We have not had the best of weather on Saturday walks lately (the Folkestone walk three weeks back notwithstanding). Today was no exception. “Meteorological autumn” the BBC Weather forecast calls it. With grey cloud and rain , it felt like it.

The rain was fairly heavy before lunch, otherwise drippy. But it never seemed to entirely go away. In woods there was a fair bit of mud underfoot (remember mud?).

Six emerged from the London Bridge train and outside the station we met one who had come from Victoria, so seven in all. We set off but were soon down to six again when one dropped out due to feeling unwell (hope you feel better soon/didn’t give us anything).

I don’t remember lots about the morning. It was damp and leafy. It brought us to the Sloop Inn, which is a lot different from how I remember it. A bit gastro these days, except its menu was frankly not that thrilling. Only two of us had meals here and two had soup. The latter was supposed to be leek and potato, but turned out to have ham in it. Turned out they had served the (pea and ham) “velouté” instead. What is a “velouté”, I hear you ask. “It is French for a kind of soup.”

We were joined by another walker here, bringing us up to 8, or rather 7 minus the absent invalid. In the afternoon we crossed the Bluebell Line where a gaggle of enthusiasts were waiting to photograph the next train. We would have waited too if it had not been heritage diesel gala day. As it was we heard one pass later on: an impressive gargling noise from the engine but lots of stinky fumes.

In Lindfield we went to the Lindfield Coffee Works - a nice modern cafe with some partially outside seating. I had a very nice Oreo cookie (that is to say, a cookie with an Oreo biscuit crumbled on top of it).

After tea it was suggested we try another route into Haywards Heath to avoid repeating the morning route. Not a bad idea but at one point it involved the use of “informal paths” (trespassing, in other words) and later opinions differed about the correct path in a wood.

Miraculously we all got to Haywards Heath together. There the Waitrose cafe had “technically just shut” (though would have served us hot drinks), while the Burrell Arms across the road turned out to be a blokey sports pub that did not quite chime with our cultural preferences, shall we say. So we got a bottle of red and took a Thameslink train home.

6 set off. 4 ahead, 2 lagging.

All was well until the Eastern Road Nature Reserve was reached. It was unexpectedly ‘closed’ for tree-felling. The barriers were down and there was no work in progress so both groups entered. The first group sailed through. Not so the second. The loggers had created multiple paths and it was less than clear which way was correct. So less than clear that they went past an early JCB three times. On the last circuit, they even crawled under a dead tree only to find that wretched digger again. Honestly, it was like the Amazon!.

But with the wonders of modern science, (you’ve probably heard of GPS), they, too, found their way through and met the others in the Sloop. I don’t think any of them ate there (too posh for the likes of them) but drinks were certainly consumed . A pleasant, much needed, break from the rigours of the jungle.

Three of the advance party had realised to their horror they would never reach Lindfield in time for the 1508 bus so they diverted to Horsted Keynes, where, presumably, there were more buses. They got there, having even had time to consume more alcohol.

The other 3, made of sterner stuff, did the full trek back to Haywards Heath. Retracing our steps there from Lindfied was a little tedious (the road section anyway). Although several ale houses were passed, none were frequented (sigh). And we didn’t see the legendary Tiger sign either.

Trains out and back were packed. Standing room only.

The weather? hot sunny am cloudy muggy pm Even a few sprinkles of water from the sky.

Hi Guys Anyone doing this walk? Hope to see some of you at London Bridge or at Hayward Heath station. Super off Peak for SNR is £7.65.

Monica

8 on this walk, of which at least two had intended to do the Greensand Way but were thwarted by the train from London Bridge being delayed past the point it could have met the connection, then cancelled along with all subsequent ones that morning. Haywards Heath by contrast has many trains each hour.

Misty and overcast , which added atmosphere to the steam train on the Bluebell Railway when we saw it through the trees.

An efficient welcome for five in the Sloop Inn at Freshfield Bridges, where food quality and price were a little higher than average. Very respectable roast potatoes.

Food took a moment long to arrive, for which reason it was well dark by the time we concluded the walk. It's fortunate that the last couple of kilometres are in lit suburban streets. It might have been better to start this one a little earlier.

I forgot to mention the clouds of insects presumably woken up by the misapprehension that the warmth meant it was spring.

The clouds of insects are 'winter gnats': quite normal on mild still days at this time of year. They have evolved to have their mating swarms at this time of year to avoid predators.

https://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-and-habitats/winter-gnat

In general you will find that insects are not as easily fooled by mild weather as you might think. Lots are in a dormant state in winter: this is true of ladybirds, shield bugs, spiders, queen bumble bees, queen wasps and some butterflies. On a mild day they may emerge and look for food but soon go back to dormant when it turns cold again. This is true eg of the ladybirds you may see crawling up your windows, if they have wooden frames, on a sunny winter day.

Honeybees live in hives all winter - they feed on the honey they have made in the summer - and so are ready to come out whenever food is available. I saw some on winter flowering cherry this week and you routinely see them on crocuses in February.

23 on this walk on a day that was mostly cloudy with bit of sun and a tiny bit of rain . The “official” train from London Bridge was cancelled but 9 still managed to get to Hayward’s Heath by a slightly later connection. They caught up mid morning with the 14 of us who came on the Victoria train (thanks to H for recovering the trekking pole I had left on the bridge).

We had a pleasant walk across wood and field. Good flecks and patches of autumn colour. The first proper mud of the autumn (sigh!) but only a few short sections that were trying. The Sloop Inn was not busy and we all ate in its garden. Top marks to it for having at least four bar staff (I suspect that at busier times they act as waitresses).

In the afternoon the two of us who were dawdling behind botanising were lucky enough to see a steam train go past just as we crossed the Bluebell Line for a second time. In Lindfield we discovered a tea room - Somers Cafe - that was not in the walk directions - the village seems to have a lot of them. Some got the bus from here but at least three of us walked back to Haywards Heath: not at all far and it is quite interesting to revisit the outward route and see how much of it one remembers. I can confirm that the new Waitrose Cafe by the station at Haywards Heath is a stunner - though we did not stop, having already had tea.

Now I might do the Walk on Sunday. But I can't Guarantee I will. Not only that. Not only you can go from London Waterloo on the day. You can also go from London Victoria as well. But the only problem is that you need to change at Gatwick Airport for another Train.

Thanks for spotting the mistake in the walk post, Marc. The Haywards Heath train does of course leave from Victoria, not Waterloo. Now corrected.

6 on this walk: 5 on the train and the walk author, who drove to Lindfield and who we met in the lunch pub. The weather was cloudy with rain for a time after 3pm , spits and spots at times otherwise and occasional bright patches. Warm enough to make wearing waterproofs a bit irksome.

The revised route for this walk which starts in Hayward's Heath is no great hardship. It does take a while to clear the town but for the most part the route is through a perfectly rural nature reserve. Four of us were happy to walk back the same way at the end of the walk. Otherwise this was a walk of gentle fields and woods, which could be very muddy in winter but were fine at this time of year. Nice woodland flowers (yellow pimpernel, wood speedwell, wild garlic) though several good bluebell woods were of course all over. In one field there were very young foals and we saw a pen of cute duck chicks on one farm.

The newly re-opened Sloop was welcoming for lunch and served nice food. We briefly sat outside, before spits and spots of rain forced us inside. It was pleasantly busy so let's hope it stays open.

The three front markers saw a Bluebell Railway steam train past: the three of us at the back saw wisps of smoke through the trees. Lindfield was a very cute town and had a nice tea room. All in all a creditable day out.