Hever to Ashurst
Length: 16.3km (10.1 miles) Toughness: 4/10
09:51 East Grinstead train from Victoria (Clapham Junction 09:58, East Croydon 10:09), changing at Oxted or Hurst Green (5 minute wait) on to an Uckfield train that arriving at Hever at 10:51.
Return trains from Ashurst to Victoria, changing at Hurst Green or Oxted, are at xx:58 (journey time 71 minutes). Buy an off-peak day return to Ashurst.
This walk takes in a quiet part of the High Weald on the border of Kent and East Sussex, a surprisingly remote area of low hills and wooded valleys. No crowds, and some footpaths are little used and require close attention. And you may encounter some of the famous Wealden mud.
The recommended lunchtime pub is The Fountain (01342 850528) in Cowden, a Harvey’s pub that stocks their glorious Old Ale (you must try it!). Please let them know how many diners to expect as you set out from Hever.
You can download a PDF of the walk directions, or print them from the walk’s introduction page, clicking ‘Main Walk’ under the map to suppress the sections you won’t need.
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Had a pint of Harvey's Old last night in the Harp, Covent Garden. Very good.
n=13 in w=bright_sunshine_but_cold_in_the_shade.
One of the tricks that Mr Tiger is often able to pull off is to be seen by many walking purposefully at the back of the group, and yet be the first to reach pub. I managed exactly this feat, being last to leave the station as a result of fiddling with my phone, but was first to order at the Fountain in Cowden. I did not resort to any knavish shortcuts. The trick is to be the only one wearing wellingtons, on a walk that was beyond ankle deep in goo over large fractions of the route. I was able to catch up and cruise past the crowd in two fields particularly, indifferent to where I might splosh, as others' pace slowed to a handful of balance-imperilling staggers and squelches a minute.
Said hostelry was fractionally exasperated by our desire to order and pay separately. It obliged, but the food turned up together anyway, respectable of quantity and quality. We were given a nice table in the conservatory.
Quite a number of the sandwich brigade took tea in the Perry Hill Orchard Farmer's Shop. The timing resulted in them reaching Ashurst station just a few minutes after the 1552 train, and left them gently freezing for most of an hour on the isolated platform. Those who had taken the more time consuming pub lunch, but not the tea, drifted in later and had less time to chill before the 1652.
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