Lewes to Saltdean 9.6 miles. 4 out of 10 toughness.
Follow Book 2 Walk 24 Lewes via Rodmell up to Rodmell. For the rest of the walk download instructions here.
A coastal ending for this popular south downs walk with the option of a swim in the sea or in the Art Deco Saltdean Lido. There is a regular bus service from Saltdean to nearby Brighton and a very frequent train service from Brighton to London.
For those wishing to walk into Brighton from Saltdean it is a straightforward route of 8.5km along the coast (the first 4km being a cliff walk).
Trains: Buy a day return to Lewes.
London Victoria 9.47
Clapham Junct 9.53
East Croydon 10.09
Arrive Lewes 10.58 OS LandRanger Map No. 198. OS Explorer Map No. 122.
Penny C
Penny C
Walk 28 – Chilham to Canterbury
17.7 km (11 miles): Toughness 3/10
09:18 Canterbury West train from Victoria, arriving Chilham 10:58.
Buy a day return to Canterbury.
Canterbury West is generally the easier station to return from. Early trains to Victoria at 16:39, 16:48, 17:24, 18:04, then later trains to Charing Cross at 19:04, 20:04, 21:04, 21:23. Journey time around an hour fifty. If you are keen to return from Canterbury East, then aim for the 17:00, 17:30 or 18:30.
This is a distinctive walk best done on a day when there's good visibility. Approaching Canterbury and seeing the distant cathedral from the hills gives you a pleasant pilgrimage feel. You can also cheat and start the walk around an hour later from Chartham station. Overall, it's a nice mix of Kentish countryside with riverside sections, orchards, and good views.
17.7 km (11 miles): Toughness 3/10
09:18 Canterbury West train from Victoria, arriving Chilham 10:58.
Buy a day return to Canterbury.
Canterbury West is generally the easier station to return from. Early trains to Victoria at 16:39, 16:48, 17:24, 18:04, then later trains to Charing Cross at 19:04, 20:04, 21:04, 21:23. Journey time around an hour fifty. If you are keen to return from Canterbury East, then aim for the 17:00, 17:30 or 18:30.
This is a distinctive walk best done on a day when there's good visibility. Approaching Canterbury and seeing the distant cathedral from the hills gives you a pleasant pilgrimage feel. You can also cheat and start the walk around an hour later from Chartham station. Overall, it's a nice mix of Kentish countryside with riverside sections, orchards, and good views.
Walk 23: Hassocks to Upper Beeding
Length: 16.1km (10 miles)
9.12 First Capital Connect (ie Thameslink) train from London Bridge (or 9.24 from East Croydon) to Hasssocks, arrive 10.04. Buy a day return to Shoreham-by-Sea (NOT Shoreham, Kent).
This walk needs no introduction to most walkers, I am sure, but for those who don't know it, it is an absolutely classic South Downs walk, with stunning views throughout. The morning has three big hill climbs, but the afternoon is a grand parade along the top. The lunch pub and the whole area around it can be very busy on summer days, but the pub usually seems to cope OK. This is a great walk for a picnic if the weather is right, however.
Buses back from Upper Beeding or Bramber (see book) go at 16.36, 17.41, 18.14, 18.34 and then 34 past till late. They don't connect particularly neatly with the trains back from Shoreham, but is not great matter, as these go half hourly, at 14 and 42 minutes till well into the evening (21.43 and beyond). In between, you can also get 22 and 52 minutes past trains to Brighton and change for London services there. There is a pub and fish and chip shop near the station, and the old centre of Shoreham, by the church, is just south west of the station and worth a 20 minute wander.
SWIMMING at the end of this walk is eminently feasible: simply take the bus to Shoreham, get off at the end of the high street, cross the footbridge over the inlet of the harbour, go left at the end and then right. There is a convenience store on the left as you go down this road to the beach that serves takeaway coffee, tea and cakes, and there is also a pub. The tides are in your favour this week, as high tide is at 18.21
VARIATIONS on this walk include the interesting Valley Ending (see the book) which is worth trying if you have never done it. It has a dramatic descent down the front of the downs, and then takes an interesting route across quiet water meadows to Upper Beeding. Another option is to do the road route into Shoreham indicated in the book - option b) ii): see page 254 of the Ebury Press edition: this also has fine views, though you have to navigate your way through Shoreham at the end: you go more or less straight on, but a map may be useful here.
Length: 16.1km (10 miles)
9.12 First Capital Connect (ie Thameslink) train from London Bridge (or 9.24 from East Croydon) to Hasssocks, arrive 10.04. Buy a day return to Shoreham-by-Sea (NOT Shoreham, Kent).
This walk needs no introduction to most walkers, I am sure, but for those who don't know it, it is an absolutely classic South Downs walk, with stunning views throughout. The morning has three big hill climbs, but the afternoon is a grand parade along the top. The lunch pub and the whole area around it can be very busy on summer days, but the pub usually seems to cope OK. This is a great walk for a picnic if the weather is right, however.
Buses back from Upper Beeding or Bramber (see book) go at 16.36, 17.41, 18.14, 18.34 and then 34 past till late. They don't connect particularly neatly with the trains back from Shoreham, but is not great matter, as these go half hourly, at 14 and 42 minutes till well into the evening (21.43 and beyond). In between, you can also get 22 and 52 minutes past trains to Brighton and change for London services there. There is a pub and fish and chip shop near the station, and the old centre of Shoreham, by the church, is just south west of the station and worth a 20 minute wander.
SWIMMING at the end of this walk is eminently feasible: simply take the bus to Shoreham, get off at the end of the high street, cross the footbridge over the inlet of the harbour, go left at the end and then right. There is a convenience store on the left as you go down this road to the beach that serves takeaway coffee, tea and cakes, and there is also a pub. The tides are in your favour this week, as high tide is at 18.21
VARIATIONS on this walk include the interesting Valley Ending (see the book) which is worth trying if you have never done it. It has a dramatic descent down the front of the downs, and then takes an interesting route across quiet water meadows to Upper Beeding. Another option is to do the road route into Shoreham indicated in the book - option b) ii): see page 254 of the Ebury Press edition: this also has fine views, though you have to navigate your way through Shoreham at the end: you go more or less straight on, but a map may be useful here.
Extra Walk 44 - Appleford Circular
Length: 19km (11.8 miles). Toughness: 3/10
09:45 Swansea train from Paddington, changing at Reading (arr 10:10, dep 10:23) for the Oxford train, arriving Appleford at 11:00. If you get to Paddington earlier, you can take the same Oxford train at 09:30 (calling Ealing Broadway at 09:37) and not need to change. Buy a day return to Appleford (or Oxford: see below).
Return trains from Appleford are every two hours at 16:32, 18:32 and 20:32 (these are direct to London, but it is quicker to change at Didcot for a fast service). If you just miss one of these, you can take a train in the other direction at 17:00, 19:00 and 21:00 to Oxford, and change there for a fast service back to London. The fares to Oxford and Appleford are the same, so this latter option ought to be valid, but you could play safe and buy a return to Oxford instead.
This new walk takes in an attractive part of the Thames Valley south of Oxford, with a lunchtime stop in Dorchester-on-Thames. This handsome village is now bypassed by the traffic but used to be an important staging post between London and Oxford. It has retained a large number of coaching inns and other pubs, so there's plenty of choice for refreshment. You should be sure to visit Dorchester Abbey, one of the few large monastery buildings to survive the Dissolution; it now functions as an impressive parish church. In the afternoon the walk comes to the Wittenham Clumps, the name given to a pair of Iron Age hill forts set in a nature reserve managed by the Northmoor Trust.
As usual, you will need to download the walk directions in this pdf document.
Length: 19km (11.8 miles). Toughness: 3/10
09:45 Swansea train from Paddington, changing at Reading (arr 10:10, dep 10:23) for the Oxford train, arriving Appleford at 11:00. If you get to Paddington earlier, you can take the same Oxford train at 09:30 (calling Ealing Broadway at 09:37) and not need to change. Buy a day return to Appleford (or Oxford: see below).
Return trains from Appleford are every two hours at 16:32, 18:32 and 20:32 (these are direct to London, but it is quicker to change at Didcot for a fast service). If you just miss one of these, you can take a train in the other direction at 17:00, 19:00 and 21:00 to Oxford, and change there for a fast service back to London. The fares to Oxford and Appleford are the same, so this latter option ought to be valid, but you could play safe and buy a return to Oxford instead.
This new walk takes in an attractive part of the Thames Valley south of Oxford, with a lunchtime stop in Dorchester-on-Thames. This handsome village is now bypassed by the traffic but used to be an important staging post between London and Oxford. It has retained a large number of coaching inns and other pubs, so there's plenty of choice for refreshment. You should be sure to visit Dorchester Abbey, one of the few large monastery buildings to survive the Dissolution; it now functions as an impressive parish church. In the afternoon the walk comes to the Wittenham Clumps, the name given to a pair of Iron Age hill forts set in a nature reserve managed by the Northmoor Trust.
As usual, you will need to download the walk directions in this pdf document.
