SWC Walk 141: Haywards Heath Circular T=SWC.141
Distance: 11.8 Miles or 19.0 km for those more
metrically minded
Difficulty: 4 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:57
AM Brighton Southern service from London
Bridge (stopping at East Croydon at 10:12), arriving at Haywards Heath at 10:41. Return trains from Haywards Heath are very
frequent…. Buy a day return to Haywards
Heath.
This walk explores the low hills on either side
of the Ouse valley on the southern edge of the High Weald. It passes through
two nature reserves: one (the Scrase
Valley Local Nature Reserve) en route from Haywards Heath and the other on
the outskirts of Lindfield. You may also spot the Bluebell Railway running its
holiday service in the afternoon. You can find more information about the walk
and download the walk instructions here.
The recommended lunch spot is the Sloop Inn (01444-831219) at Freshfield Bridges (5 miles/ 7¾ km
from the start) with food served until 3pm. Tea
and other late afternoon refreshments can be had at various establishments
along the attractive High Street in Lindfield (see walk notes for suggestions).
Enjoy the walk!
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5 comments:
Hi Guys Anyone doing this walk? Hope to see some of you at London Bridge or at Hayward Heath station. Super off Peak for SNR is £7.65.
Monica
n=8 on this walk, of which at least two had intended to do the Greensand Way but were thwarted by the train from London Bridge being delayed past the point it could have met the connection, then cancelled along with all subsequent ones that morning. Haywards Heath by contrast has many trains each hour.
w=Misty_and_overcast, which added atmosphere to the steam train on the Bluebell Railway when we saw it through the trees.
An efficient welcome for five in the Sloop Inn at Freshfield Bridges, where food quality and price were a little higher than average. Very respectable roast potatoes.
Food took a moment long to arrive, for which reason it was well dark by the time we concluded the walk. It's fortunate that the last couple of kilometres are in lit suburban streets. It might have been better to start this one a little earlier.
I forgot to mention the clouds of insects presumably woken up by the misapprehension that the warmth meant it was spring.
The clouds of insects are 'winter gnats': quite normal on mild still days at this time of year. They have evolved to have their mating swarms at this time of year to avoid predators.
https://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-and-habitats/winter-gnat
In general you will find that insects are not as easily fooled by mild weather as you might think. Lots are in a dormant state in winter: this is true of ladybirds, shield bugs, spiders, queen bumble bees, queen wasps and some butterflies. On a mild day they may emerge and look for food but soon go back to dormant when it turns cold again. This is true eg of the ladybirds you may see crawling up your windows, if they have wooden frames, on a sunny winter day.
Honeybees live in hives all winter - they feed on the honey they have made in the summer - and so are ready to come out whenever food is available. I saw some on winter flowering cherry this week and you routinely see them on crocuses in February.
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