When I last did this walk in March 2024, there were a couple of very muddy stretches. I don't know if these will be the same this weekend but they can be avoided by taking a different routes from The Crown pub and a bit of road/lane walking.

The first stretch was after you cross the stone brigde from Groombridge Place and take the path diagonally to your right, there's a ~20m stretch between barbed wire fences that was flooded.

The second was was a longer ~50m stretch between barbed wire fences. We came across this after taking the alley beside the school and crossing the railway line to reach Aytton's Wood.

Entering Birchden Wood, I stayed on the higher main path which runs through the centre of the woods, eventually joining the published route. This was a firm path and a pleasant route.

For info, both of those flooded stretches are on the longer afternoon route and are particularly bad because you're stuck on a narrow fenced footpath. But even if you choose the shorter afternoon there will be other muddy stretches, as with any High Weald walk in winter.

Have booked a table at the crown for 12:45 - they have a big party arriving at 1:30….

20 at the station. A dry sunny but cold day. A fair bit of mud and quag on the way round, but guess what readers, it was frozen, so it didn’t matter. There was only one major obstacle and that was the railway bridge before Groombridge. It were flooded weren’t it.

After being told by locals it was calf-deep, there was a reluctance to go through. Some did and some, who stayed close to the left hand side got through with dry feet. Others were sent on a wild goose chase after being told by a local there was another crossing 200 yds to the left. There wasn’t. Some resorted to a more direct route scrambling up the embankment across the tracks and down the other side. Scary stuff. Luckily, no sign of the Fat Controller.

Groombridge was eventually reached. Some stopped for lunch in the Crown but the largest party was in the Junction, which seems to have upped its game a bit. Here we were joined by walker 21 who had started from Ashurst. The fastest reached Eridge in time for the 15:50 . By the time the slowest got there, there was a sizeable number ensconced in the Huntsmen. Most got the 16:50. A grand day out.

If you are planning on a pub lunch, it might be worth booking ahead. Neither lunchtime pub had tables at 1. We’ve gone for 1.15pm.

Which one did you book? And for how many?

I’ve a table at the Crowne Inn that’s currently booked for 5. I’ve had a word with the pub and they say that if they add a leaf it can take 10. Hope that helps.

Thanks, Alice - it looks like being a bit chilly for picnicking!

There's a comment on this walk's web page that one of the two routes out from Groombridge was blocked by excessive mud and water for 50 meters. That was back in January but I would be suprised if if is much better now.

25 on the platform at Eridge, one significant other who joined us at lunch, and one who started at Ashurst for some reason. So 27 at least on this gentle meander around nature’s spring garden.

In the warm sun all seemed lovely. Good amounts of wood anemones (though more to come) and a pleasing range of butterflies, including my first orange tips of the year. Lanes were bordered with concentrations of cheerful celandines and there was a green fuzz on the understorey shrubs and saplings.

I set the tone for the day by leading a few unsuspecting companions on an unauthorised shortcut in the morning to see more wooden ms. Others did other variations. At the end of the walk, in the sunny garden of the Huntsman, there was discussion about how many had actually done the full main walk as published. Only one could confidently claim this status.

A lot of us descended all at once on the Crown for lunch. The husband and wife team who run the pub get double brownie points for coping with us all without complaint. Two groups had booked tables inside, but this meant they got served slower, elbowed aside by those of us who ordered at the bar and sat outside (sorry about that!). How nice it was to sit outside! I hope for many more such days in the weeks ahead.

As alluded to above, I reckon at least two thirds of the group spent some time in the sunny garden of the Huntsman, albeit in two shifts, one getting the 4.50 train and the other the 5.50. From tomorrow that will seem too early to be finishing a walk…

Postscript: after posting the above, someone asked me about mud. Plenty of dry paths, but a few still very gloopy. I advised those I was with after lunch to avoid the path along the field edge between the railway line and the driveway to Harrisons Rocks, and to use the road instead. They ignored me and waded through mud up to their ankles as a consequence. But generally this was the first Saturday walk I have done this year where mud was not a mega issue.

13 on the walk, which apart from a short super gloopy stretch had bearable mud levels. It turned out that the Crown was closed (but reopening tomorrow), which news from a local persuaded some of us to omit that loop. A couple ate in the Junction which apparently was slow. We were a bit split up by now, but a certain amount of regrouping at the end in The Huntsman before 7 getting the 1550 and 2 opting for the later stamp train to Tunbridge. gloomy but dry .

8 on a day with a mix of sun cloud and a rain shower near the end

As MoonBrain writes 8 on this pleasant walk around Eridge. The walk poster had cleverly selected a date to coincide with a Spa Valley Railways Steam and Heritage Diesel Train Rides 🚂🚆 (or was that date just serendipitous ⁉️)

Whatever, walkers were treated to an up-close view of a steam locomotive at Eridge before setting off into the countryside. Definite signs of spring there with a green blur starting to appear in woodland and those cheeky little celandines showing off their blooms along the hedgerows.

Walkers taking luncheon at the Junction Inn were able to sit outside and I hear good reports about the food there too.

Two took advantage of the Spa Valley Railway Event and travelled back to Eridge on one of their trains and enjoyed the sights, sound and smells of a bygone age.

9 left Eridge station under overcast but warm not to say humid conditions . The essential and charming anarchy of SWC quickly manifested itself at Mott's Mill where we split into high-roaders and low-roaders into Groombridge where further division occurred between picnickers and those dining at either the Crown or the Junction, both reported to be serving very satisfactory food. Much discussion and poring over maps and walk directions after lunch led to the majority taking the longer route back whilst two set off to walk past Groombridge station, collecting another who was finishing a very leisurely lunch at the Junction. At this point one of our number, suffering from post-Covid fatigue, exercised a woman's right to choo-choos and decided to take the steam train back to Eridge. The remaining two then took their own route (all right, were too busy chatting among themselves to pay attention to the walk directions) back to Eridge, arriving in light rain in time for a quick drink at the Huntsman, whose garden was positively heaving with diners listening to a live band and singer. Not quite sure what that was in aid of!

I think you have won the walk report Golden Groan of 2022 there, Brian!

Couldn't resist it.

6 on this walk, though I saw a seventh just miss the train at London Bridge. We had sunshine in the morning and then cloud in the afternoon, and the autumn colours were very fine - mostly oaks at this stage, but some beeches. Being the Weald there was some mud but on the whole it was not too trying.

Two lunched at the Crown, and the sandwich eaters sat on the bench in front of the pub. One pub luncher ate inside, but another outside, the air temperature being just about warm enough despite the disappearance of the sun at this point. We were briefly joined by the walk's author, who was doing researches.

The sandwich eaters, as is traditional, left before the two pub lunchers, and did the main afternoon route. The pub lunchers took the short cut via Harrison Rocks, which was very scenic. One suffered a footwear disfunction here and went straight to the station, presumably catching the 3.50 train. The other (me) wandered happily in the woods above the rocks, looking at the beech colours and dreaming of the wood anemones that grow here in spring. I then took a back way to Eridge - fabulous colours here - to meet up with the main group at the Huntsman pub by Eridge station. There the five of us enjoyed a roaring wood fire and took the 4.50 train home.

Plan to do regular 9.3miles. Everyone is welcome. This walk will be another hit, Mike, thanks for posting it.

25 arrived at Eridge and set off under light cloud and mist , splitting almost immediately into those taking the shorter route to Groombridge via Harrison's Rocks, and those taking the more scenic by Mott's Mill. Picnickers spread out at lunchtime, some taking advantage of seats, benches and a tea stall at the Spa Valley Railway station at Groombridge. Pub lunchers had a choice of the Junction or the Crown (no reports yet) before setting off back to Eridge. Again, the group divided, some taking the direct route, others trying, but failing, to follow the directions through Broadwater Warren and ending up slightly off-piste. A short bit of map and compass work got us to Eridge Rocks and back to the station, where The Huntsman had a log fire waiting and provided a comfortable stop before the 16:50 back to London Bridge.

The count at the station was 29, we met another walker who took an earlier train at the end. She went to the designated lunch stop The Crown, but found nobody else. So 30

I have been using Southern and SE trains most of the week and things have been quite good overall. This would be a good walk in the snow!

There are now 2 footbridges at East Croydon. If the 10.23 train to Eridge is not running, I suggest meeting on the main entrance footbridge on platform 1 (up the ramp)

No, not the ramp, the footbridge - the new one, halfway down the platform. A footbridge is a footbridge and a ramp is a ramp. I meant the footbridge.

Thinking about it, if the Eridge train is not running (it was running on Friday), then a good alternative would be either Oxted or East Grinstead (eg the short circular): both have the advantage that they start and finish in civilisation while taking in good rural places in between. A day return to Eridge would be valid to Oxted and would be accepted from East Grinstead in the circumstances, I am sure. I am sure we will manage to find somewhere to walk.....cross fingers.

What a change from Friday! Arctic conditions in full retreat, quite a bit of sun , low single digit temperatures feeling positively balmy, flowers out again, birds singing once more....

The trains operated without a hitch. The Uckfield Line diesel was sat at East Croydon from before 10am, happily puffing out particulates, so we did not even have to wait for the connection in the cold. The sun came out as we headed south - a nice surprise. 12 set out. Or was it 13? We met one SWC regular halfway round going in the opposite direction. Was he there at the start?

As soon as we got going, it was clear the snow was melting fast, but there was still a fair amount left. Some tricky navigation around pipeline works at one point, but otherwise a fine morning’s walk. Eight of us squeezed into a cosy sunny nook at the Crown (some non-SWC customers were even sat outside, which was tempting...). What a lovely pub this is: friendly, now with a whole gluten-free menu, bless them, and a vegan nut roast. One could have sat there all afternoon.

More cloud in the afternoon, and as the snow melted, more slush and standing water and mud. Various routes across Broadwater Forest seemed to be taken. Towards the end of the walk there was more sun and then dark clouds approaching but the rain very politely held off until we were in the Huntsman. Another lovely pub! Tea served cheerfully in huge pots. A blazing fire to sit by. Most stayed only until the 4.50 train, but two of us found the warmth of burning biomass too irresistible after the last week’s weather and stayed for the 5.50, spending the hour resolving Brexit and other pressing global issues.

Last but not least posting walk numbers here. 32, 30 at the start and with 2 arriving later. It has a number that was more than two other walks combined. Just to show there is great demand for a walk with <13miles when two others are 13 miles plus. Thanks for posting this lovely walk.

I have some sympathy for the above thought. The club is divided. We have a group champion for ever longer and tougher walks whilst another group finding harder and harder to identify themselves with the club for lack of what used to be a normal walk (10-12miles). I appreciate all walker posters' hard work for adding varieties to the club, Let's keep it in good balance.

Just to add dry and sunny no rain until on the train home

Three of the five walks posted for next weekend are under twelve miles. Numbers attending the Saturday walks often split more towards one walk than the other two, but predicting which will be the favoured one is not easy. But overall there is a pretty good balance between the three Saturday ones. Length is just one of many factors posters think of when choosing walks - weather, time of year, a balance of starting stations, giving all the walks an airing from time to time, and offering walks on different types of terrain being some of the others.

My tuppence worth:

No one doubts that there is demand for short walks;

that is why every weekend (incl.this one) the majority of walks are short or have attractive short options (but, yes: short options of long-ish walks afford people to actually live the SWC 'philosophy' and follow the written directions, which seems to be too much effort for many people);

Walker posted a walk this Saturday that had just had two other outings (within the last 6 months), presumably pushing some of his regulars onto the Eridge walk;

and I posted the 3rd Pulborough walk in as many weeks (a consequence of the research needed for the new walk I posted).

So, ideal conditions for a SE of London short walk, but hardly a typical weekend.

For some people, the reason to come to group walks is to enjoy others company (not too lazy to read the instruction). Some short cuts at the end of a walk are fine but others earlier in the walk defeat the purpose of coming to group walks.

Lazy or not...

If in this day and age of mobile phones, emails, blogs and so-called social media, concerned people can't organise amongst themselves to have a sub-group on a long walk that together walks a clearly described and publicly posted shorter option on a long walk (i.e.: one reads and leads, the rest chat and follow);

or if those same people can't be bothered to cross the river to go on a short walk north of the Thames, or on a Sunday;

then that tells me that the problem can't be that pressing.

p.s.: I haven't noticed a drop in attendance numbers over the weekends since the supposed 'divide' in the group, maybe Anonymous can provide the hard data that suggests the SWC is in crisis?

p.p.s.: as I said above, every weekend the majority of walks are short or with clearly outlined and fully written up short options, so where is the 'lack of balance'?

p.p.p.s.: this is the SWC website, not ramblers.org.uk, so there shouldn't be an expectation to be led on walks

That will make posting walks each week redundant if everyone starts to use social media to organise walks themselves, right?

I'm talking about going on the posted short option of a group walk. put a comment on the blog that you want to walk the short walk, preferably with a name that people recognise rather than as Anonymous, and ask whether other people would like to join. that's how other people do it.

"For some people, the reason to come to group walks is to enjoy others company (not too lazy to read the instruction). Some short cuts at the end of a walk are fine but others earlier in the walk defeat the purpose of coming to group walks."

totally agree with this statement

"For some people, the reason to come to group walks is to enjoy others company...'

For some people, the reason to come to group walks is to enjoy the walk in reasonable solitude, but meet the group at the end for refreshments.

For some people, the reason to come to group walks is to keep others in sight for a sense of security, but not talk to them if at all possible.

For some people, the reason to come to group walks is to get out into the countryside, but not worry about navigation, just follow the group.

For some people, the only type of walk there should be, is the type of walk they favour.

solitude and totally silent walkers are a minority of the group, I'd say less than 10%. We used to have a silent walking group, even them could not resist the temptation of chitchat so they broke silent at lunch time. Let's face it, human beings are social animals, the very fact that 'solitude' and 'total silent' walkers come to the group walks just proves the point. Let's hope this group will not turn into a bunch of loners who could not see eye to eye.

very off putting to scan the weekend walks and automatically exclude certain walks that would otherwise be lovely were it not for their grand mileage. Plus who wants to arrange a short version where one might be forced to walk alone because no-one else is doing it ?!!

well...don't automatically exclude certain walks based on their mileage then. simples!

Eh?.😐nil points,re-read the comment mate

Frankie

If the group wants to expand and attract some younger walkers then a longer option may be important. I know of some newcomers who are very keen to have the longer challenge and are very talkative while walking

15 on this walk on a perfect spring day, sunny and warm some cloud in the afternoon . Two excellent pubs and various spring flowers on display. The Broadwater Warren section is a tad disappointing because of mnajor woodland clearance which has obviously disrupted the wild life although there should be some good displays of heather in the late summer.

We timed the walk perfectly to just miss the 3.50 train thereby forcing the group to have a final drink at the Huntsman whilst waiting for the one an hour later. A lovely day out

A very lovely walk with fabulous wildflowers

including bluebells out in profusion.

about 16 on walk. jfk