Saturday Walk - Moreton-in-Marsh Circular via Chipping Campden, a Cotswolds Classic

Length: 25.1 km (15.6 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 429m

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ¾ hours

Toughness: 7 out of 10 

 

or longer (also via Dover’s Hill)   

Length: 28.9 km (18.0 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 513m

Net Walking Time: ca. 6 ½ hours

Toughness: 8 out of 10

 

or shorter (not via Chipping Campden) 

 Length: 20.0 km (12.4 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 370m

Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours

Toughness: 6 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.50 train from Paddington (10.18 Reading, 10.45 Oxford), arriving Moreton-in-Marsh at 11.18. 

Return trains : 16.51, 17.56, 18.55, 19.56, 20.54 & 22.01.

 

A Cotswold Classic from the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh. It provides a fine introduction to the gentle rolling landscape of the Cotswolds and passes through some charming honey coloured villages for which the area is famous. It is a peaceful anti-clockwise circular walk heading north from Moreton through the gentle foot hills of the Cotswolds visiting a number of pretty honey coloured villages, including Paxford, Broad Campden and Blockley. The morning route passes through some gently rolling fields before commencing a steady climb up a hill with lovely views then descending down to Broad Campden. The afternoon stretch again gently climbs up and follows the top edge of a picturesque valley for a spell before passing through a dramatic dip on the approach to Blockley. 

 

Walk Options: 

In Broad Campden cut out the loop via Chipping Campden (20.0 km version) or from Chipping Campden add a loop onto Dover's Hill (28.9 km version). 

Buses from Blockley (Lower Street, opp. Village green) to Moreton Station: 16.34 and 18.25.

 

Lunch: Bakers Arms in Broad Campden (10.1 km/6.3 mi, supposedly re-opening this month as part of the Relish Group of pubs) and several options in Chipping Campden. 

Tea: The Great Western Arms and The Blockley Shop & Cafe en route, and loads of options in Moreton. T=swc.115

 

For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here .

Eastbourne Circular via East Dean....or to Exceat....or to Seaford

Length: all sorts of options from 7 miles to 13 miles. T=swc.60

9.24 train from Victoria (9.31 Clapham Junction, 9.40 East Croydon) to Eastbourne, arriving 10.51

Buy a day return to Eastbourne. If the weather is fine trains to the coast are likely to be busy today

For walk directions click here, for GPX click here, for a map of the route click here. 

I guess we can't let a summer pass without posting the classic Seaford to Eastbourne or vice versa, but this version of it offers you a bit of a twist, if you want it..

You can of course just walk along the coast from Eastbourne to Seaford (13 miles)....or to Exceat (9.2 miles), from where you can get the very frequent number 12 bus to either Seaford or Eastbourne. But there is the option to do a shorter walk to East Dean (7.1 miles) - also on the number 12 bus - or an extended walk to East Dean which takes in four of the Seven Sisters before turning inland (8.4 miles), or a circular walk back to Eastbourne (11.1 miles), which crosses some lovely bits of downland. The decision point for all these options is at Birling Gap, after 5.7 miles.

Why do any of the inland options? Because these days the coastal stretches can be very busy - not just with the usual summer weekend crowds, but also international tourists for whom the Seven Sisters have become something of a bucket list item. But as soon as you get away from the coast you have tranquility.

Refreshment: The Beachy Head pub after only 3.3 miles is always busy. The NT Birling Gap tea rooms after 5.7 miles do sandwiches, pasties and possibly some hot items. If you do the Eastbourne Circular walk via East Dean you could have lunch in the lovely Tiger Inn on the village green in East Dean (so, after 7 miles), which does food all afternoon. Next door is the Hiker's Rest tea room. At the Seven Sisters Visitor Centre at Exceat there is both a cafe and a tea kiosk. You have to walk 400 metres along the main road to get to the Cuckmere Inn, and then annoyingly back the same way to get the bus, as there is no longer a bus stop by the pub, though this is not a problem if you are walking on to Seaford.

Swimming: The sea temperature is at its summer best at just above 19 degrees. If you want to take things easy, and maybe do one of the shorter options, the western end of Eastbourne beach (beyond the Wish Tower) will be awfully tempting for a swim, as high tide today is at 10.37. To swim at Birling Gap you will need to be there by about 1.30pm, because beyond that time the sea level will be too low over the rocks (though in extremis, try the section of beach exactly in front of the steps, which was relatively rock free last time I looked). You may be able to swim on the eastern beach at Cuckmere Haven at low tide (which is 16.58 today) by wading out through the shallows: midway along the beach is relatively free of underwater rocks: but swimming on the beach on the west side of the bay (ie beyond the river) is almost impossible at low tide. Seaford can be swum at any state of the tide. 

Trains back from Eastbourne are at 05 and 33 past until 22.05. From Seaford trains are at 24 and 53 past until 22.24

Haslemere to Midhurst via Henley

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Length: 23km (14m)
Toughness: 8 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:30 train from London Waterloo to Haslemere, arriving at 10:20. Return from Midhurst to Haslemere by bus No 70 at 18:10 or 19:15 (last bus!). Return trains from Haslemere at xx:00, xx:32, xx:37.

A great walk across the Black Downs to a cozy pub and then into the Rother Valley passing the ruin of a Tudor Manor house.

Evening Walk: Belmont to Coulsdon via Little Woodcote

Short Walk 23 – Belmont to Coulsdon via Little Woodcote

Length: ~8.8km 5.5 miles Toughness 1/10

17:30 Epsom Downs service from London Victoria (calls at various stations including Clapham Junction 17.39, Sutton 18.19) arrives Belmont 18:22

17.41 Horsham service from London Victoria Change at Sutton to connect with the above 18.19 Epsom Downs service.

17:25 West Croydon service from London Bridge (Norwood Junction 17.40) Change at West Croydon to connect with the Epsom Down service) arrives at Belmont 18:22

For the return journey, there are 2 train stations in Coulsdon, within 10 minutes walk of each other:

Trains from Coulsdon Town to London Bridge are at xx:05 and xx:35 (last train 23:05)

Return trains from Coulsdon South are at xx:09 and xx39 to London Bridge (last LB train 21.39) and at xx:19 and xx:49 to Victoria (with the last Victoria train at 23.21) BUT on the Victoria services you can change at East Croydon to the switch to the London Bridge train and on the LBG train you can switch at East Croydon to the Vitoria train.

TFL bus #60 is another option and will take you to Purley, East or West Croydon and Streatham

Belmont and South Coulsdon stations are in London Travelcard Zone 6

This walk has a surprisingly rural feel. After crossing Banstead Common, it initially follows the London Loop, then continues through Oaks Park and along Oaks Track between the fields of the Little Woodcote Estate. Here you may see free range chickens, horses and rare breed sheep and there should also be a few blackberries. Note that you'll need to skip the short loop around Naturally Thinking's Botanical Farm as it's temporarily closed.

Google maps shows several refreshment possibilities on or near Brighton Road in Coulsdon at the end of the walk, including:

Mazu (Mediterranean) (020 8660 5467)

Los Arcos (Tapas) (020 8668 0007)

T Raj (Indian)

Bombaylicious (Indian) (0208 660 8915)

Lo Zafferono (Italian) (02086687417)

Toriton Izakaya (Japanese) (020 8668 0164)

The Pembroke pub (0208 7630800).

As usual, please remember to bring your directions from the L=Short.23 webpage.

Wednesday walk Leigh to Tunbridge Wells

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A pretty walk  through a landscape of great beauty,

Length 11.7 miles 

Toughness: 5 out of 10

Trains: Take the 10.04 from Charing Cross (10.07 Waterloo East, 10.13 London Bridge) to Tonbridge (10.46) where you change to catch the 11.01 to Leigh arriving 11.05.

Return trains from Tunbridge Wells run 4 times an hour.

Buy a return ticket to Tunbridge Wells.

Lunch: The suggested lunchtime stop is the Spotted Dog (tel 01892 870 253) at Smart's Hill, some 6.4 km (a third) into the walk.

Nearby is another large and popular pub, the Bottle House Inn (tel 01892 870 306).

For a later lunch stop bring a picnic.

Tea: Lots of options in Tunbridge Wells.

More details L=1.15

Bank Holiday Walk - A new route in the South Downs: Southease Circular [New Walk]

Length: 23.4 km (14.6 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 420m

Net Walking Time: 5 ½ hours

Toughness: 6/10

 

Take the 09.54 Ore train from Victoria (10.01 CJ, 10.10 EC), change Lewes onto the Seaford train (10.56/11.00), which arrives Southease 11.06. 

Return trains are on xx.05

 

A varied South Downs walk featuring the Sussex Ouse, Centenary Park (Peacehaven), the Undercliff Path, the Western Hemisphere, Telscombe Tye, optional climbs and the Eastern Hemisphere.

Walk Options: 

Bus Shortcut after lunch plus two Shortcuts in the afternoon.

 

Lunch: lots of choice in Peacehaven/Telscombe Cliffs; see the pdf or the webpage for details. 

Tea: Abergavenny Arms in Rodmell (on a slight diversion), YHA Courtyard Café, Southease.

 

For summary, map, height profile, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.423