Walks Short Walks # 23

Woodmansterne Lavender Fields walk

Banstead Commons, Oaks Park and spectacular Lavender fields during July and August

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date	#	Post
Thu, 02-Aug-18	6	Stargazer Thursday Evening: Lovely Lavender (Banstead to Woodmansterne or South Coulsdon) Thursday Evening: Banstead to Woodmansterne or South Coulsdon T=short.23 Distance: Approximately 5 miles or 8 km for those more metrically minded Difficulty: 1 out of 10 Meet: Banstead Train Station (meet arriving train at 18:56) Train: Take the 18:00 Epsom Downs train from London Victoria OR take the 18:11 Epsom train (changing Sutton onto earlier train -- arriving 18:43; departing 18:49), arriving Banstead 18:56 Return: Regular return trains from Woodmansterne Station at 25 and 55 minutes past the hour until 22:55 or slightly more frequent service from Coulsdon South until 22:50. This walk has a surprisingly rural feel for being a short distance from London. It passes through Banstead Down with views to London and follows the London Loop for a spell before passing through the Mayfield Lavender Farms. Last year, we did this walk in mid-August and the lavender was past its best….hopefully….we can catch it closer to its prime this week…..refreshed with the recent showers…… A slightly longer ending to the walk takes you along Coulsdon High Street past the Pembroke Pub for post-walk refreshies on route to Coulsdon South station…. More information about the route can be found here. As there are limited instructions for this walk, I would suggest also printing out the map page from the OS Map tab. Enjoy the walk! JohnL, 02-Aug-18 Given the the rather poor public houses in Coulsdon at the end of this walk, J and J would be delighted to invite you for a glass of chilled white wine (kindly provided by SWC walkers at an event earlier in the year) at 28 Southwood Ave. saransh, 02-Aug-18 Hi guys! I’m new to this group and would like to join for the walk. Anyone I could contact so that I know I’m in the right place? Cheers Sandy, 02-Aug-18 Another Thursday night fail! Stupidly i tried to travel via Wimbledon and Sutton; after 40 sweltering minutes on Wimbledon station platform I decided to go home and watch the cricket highlights. Hope you had a good walk, that Saransh found the group and you enjoyed the lavender and chilled wine. Sean, 03-Aug-18 With some predictable travel disruption on London's less than resilient railway network, only three walkers alighted from the specified train at Banstead. While standing outside scratching their heads at the paltry directions two more arrived from a little pre walk. Later still one more joined at Oaks Park, so we can just about claim 6 on a warm evening. This stretch of the London Loop isn't the most exciting (a golf course and a busy main road to cross, followed by a gloomy bridleway alongside prison walls), but Oaks Park and the right of way across the Mayfield Lavender farm make it worthwhile. Most of the lavender hadn't been harvested but the flowers had shrivelled in the heatwave and the field wasn't the intense purple of previous years. Two then sloped off back to their cars but everyone found their way to J&J's garden in Coulsdon for some very welcome post walk refreshment, for which many thanks.
Tue, 08-Aug-17	9	Thomas G Evening Walk - Woodmansterne Lavender Fields (Banstead to Woodmansterne or Coulsdon South) [New Walk] Length: 8.0 km (5.0 mi) Ascent/Descent: about 100m Net Walking Time: 2 hrs Meet: Banstead Station (Zone 6) Take the 18.03 Epsom Downs train from Victoria (all stations via Clapham J and Selhurst), arrives Banstead at 18.56. Return: from Woodmansterne (Zone 6), every 30 minutes on xx.27 to Victoria via East Croydon, or from Coulsdon South (longer, alternative ending). This walk passes through some Lavender Farms, which in July and August, should be a stunning sea of purple. It also goes through parkland (Oakes Park) and commons (Banstead Downs). The walk starts in Banstead Downs (now being cleared of scrub after years of neglect) with London skyline views from the Gally Hills. It then joins the London Loop Long Distance Path and crosses farmland towards Oaks Park (café, car park) - the parkland grounds of a former country house. After an optional loop of the park (short or long versions available), you cross public footpaths through a series of nurseries used for growing lavender. You then continue along the London Loop before leaving it for Woodmansterne station. There also is an alternative, slightly longer, ending via Couldson High Street, passing The Pembroke pub, to South Coulsdon station, which has a better train service. For walk directions, map, photos, and gpx/kml files click here.T=short.23 JohnL, 06-Aug-17 An alternative to the Pembroke Pub is chez J and J where the hosts will be happy to offer some of the wine generously provided by walkers for the party earlier this year. At the end of the walk follow the Coulsdon South option then turn left on Bramley Ave, and then take the 1st right. Our house is first one on the left hand side. J and J Thomas G, 08-Aug-17 2 local walkers on the platform met 4 others off the train, and there were 3 more on the train who couldn't get off it, as they were in the last coach where the doors don't open due to a short platform, i.e. 9 in humid but cool weather. The main group struggled to find the right route through the first golf course (no one had a compass) and were overtaken by the late group halfway through the walk. The lavender was already past its best (global warming?), but all in all a nice walk. Complimentary drinks were offered at J & J's and were gladly accepted by 4 of us. Next year: post it in early July. Anonymous, 11-Aug-17 Walk directions at the PDF file of this walk is missing. Mila