I have booked a table in the restaurant at the White Hart for 4 at 14:00, will update numbers at the station.

18 on this walk, an impressive turnout at this time of year given the length of the train journey. Disconcertingly it was drizzling when we got off the train, but damp weather cleared to grey as the day wore on.

This was not the last we saw of water, however. Dimly in the back of my mind lurks a stricture against posting Weald walks in winter, so I was at least mentally prepared and pleased to find some bits relatively dry under foot. But for substantial sections it was a squelch-fest. Paths were running rivers, leg muscles ached from wading through mud. The long uphill section to lunch was particularly trying in places.

Lest this sound like a moan, we also found much to enjoy. This is lovely scenery and one section across a broad grassy hill in the morning was magnificent, with far reaching views. Primroses were bursting out all over, wild garlic leaves sprouting on the verges, and birds chirping away. Spring is definitely getting into gear.

We did not get to the pub till well after 2pm - indeed as one of the backmarkers I wondered if I would get there before the kitchens closed. It has been heavily modernised since I last did the walk. Ordering at the bar was a bit slow, but the food came so quickly you wondered if they had cooked it for someone else. 14 ate in all.

In the afternoon we were at least squelching downhill for the most part. Arriving in Battle I heard a blackbird sing. The village itself looked a bit unwelcoming at 5pm - tea rooms certainly shut. But four of us got a cuppa in the deserted Costa.

Others went for the 5.35 train and nine of us eventually congregated in the Abbey Hotel (a pub) and toasted absent friends. Eight got the 6.35 train (one staying behind to make a connection to Canterbury: hope she made it…) and supplies materialised. Mysteriously, despite a one hour 15 minute journey back to London Bridge, one and a half bottles proved adequate to keep us hydrated. Were we missing someone?

4# alighted from the train in Battle and 4 returned. Did everyone else have something so much better to do on this hot and sunny day . Or maybe it was the lack of a lunchtime pub? The intrepid 4 arrived at the Whote Hart in Netherfield after 3 and for the 2 lunchers negotiations were required. Everyone was fed and the view was magnificent. Or maybe it was the poorly maintained paths between Penhurst and Netherfield? In a few years this may be completely overgrown. Opinions were divided but there is much to enjoy in this remote part of Kent. Fields full of wild flowers and grasses and the lovely views. Some excitement came in the form of newly wheened calves giving chase and looking for affection- my first experience of being nibbled by one. We arrived back in time for the 1746 back to London, having insufficient time for a cold beer at the end.

A gloriously fantastic cold clear crisp day on which 8 met on the platform of Battle station. Given the chill in the air we set off briskly from the station doing the circuit in standard clockwise orientation. Really perfect time of year for this outing, some lingering tree color, ground not too muddy and views far and wide from the various vantage points attained through the rolling countryside. The South Downs were particularly prominent. All enjoyed a late lunch at the White Hart in Netherfield from where we could see Beachy Head and some distant ships passing in the channel given the clear sharp air. I think most enjoyed the tasty food on offer and we eventually set off for the mostly downhill final stretch into Battle, reaching the outskirts about 4pm...most carried on straight through town to catch the 16:44 but two of us stopped for a warming mulled wine and took the 17:09 instead.

Should we buy return tickets to Hastings or Battle?

Also, how to recognise the group as there may be other people in walking boots?

Sorry for questions, it will be my first time on one of these walks

Buy a day return to Battle.

The group is usually obvious on the station platform. If there are two groups, just ask one “Are you the Saturday Walkers?”

Thanks. Does that work the same if joining in the pub or the group will post which pub they are stoppong in? I will miss the first train but dont need to stop for lunch and would like to catch up with group

I suspect they will stop in one of the two Netherfield pubs after 8.4 miles. You will just have to check in each one to find them, I guess. But you will then have done two-thirds of the walk by yourself....

There were still some snowdrops out, plenty of primroses and daffodils as well and also a few patches of wild garlic. There were also some stretches of dry and firm ground. Those were not many and they were not long. Some punters called it the muddiest walk they'd ever been on, and who am I to dispute that? Certainly, the percentage of the total route that wasn't in some way muddy, was vanishingly small. Thankfully none of the mud was clingey and a lot of the muddy bits were of the harmless standing-water-in-a-pasture-dissolving-a-cm-of-topsoil-into-gooey-but-not-deep-mass type, but lots of others weren't, especially around gates (lots of those) and stiles (even more of those), in woods (some of those) and along enclosed paths (plenty of those, some steep some not). In the end, our boots were reasonably clean courtesy of puddles and grassy verges in Battle, but the gaiters as dirty as I've seen gaiters.

The views were fantastic though (out to the South Downs by Eastbourne) in the sunny weather with some passing fluffy clouds and a bit of a breeze and the group quite jolly: 5 off the train, 1 more awaiting us at the station (with one of her dogs) up from Shoreham, 2 more (coffee cup in hand) awaiting us in the village centre (they had driven to Battle), and 1 other was caught an hour and a bit into the walk, having taken an earlier train, ie 9.

The fast 4 got to the Netherfield Arms at 13.58, ie 2 minutes before last food orders and had fine meals and a drink or two. The not-so-fast 5 got to The White Hart at 14.45 (ie 15 minutes before stated last food orders) but apparently got no hot food anyway as the kitchen had run out of stuff to cook! We 4 got to Battle at 16.15 or so, after chatting at length to a group of metal detectors in the last field before the village, who proudly presented their finds of the day (that was the Eastbourne Detectors Club, and they confirmed that as far as they are concerned, the site of THAT battle has not yet been confirmed as non of the supposed areas yield enough typical battlefield finds). Anyway: all teashops had already shut of course in good English Countryside tradition, and several of the coffee shops had seemingly closed for good, partly surely due to the one business in the sector that is so successful that they have just moved to a larger premise and was still open: Costa Coffee. There's a tale there...

On the platform, waiting for the 16.44, 26 Meetup-ies turned up (AAA London Walking): they had done Etchingham to Battle off an earlier train, and had paid £28 each for the privilege (ie £10+ for the guiding, with the Off-Peak Day Return with Network RC costing £17.25).

Good walk, as always, and a very fine workout in the conditions, but maybe not that great a day to post it after all...

Great views and a good workout. Thanks a lot for posting the walk Thomas! bee

A special mention for the Netherfield Arms. We arrived just 2 minutes to go before end of service and they were clear we needed to get our order in ASAP, but all was handled in a friendly way i.e. we weren't made to feel like an inconvenience. Food came quickly and all staff were extremely pleasant and efficient.

Hi, there seem to be two options, an earlier or a later start, depending on visiting the abbey or not.

If I am planning on joining whoever else is walking, how do I know which time to aim for?

Regards

Charlotte

Two options? Neither intended nor stated. 9.15 train or nothing.

I think Charlotte was referring to the further walk info to be found under 'Features' and then 'Saturday Walkers Club.' Stick with 9.15 train, though, Charlotte.

Thank

12 on this walk, including one newcomer who we hope enjoyed her day. It was a grey day but not as cold as threatened and with no rain apart from a light shower at the very end. It was definitely muddy, though - a positive gloop-fest in places and a paddle crossing some fields. The waterproofing of boots was tested and in several cases found wanting. But the compensation was some fine scenery and grand views.

It was eight miles to lunch in Netherfield, but apart from one walker who employed a magic carpet and got there well ahead of us (having lagged in the morning), we all got there around 1.45, well in time to be served. The White Hart proved to be a lovely pub with delicious food, good portions, polite service and a gloriously warm log fire. We emerged at 3pm for the very scenic last third of the walk, up hill and down dale, then a magnificent final climb in the gathering gloom to Battle. There we were just in time for tea at a new tea room whose name I forget but which earned my approval by offering huge Belgian buns (note to tea room owners: more buns please!!).

Most of us then crossed the road to the pub for drinks beside a blazing wood stove and just about caught the......18 something? ....... train (and apologies to the one walker who just missed this: I nearly missed it myself). Then the long train ride back to civilisation with only a bottle of £4.99 Costcutter wine to refresh us.

Battle Bakes and Cakes it was (open to 6 on Saturday unlike the other places in town that turned us away at 16.35 already). 18.07 train.

Intend going.

me 'n deputy dawg hope to go..

Hoping to come tomorrow for the first time

How will I recognize you guys at Charing Cross Station?

meet at the end of the journey on platform.

me & dawg not fit enough yet for this 13 miler..

Thanks - Sorry you're not coming!

Thomas G? Hope you can make it!

Jem

sure, as will others, you're not going to be stuck just with me...

LOL - Great! See you tomorrow!

1 on an earlier train (caught at lunch), 2 off a later train (1 befuddled by the new arrangements at LBG, 1 missing a connection to Orpington), 13 off the posted slow coach to Hastings, i.e.: 16 walkers in total on this perfect day for a country walk, namely sunny with a cooling easterly wind .

Walking this in reverse worked well with the late start, as if you're going to miss out on the cafes in Battle on the return anyway, you might as well get the road walking through town along the High Street out of the way in the morning. It also meant we walked 'into the view' from lunch, i.e.: towards the sea and the rolling hills.

Reverse-reading the directions proved to be relatively straightforward, a couple of times though with kind assistance of the gpx-ers.

Most people hadn't done this walk before, so they were a bit surprised by the beauty of it, the rolling hills, far views, quiet varied woods etc.

Lunch at the Netherfield Arms was just perfect, and the later White Hart in Catsfield proved a temptation not to be resisted by most of the group. We were caught there by the late starters, and most of us then had another drink and/or cake in Battle at the Abbey Hotel.

Jolly day out, 18.36 train for the three-stoppers.

Just a couple of points to add to Thomas's post. The later stages of the walk were the best. The stretch past Penns Wood, up Tent Hill with glorious views looking back and then onward to Stevens Crouch was some of the best walking I've done for a while. I also can't recall walking alongside or through any arable fields.

How about reversing some other walks? Some old classics would work really well; Seaford to Glynde next Spring anyone?