Length: 19.8km (11.8 miles) to Rye, 17.1km (10.6 miles) to Winchelsea station, or 15km (9.3 miles) to Winchelsea New Inn (+ bus)
Toughness 7/10.
T=2.29
OR: St Pancras High Speed train 9.40 arriving Ashford International 10.18 where you change onto Marshlink train at 10.24 arriving at Hastings 11.10 (if early arrivers wish they can get coffee and wait for the Charing X arrivals or walk on slowly)
Buy a day return to Hastings and pay the surcharge if using the high speed train
Return Journey: see below
For walk directions click here, for GPX click here, for a map of the route click here.
A striking coastal walk which takes you over the cliffs from Hastings, to Pett Level, and then across Romney Marsh to the historic town of Winchelsea. Please follow the diversionary route around Ecclesbourne Glen (where there was a landslip some years back).Your lunch stop is the Coastguards Tea Room where they do lunches – 01424 813373
For sea swimmers, the best opportunity is at Fairlight Glen, at the bottom of the next big valley after Ecclesbourne Glen. The unofficial path down to the beach here is at your own risk, but is usually well-maintained by the naturists who use it. High tide is at 16.43, and high tide at Pett Level at 16.46:
For tea, try the New Inn in Winchelsea You can end the walk here (after 9.3 miles) by taking the 100 bus to Rye. Or carry on another 1.3 miles to finish the walk at Winchelsea station (allow 40 minutes to walk it).
Return Journey
Bus No 100 from Winchelsea, New Inn goes to Rye Station.
OR Trains back from Winchelsea station to Ashford are at xx43. The journey to Ashford is around 27 minutes. Winchelsea train station is about 40 minute walk from the New Inn.
OR walk on across flat marshes for another 2.5 miles from Winchelsea village to Rye.
Return Trains from Rye to Ashford Int xx 48
From Ashford International High Speed Trains go to St Pancras xx16
From Ashford International trains also go to either Victoria or Charing X (not high speed).
4 comments:
There shouldn't be any need to follow a diversion round Ecclesbourne Glen - the path has been reinstated. However some of the path down to Fairlight Glen beach was washed away over the winter. Heroic repairer(s) have been at work and the path should be no problem for seasoned Saturday walkers: there is a steep scramble down an approx 6m muddy bank about half way down the path; a rope has been put in place which I certainly needed when going uphill.
There were four of us on the posted train from Charing Cross; if anyone got the high speed train we didn't meet them, so pelase let us know if you did. We started off over the roller-coaster of hills in #sunny-and-breezy weather. Some of the group paused at various leftward paths to wonder if they avoided the climbs, but were persuaded to stick with the coastal route. Wehn we got the Fairlght Glen two decsnded to the beach while the others carried on, ready for lunch at the cafe.
We met one more at the beach who had got an earlier train - making #5 - and he said we had just missed the easy acccess to the water as the tide as coming in. Nevertheless we all waded into the warm sea, picking our way round invisible rocks, but didn't manage to get to swimming depth befor retreating from the rapidly advancing tide.
On to the windy shore at Pett Level where we stopped for tea at Eaters Cafe and heard that the others had got ice cream and a bus at Fairlight Cove - 1648 train for them. The three of us walked on to Winchelsea and decided not to wait for a bus there, so on to Rye - the first time I have done this complete route without going astray. Having heard the 1848 train was delayed, we acquired provisions for the journey back and headed for a drink at the Ypres Castle, where we had to be quick as the train had caught up a bit. This meant we made the connection for Charing Cross at Ashford so settled in for a convivial trip home. A top day out - thanks to Branchline for posting it in absentia.
just to add a few logistics
(1) Bus 101 run hourly service between Hastings to Rye and vice versa on saturdays, stops at various points enRoute, so worth noting for future if shortcut is desired.
(2) Coastguard Tea Room - had a very nice balcony and a garden, but food options are very basic if you want something more substantial. One of us had soup and bread - which was nice, the other had chicken salad which came with balsamic vinegar soaked tastelss chicken breast -believe me, this was what they called 'Balsamic salad dressing'! Where was the olive oil for pairing? I have to give them the credit for having a good selection of cakes - perhaps a better choice if you just want tea and cakes as the name suggests.
(3) The visitor centre at Fairleight Village also has a cafe servicing tea/coffee/cakes. It is right by the parking, save you walking another 100 meters to (2), another potential refreshment option.
(4) We also paid a visit to The Cove, the pub in Fairleight Cove - a bit further from Fairleight Village. In hindsight, this would have been a better lunch option which serves food till 3pm on saturdays. They also have ice cream in tubs.
n=6 if you include one, me, with a preference for getting under way earlier. I was about 40 minutes ahead of the scheduled train. Even so, I was surprised not to be caught up by the group as I walked at what I thought was a gentle pace, though I was not diverted by attempts at swimming.
The Cove offered a warm welcome in a recently decorated building. Prices were consistent with an ambitious menu; culinary accomplishments less so.
It was hotter than forecast but a large rainstorm, visible from the train from Rye to Ashford, was blamed by the announcements for the high speed service back to London running ten minutes behind schedule. Glad not to have been caught in that one.
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