Saunderton circular via Bledlow

Length 17.3 km (10.7 miles), 6/10

With train drivers' strikes on the 1st and 3rd, I thought it best to schedule this walk for Tuesday. It's in a quiet, lesser visited part of the Chilterns, over rolling hills with a couple of deep valleys, and a rustic pub for lunch.

Travel: NOTE CHANGE 1040 from Marylebone, arriving 1116. Return trains at 1616, 1648 then 1803.

Lunch: the the Lions (tel 01844 343345), Church End, Bledlow, 7km from the start of the walk. Picnic tables stretch out onto a green in front of the pub.

Tea: round the corner from Saunderton station is the Golden Cross (tel 01494 565974), which offers tea and coffee (I'm not sure if the Boot at Bledlow Ridge its still open).

Short walk option: if you've had enough by lunch time, Princes Risborough is just under 4km from the Lions. This shortens the walk to 10.5 km (about six and a half miles). Directions here

For walk directions, map and GPX click here

T=2.2.

Sunday Walk – Forest Row to East Grinstead, via Standen

Extra Walk 40s – Forest Row to East Grinstead, via Standen

Length: About 12 km (7.5 miles); Toughness: 3~4/10. See below for a longer option with an earlier start.

The landslip has been repaired and trains are running again to East Grinstead, so this walk will go ahead as shown.

10:23 East Grinstead train from London Bridge (Norwood Jct 10:35, East Croydon 10:39), arriving East Grinstead at 11:18. Buy a return to East Grinstead. Note that there are no trains from Victoria or Clapham Jct to East Croydon.

On arrival, nip smartly outside East Grinstead station to Bus Stop A where Metrobus 270 should be waiting to depart at 11:25. Alight at the Brambletye Hotel stop in Forest Row to start the walk at 11:39. If the train is late or the 270 doesn't run, there's a Metrobus 291 due at 11:42. If this also fails switch to the “Short Circular Walk to Standen” described in the walk document (or walk down the old railway line to Forest Row: see below).

Trains back from East Grinstead are at xx:12 & xx:42.

This abbreviated version of the East Grinstead Circular walk certainly won't be mud-free but I recall the worst stretches being on the outward leg, where one path is described as “a positive quagmire in winter”. Taking the bus to Forest Row neatly sidesteps that problem and the connection worked perfectly on another walk last summer.

From Forest Row the walk essentially heads west along the low hills to the south of Weir Wood Reservoir, then swings round its western edge to climb up to Standen, a fine National Trust property. In theory the café here is only open to visitors, but the walk document hints that on a quiet day the staff at the ticket kiosk might let you in. Failing that it's not much further to East Grinstead, where the longer ending will take you past a choice of eateries in its town centre.

PS. Anyone wanting a longer walk could take the train one hour earlier and then either follow the ‘shorter start’ directions through those muddy fields or (much better, if you know the route) simply walk down the disused railway line to Forest Row. You should have time to grab a coffee while waiting for the main group to arrive on the 270 bus.

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.40 - you'll only need the directions from the last five pages of the PDF download for the Forest Row start.

Sunday Walk - Sawbridgeworth to Bishop's Stortford: gently rolling countryside, fields, woods and waterways, and the Stort Navigation

Length:  23.7 km/14.7 mi

Ascent/Descent:  209/196m

Net Walking Time:  5 hours

Toughness:  4 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.55 Bishop’s Stortford train from Liverpool Street (Hackney Downs 10.02, Tottenham Hale/Victoria Line 10.08), arrives Sawbridgeworth at 10.38.  

Return trains: xx.00, xx.18, xx.27, xx.48. Buy a Bishop’s Stortford return.

 

After passing through the centre of Sawbridgeworth, much of which is a conservation area, this East Hertfordshire walk leads mainly through open countryside, either along tracks, green lanes or quiet country roads, providing extensive views across the gently rolling countryside of fields, woods and waterways. The most attractive parts are then a scenic stretch of the Ash Valley around lunch in Much Hadham, one of Britain’s longest villages, and the long peaceful ending along the Stort Navigation past a couple of Nature Reserves. The pretty town centre of Bishop’s Stortford with its many tea options can be explored on an optional extension.

 

The Henry Moore Foundation in Perry Green is passed in the morning, but it is closed for winter…

 

Walk Options:

It is possible to shorten the walk in four ways: 

    Shortcut I cuts 0.7 km (0.4 mi) at the start,  

    Shortcut II cuts 5.5 km (3.5 mi) and 84m ascent around lunch (and gives a rating of 2/10), 

    Shortcut III cuts 1.0 km (0.6 mi) after lunch, 

    Shortcut IV cuts 0.5 km (0.3 mi) near the end. 

Taking all shortcuts reduces the length of the walk to 16.1 km (10.0 mi). 

 

Lunch:  

The Bull Inn in Much Hadham (10.8 km/6.7 mi into the walk, food served to 17.00); 

The Prince of Wales in Green Tye (13.0 km/8.0 mi into the full walk (12.3 km if skipping the out-and-back to the recommended lunch pub), but unclear whether food is served! 

 

Tea: Too numerous to list here. Please see the walk directions pdf for details.

 

For walk directions, photos, map, height profile and gpx/kml files click here.  T=swc.210

Silent walk

Wadhurst Circular walkT=2.18

Saturday Walk - Henley Circular via Great Wood walk (reverse)

Length: 16.1 km (10 miles) 3 out of 10 T=1.1

This is a lovely walk, and by doing it in reverse (there are instructions for doing it this way), you have a short leg back to Henley after lunch. I would also recommend taking a different route back from Hambledon, using the instructions from the book 2 walk 7 ending via Aston & Remenham  here, or just do the normal route along the river.

Trains: Get the 0957 Didcot Parkway train from Paddington (Ealing Broadway 1005), arriving Twyford 1035, where you change to the 1045 Henley train, arriving 1057. Using the Elizabeth Line: Farringdon 0930, Ealing Broadway 0949 Twyford 1026.

Return trains are xx00 & xx30.

Lunch: The recommended pub is the Stag & Huntsman (01491 571 227), in Hambleden. For picnics, the nearby church. Unfortunately, The Flowerpot, on the alternative route back, is apparently closed at the moment.

Tea: Various places in Henley, with The Chocolate Factory and Angel on the Bridge on your route to the station.

Tunbridge Wells to Tonbridge or Hildenborough

TUNBRIDGE WELLS TO TONBRIDGE OR HILDENBOROUGH

 

Walk 238

 

Length of walk: to Tonbridge is 8.8 miles and to Hildenborough 10.5 miles

 

Options:  The turn off for the Tonbridge finish is near the end of the walk, and starts at para 23 in the directions. Anyone wanting a bit more walking can carry on to Hildenborough (17.7 km) – follow walk directions.

 

Toughness: 4 out of 10

 

Train times: Take the 9.52 train from Charing X; 9.55 W’Loo East; 9.59 London Bdge.

 

Return trains from Hildenborough to Charing Cross: 16.48; 17.48;18.48

Return trains from Tonbridge to Charing X: 16.11; 16.44:17.11:17.44

Return trains from Tonbridge to Victoria: 16.07; 16.37; 17.07; 17.37

 

Lunch Options:

The Kentish Hare opens from 11am for coffee and drinks and lunch from 12-2:30pm  Main restaurant open 12 to 2.30 pm  tel: 01892 525709

 

The Plough at Leigh , Leigh Road , Hildenborough, TN11 9AJ

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 12 to 2.30pm

Tel: 01732 832149, http://www.theploughatleigh.com/

 

There are seats for picnics in Brookhurst Field, Birch Wood and Haysden

Country Park.

 

Tea options available in Tonbridge and Hildenborough

 

The walk takes us out of Tunbridge Wells via the town commons and Hurst Wood, mainly uphill but nothing too strenuous. It joins the Wealdway shortly before the hamlet of Modest Corner. A delightful section follows, through Brookhurst Field and Birch Wood on the outskirts of Bidborough, where you can stop for lunch. You then cut across Haysden Country Park, following a section of the River Medway.

 

Find walk directions, map, gpx here.  t=swc.238

Saturday Walk - Promenades and beaches: Eastbourne to St. Leonards Warrior Square

Length:  25.1 km/15.6 mi

Ascent/Descent:  80/65m

Net Walking Time:  5 ½ to 6 ½ hours (if we get past the shingle beach at low-ish tide)

Toughness:  3 out of 10 (if we get past the shingle beach at low-ish tide)

 

Take the 08.56 Ore train from London Bridge (EC 09.12), arrives Eastbourne at 10.19. 

Fast return trains from St. Leonards Warrior Square are at: xx.50 and xx.24; to Charing Cross via LBG and W’loo East.  

Buy a St. Leonards Warrior Square return.

 

"This gentle walk follows the flat coastline between Eastbourne and St. Leonards/Hastings. It is in 3 parts - 2 seafront promenades with a quiet shingle beach in between which is nice to walk on only at low tide when the flat sandy part of the beach is uncovered." I’ve monitored the tide times for a long time now, wanting to post this, but they never were right, but today they are at least kind of right: Low Tide at Eastbourne is at 10.20, which leaves 1 ½ to 2 hours to get past the shingle beach and that finishes around the 9 km mark in the walk. So: eminently doable.

 

Walk Options:

Take a later train and start at Normans Bay or Cooden Beach stations, some way into the route.

 

Lunch and Tea: 

The Star Inn, a little inland from the walk route after about 12 km on Sluice Lane (food served all day); 

The Relais Cooden Beach, now a ‘Relais’ rather than the hotel it used to be, so may be too posh (14.5 km); 

De La Warr Pavilion Café, Bar & Kitchen (16.7 km, open to 16.30); 

The Farmyard, (a wine bar and restaurant), right by Warrior Square station (a table has been booked for 18.00); 

The Royal, a gastro pub (does one still use that word? they do...), right by Warrior Square station. 

 

For walk directions, photos, map, height profile and gpx/kml files click here.  T=swc.66.a