5 of us set off from Balcombe Station, with rain threatening from the star. As the walk progressed light rain came and went, and it felt chilly compared to recent weather. Recent rainfall also meant that in places the mud was back! After an undulating morning, we reached West Hoathly where 3 had a picnic in the church yard, whilst 2 went to the Cat pub for a light lunch. 1 of the group had to abandon the walk at this point due to a broken shoe. The afternoon weather brightened up a little as we traversed fields full of cows and sheep, and crossed over the Bluebell railway line. We managed to miss the 4.36 train by seconds, so popped into Starbucks for some cake.

15 who divided into groups. I was in a group of 3 that soon became 3 groups of 1. Although I was the slow guy at the back, 3 of the faster ones caught me up later. It’s what’s euphemistically called “exploring new territory”

A tough walk with mud and slippery descents. The notorious steps at the start, the ones that did for my arm a few years ago, are now missing some sections of handrail.

The weather was sunny intervals with one short shower . That guy who wrote that song shoulda called it “Acorns keep falling on my head” because they were. Lots of them.

By the time I and one of the Lost Boys reached the Cat, the 5 that stuck their hand up for lunch had moved on. Apparently, the inn has devised an elaborate waitress-summoning system using helium balloons. (Does it involve inhaling? I wonder).

Eventually, not before time, East Grinstead hove into sight and we got a train home.

If any of the Fast Ones would like to post a review, particularly of the lunch pub, please do.

The Cat really exceeded everyone's expectations.

Mussels, Trout, pork belly,Caesar salad, all done to perfection.

Orders were taken and food delivered promptly by people who looked like they knew how these things work. Every nook and cranny seemed full of happy diners.

More crannies than usual as each table had been isolated by hospital type screens, giving the slight impression of an upmarket casualty clearing station! (the screens were tastefully covered in William Morris type cloth work)

Outside, even the car park was full.

What's their secret? Must be the food.

Many thanks to Marcus for reserving our luncheon par excellance.

We partook of tea and cake at the Old Dunning Mill pub on the edge of East Grinstead and, fully replete, limped home to the metropolis on the 18.06.

A memorable day out.

The Cat is very upmarket these days and might well be full on Sunday. You will need to phone or risk no lunch. If you can get in, the food is stunning. There are one or two cheap options but very few.

Andrew

Anyone attending this walk. Hope to see some of you. Monica.

Ended up walking this, but not with the group (lie-in preferred on Sunday) so started late. Extremely slick/muddy probably an understatement, despite no rain. Good workout with some views, but (for future hikers) probably best after a heatwave or a few days of baking hot sun in the summer.

I was thinking of using this route of a weekday visit to Wakehurst in the near future so thank you globetrekker for the warning about the mud.

You're welcome Sandy. Had a couple of falls (thankfully nothing serious) and a scratched finger (will hopefully heal soon) while desperately grabbing a fence trying to prevent a third. Extra clothing/gaiters etc., strongly recommended.

I think this will be one of many walk reports as the group splintered pretty early. There were three, THREE, groups getting off at Balcombe rail station, which led to some noisy waiting and and perhaps a little over stimulating for the beginning of a quiet country Sunday walk. I didn't take the exact count, but I think there was 9 off the train, and then Globetrekker came later, so all in all 10 . If someone got a different number, please say. sunny with some cloud but that weird not cold not warm weather .

There was a wrong turning very quickly after the slippery and dangerous steps we were warned about (no casualties, thankfully), with half the group stopping to sort themselves out, and the half stubbornly carrying on insisting they were right. I was in the latter, so hopefully those smart walkers who sorted out their mistake before blindly climbing uphill for 1 km on the wrong road in the wrong direction will also write a walk report so I can hear how their day went. As we never saw each other again!

For us wrong'uns, we did get to see some pretty countryside before turning around. Our blunder did mean that we were able to separate ourselves from the other two walking groups, which appeared to be doing the same walk, or perhaps the circular one (not sure). We had some lovely conversation about walking projects (my old love the London Loop was discussed). One stopped at the the shop in Balcombe to grab some lunch, which was described as lovely upon consumption. However, the rest of the way was marshy, boggy, and somewhat reminiscent of the Dead Marshes leading to Moria. What ding-dong requested a noted muddy and boggy walk in the pre-winter wet season? (It was me, I requested it--sorry guys).

At the seed bank, we had a parting of ways, as two of us went into Wakehurst Place for a quick nose, and the other two of our party soldiered on. I hope those two also do a walk report! Us two who went into the gardens were rewarded with a quick snoop around the house, which was empty of everything. But the real delight was the earl grey and lemon cake we naughtily consumed. Easily one of the best cakes I have ever had the pleasure of devouring. All you others missed out!!!

The rest of our walk was muddy muddy muddy and had the inevitable slips. I slipped while standing on the impressive rock climbing outcrops and narrowly missed sliding off of them, whilst my companion slipped on a footbridge onto her back. Luckily, neither of us were hurt, but please be careful on this walk.

We had some great conversation and impressive views. Not all the colour is out yet, but perhaps in a week or two. Really enjoyable walk, even if my lower half changed to mud slowly during the day.

Thanks to the walk poster for honouring my walk request! I did really enjoy it.

~Karen

there are some absolutely treacherous steps down at the beginning of this walk where I had a really awful fall many years ago . Hold tight to the hand rail . maybe see u all jfk

I second that .... broke my arm on these steps a few years back. The mossy stone is slippery when wet.

I am informed 4 on this walk, with rain during the lunch stop , but otherwise mostly dry and autumnal. The diners enjoyed an excellent lunch at the Cat Inn, West Hoathly. I'm sorry I was unable to be with you.

Thank you, Walker, for the careful research. Appreciated.

Following the uncertainty earlier in the week, as reflected in earlier versions of this post, Southern have now confirmed that their trains will run as normal on the East Grinstead line on Saturday. So this post is no longer provisional...

Sounds like a great walk - Ryan

I'm going to try a route out from East Grinstead via Fen Place Mill and Minepit Wood and will aim to meet the group at lunch.

28 on this walk: 25 at the start, one late starter, one who walked from East Grinstead (see previous comment), and one dumb clutz (me!!) who mistakenly took the train an hour earlier than the one he himself had posted (just goes to show you should always read the walk post CAREFULLY).

It started rather cloudy but warm sun eventually managed to break through . Increasing amounts of it. There was a bit of mud but not too much. Quite a bit of autumn colour too, though we are still some way (several weeks if this mild weather holds) off the peak.

One walker had pre-booked a table for four at the Cat Inn. When another tried to book one for 8, he was told they were fully booked. Those who ignored this advice and went to the pub anyway found it not that busy. About ten of us went instead to the Seed Cafe at Wakehurst Place where the queue moved somewhat slower than the Greenland ice sheet and the hot choice was a) vegetable soup b) baked potatoes with cheese or tuna mayonnaise and c) sausage rolls. Having said that, both soup and baked potato were quite nice.

The cafe lunchers managed to hook up with the pub lunchers at the Cat Inn, where we sat outside in the sun having drinks and coffee - how nice it is to sit outside! How soon this pleasure will be denied us!. Eight of us also diverted to the National Trust tea room at Standen near the end of the walk and had an al fresco tea there. Others went for drinks at Dunnings Mill, and a few of us went to a stripped-down pub near East Grinstead station (beer served from the barrel), whose name escapes me.

All in all, I think the consensus was that it was a nice autumn walk and 10.7 miles of walking adequately filled the day, though as one old timer commented "this walk does not seem as long as it used to".

(Oh and belated apologies for not realising that the best ticket combination would have been a Thameslink single to Balcombe and a Southern single from East Grinstead to Victoria - £12-13 in all. For the record, while three of us diligently paid the East Grinstead to East Croydon supplement, one of our party with a Balcombe any permitted return did not bother and was waved through by both barrier staff and the ticket inspector on the train.)

I am surprised to see that the issue of distance of the walk came up again. To keep it in balance, some found the distance was just about right - coupled with a late start, it was perfect. Thank Walker to post this walk.

Sorry, my wording gives the wrong impression. The issue of walk length did not come up at all: no one mentioned it. I was merely repeating a throwaway remark by an old friend. He was reflecting on how easy 10.7 mile walks seem today compared to when we first started doing SWC walks. Quietly, without noticing, walking each Saturday makes your fitter.

Walker's ticket advice is sensible. Southern staff at East Grinstead have become fussier about accepting return tickets issued to other stations, which won't go through the ticket barriers. They usually wave through tickets to Uckfield-line stations (somewhat grudgingly) but it would be annoying to pay over the odds for an "Any Permitted" return to Balcombe and then have it rejected.

Note that the cheap "Thameslink only" tickets are only issued from London stations like St Pancras or London Bridge: tickets to Balcombe are more expensive from East Croydon or Boundary Zone 6 (both £6.25 single, £7.40 return). And on the way back a single from East Grinstead to Boundary Zone 6 (£6.20) is more expensive than East Croydon (in Zone 5!) or Upper Warlingham (£5.15), so get the latter if you've got a Freedom Pass. [If you're changing onto a Thameslink train at East Croydon you could actually get a single to Caterham "via East Croydon" for £5.50, but don't ask me why that's 65p cheaper than the fare to East Croydon...]

Thanks fgpr the travel details Walker and thanks Sean for adding to it

BUT

whcih tickets do we buy please ?

Well, if the alternative idea I suggested doesn't impress you, buy "any permitted" day return to Balcombe and then pay for a single from East Grinstead to East Croydon if asked to do so at the ticket barriers there

Ah this walk always attracts plenty of comments regarding the tickets!

I'm going for the Thameslink return to Balcombe (£5.60) and Sean's excellent suggestion of a single from East Grinstead to Caterham via East Croydon (£5.15)

Network Rail Cards assumed - cheaper for Freedom Passers methinks.

However London Bridge is my preferred station so I am biased!

To clarify (or muddy the waters)

Mike A's solution would be £5.60 + £5.15 = £10.75 with a Network Card, and you would either have to use Freedom Pass or Oyster from East Croydon to home, or get a Thameslink train back to London Bridge or Blackfriars.

From London "any permitted" to Balcombe return is £14.60 with a Network Card. You may be allowed to use this from East Grinstead or you may not, so you may have to pay an extra £5.15 (to Caterham via East Croydon) or £6.15 (East Grinstead to East Croydon) on top = £20.75 potentially.

So putting up with changing on the return leg to a Thameslink train at East Croydon seems to give you big cash benefits.

All this advice is "without prejudice" as the lawyers say

how many more acres are you going to fill up with aimless chat about train tickets, when the price difference is negligible and it all hinges on the mood of the people at the barriers in E. Grinstead anyway? One already has to scroll down multiple times to get to the posting for walk 2, never mind 3...

21 walkers on this wonderfully sunny day with a little shower at the beginning and another at the end of the day .

A calm gentle walk with leaf change showing quite startling so when a maple occurred.

The Cat Inn - bloomin marvelous

Tea at The Old Bank Cafe - so so

The Manor House is up for sale apparently in West Hoathly in case anybody wants a nice gaff over the road from the pub and the church but I can't find the price on the web and one of our walkers met the man selling it and he said the price is not being disclosed - I wonder if he really wants to sell it.

As maybe you can guess - there was little of incidence on the walk - just a lovely day.

When you get to East Grinstead station go to the ticket office and ask for an excess ticket. Make sure you show your ticket at the time. If you are lucky they will issue a zero cost ticket on a discretionary basis. (For those with bus passes it is possible to get the bus to Haywards Heath where an excess ticket will cost less than £2.00, if you don't get waved through by the nice man on the barrier.)

Prudential Ride London this weekend!

If you're planning to travel by bus to any of the three (London Bridge, Victoria and Waterloo) departure stations on Saturday, your journey will probably affected by this event.

AD

23 , sunny and warm all day

A lovely walk, nice views, lots of lush woods, water features from nearby reservoir, undulating path with manageable distance of just under 11 miles (no short or long cut to confuse or disintegrate the group) - can't beat this proven book one old favourite which continues to bring so much joy to many. All stopped at Cat Inn for lunch. This is a gastropub with price and quality to match. 3 took Bluebell railway in the afternoon whilst the rest- most ended up at The Old Mill pub for refreshment before catching train back to London.

Most did not have any issues with the Balcombe return ticket (regardless if it was from London bridge or Victoria). We asked the guard at East Grinstead ticket barrier, he let us through without asking any questions. The group did experienced over-crowded train from London Bridge - some had to stand all the way to Balcombe.

Rumour has it that Bridie timed this walk to coincide with Gay Pride's 25th Anniversary in Brighton.

Although the train was heaving with attendees of same and some folks had to stand, there was a great party atmosphere on board.

However, I must say it was nice to step onto the platform at Balcombe and enjoy the relative calm and stunning vistas in this neck of the woods.

You need to be careful about tickets on this walk. The two stations are on different lines and the book's advice is out of date. If you're travelling out from London Bridge don't get the cheapest Balcombe return ticket, which is only valid on Thameslink services: this won't be accepted by Southern at East Grinstead for the return journey. An unrestricted off-peak return to Balcombe won't go through the ticket barriers there either but in practice this is likely to be waved through. At worst you might be forced to buy an extra single back to East Croydon where the two lines merge.

how about swapping this walk for a seaside one please so people can swim ? going to be too hot to trot..

A tea stop near East Grinstead station that's been popular with SWC walkers for quite a while is Bluebells Café, on the corner of London Road and Railway Approach (01342 458491).

There is also a pub or cafe with a raised terrace at the back on the northerly side of High Street, from memory...

5 sunny hot and humid .-initially-with-cloud-cover

Brilliant walk, as always, even more so today, as the often challenging muddy patches were mostly dried out, and plenty of the kilometerage is under tree cover. Modest pace in light of the heat, with frequent stops at benches or under shady trees. Excellent, fast, and cheerful food and service at The Cat Inn. Great company. 16.37 train for two, Sainsbury's for the others.

The directions could do with an update reflecting changed landscape furniture and new housing, but today wasn't the day to take notes, really...

As for the ticket: my London Terminals - Balcombe rtn (Any Route Permitted) ticket did NOT impress the gate warden at Grinstead, so an extra Croydon single had to be purchased.