Length: 17¾ km † (11.0 miles) . 4 out of 10. Four hours 10 minutes walking time.
Any decisions about doing a shorter walk are after lunch.
" Tattenham Corner station was built to serve Epsom Downs Racecourse and you soon get a fine view along its finishing straight towards the Grandstand. A ridge walk along Walton Downs then takes you to what was once arable farmland in Langley Vale but is being transformed by the Woodland Trust into a First World War Centenary Wood , with poignant sculptures in new plantations and wildflower meadows. After an undulating route through this extensive site a sustained gentle climb brings you to the lunch stop in Walton on the Hill , with its attractive village pond.
The afternoon section starts with an optional loop around the partly-wooded Banstead Heath (part of Banstead Commons ). "
This walk has various loops, so gpx users should take care!
Trains: Get the 1010 Tattenham Corner train from London Bridge (probably platform 11) (East Croydon 1029) arriving 1108. The station is in Zone 6. Return trains xx15, xx45.
Lunch: The Blue Ball Walton on the hill after 7.5km, with the Village Café as an alternative and benches next to Mere Pond for sandwiches.Tea: The Tattenham Corner pub.
#2026-09-19T10:10
T=swc.398
6 comments:
Two of us missed the train following various transport malfunctions, so we took a short cut hoping to catch up. In fact we were ahead and after eating and a drink, met the others eating sandwiches at the pond. Two had carried on to do a longer walk, so n=10 in total.
After lunch a short stretch walking together before further fragmentation. Two went to the the pub, who then met up with two at the station delayed by a cancelled train. Despite its convoluted structure this is an enjoyable walk with good views throughout.
Supplementary
#3 had lunch at the Village cafe at Walton on the hill. Hot food for 2 and a tea for the other walker all before the locals were arriving. Afterwards one of the punters decided on following the posted walk and looped back to Tattenham Corner whilst the two pressed on.
What followed was a walk to Chipstead via Colley Hill, Kingswood and a local golf course. At Mogador we frequented The Sportsman, a quaint countryside pub for refreshments not had at lunch (all day food is served so it could work as a late lunch stop).
Arriving at Chipstead, The Grape variety was a welcome waiting room between trains ensuring no supplies were needed before the 17:58 to the city.
Approaching London bridge as we passed a well known football club stadium this walker recalled the airport style facial recognition cameras in the morning. A battle at the Den I believe so.
Finally to walk author a text amendment is that the Blue Ball has closed down and ij it's place a BBQ style the Firehouse Tadworth. For those wanting a pub option the Bell or holding out for the Sportsman are the possibilities.
Weather: Pleasant, later turning overcast.
Ah, The Dockers Derby, its 100th edition. What a game, the way football should be. The Millionarios from Inner Essex rattled by the passion of the occasion, both on and off the pitch, in the noisy cauldron of The Den, 4 goals shared, a spitting incident (them), a red card (them) and very nearly a late winner for the plucky underdogs, Little Ol' Millwall.
"A great day out", to quote one of our walk reporters.
@Karan: Thanks for the news about the Blue Ball. An American-style smokehouse doesn't sound like an ideal SWC lunch spot and who knows how long it will thrive in Walton on the Hill. However, there are a couple more pubs in another part of the village (as well as the café) and I'll look at tweaking the route to include them.
@Sean thanks. Do you recommend the Mertsham finish as I wasn't sure how much noise the m25 has on that alternative ending?
@Karan: I'm not the best person to ask about motorway noise because it doesn't bother me that much. You do have to cross the M25 (on a footbridge) but the motorway is in a tree-lined cutting while you're walking along the escarpment which keeps it out of sight and helps to reduce the noise. And there are good views on this stretch to compensate.
Post a Comment