got to lunch at the Duke of Cumberland Arms half an hour before us. We did not get there till 2.15, just as the chef was about to go off shift early. But they slipped us in as the last two lunch orders, so thanks for that.
In the afternoon one got a bus back to civilisation to go to an evening event. Two of us did the short afternoon, the rest the main afternoon. All of us enjoyed the sun setting behind the South Downs as we descended to Midhurst. Rather cutely we also all arrived at the Cowdray Estate tea room at more or less the same time. Three of us had tea there: the others went on to wherever they went on to. The tearoomers enjoyed a glorious dusk with a half moon shining in a clear sky as we walked to the bus, taking the short cut direct from Cowdray House. We got the 5.05 bus to Haslemere, had a drink in the very smart Station House pub while we waited out a cancelled train and variously got the 6.02 or 6.15 train home back to the world of signal delays and commuter trains.
3 more took the shortcut,2 leaving the pub earlier got to Midhurst with time for cake, and 1 later, getting the bus in Easeborne. To round off the day we bumped into Marcus at Haslemere station.
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