Extra Walk 363 – Whyteleafe Circular
Length: 16½ km (10.3 miles), or 12 km (7.5 miles) if skipping Chaldon. Toughness: 5 or 3/10 respectively.
10:17 Caterham & Tattenham Corner train from London Bridge (East Croydon 10:32), arriving Whyteleafe (TfL Zone 6) at 10:51. You need to be in the front (Caterham) section when the train divides at Purley. Use Oyster PAYG or contactless.
Alternatively, take the 10:20 East Grinstead train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:27, East Croydon 10:40), arriving Upper Warlingham (also Zone 6) at 10:52. The directions include an alternative start from this station. This bubble will only be a few minutes behind the other one and can try to catch up or maintain their distance, as they wish.
Each group must get together and exchange contact details at the start, preferably in the station forecourt/car park where it's less crowded.
For the return journey, the fastest trains are the xx:02 & xx:32 from Upper Warlingham to Victoria, with the xx:25 & xx:55 from Whyteleafe to London Bridge as a somewhat inferior alternative. The xx:05 & xx:35 from Whyteleafe are provided solely for aficionados of unhurried trains to the less visited parts of south London.
This is a new but not particularly novel walk on a stretch of the Green Belt now being plugged as the South London Downs National Nature Reserve. It was created in those trying times when we were only supposed to exercise in one-hour chunks, hence its eccentric design of interlocking loops. Some parts will be familiar from Book 2's Coulsdon walk, inluding The Fox on Coulsdon Common: you might be able to get fed and watered there if you can comply with its long list of Covid-19 requirements, but it would be wise to bring some provisions. There are plenty of open spaces on Coulsdon Common or Happy Valley for a picnic.
As noted above you could skip one of the loops (out to Chaldon church) to make a shorter walk. Please bring the walk directions with you in some form or other from the Whyteleafe Circular walk page, as others might choose to do a different option or drop out at one of the stations passed on the afternoon leg. T=swc.363
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N=10 on a w=largely-sunny day.3 from Upper Warlingham, the rest Whyteleafe. We split into 2 groups. Due to an administrative error, I was put into the slow group so was unable to race ahead. We dawdled across Kenley Common where new noticeboards reminded of its wartime history and numerous temporary placards commemorate those killed in action. (80th anniversary coming up). Then on we plodded, up hill and down dale, up, down up, down, eventually reaching the Fox. We couldn’t get served – “new Covid restrictions” they said “have to book”. So we had a picnic on the common, where I fell in a ditch despite being stone cold sober. More of a ha-ha actually but not all that funny.
Next stop Chaldon Church with its ancient wall painting. Still there. The churchyard trees were decorated with ornaments and wishes. Then up, down, up, down, back to the slopes above Whyteleafe where some of the harder nuts carried on to Riddlesdown. The wiser elements called it a day and retired to the Whyteleafe Arms. There we did get served but only after an elaborate logging in ceremony.
Nice walk through familiar territory, seen from a different angle. Thanks, Sean for devising and posting.
3 of us went to the cafe in Whyteleafe recreation ground, not realising the others had sidled off to the pub. We enjoyed a relaxing hour in the sun on the grass with refreshments and a view of the hill ahead. 2 of us then took a pleasant early evening stroll up and across to Riddlesdown to the station there.
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