Balcombe Circular via Wakehurst Walk

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Walk Map

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Walk Options

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13. Main Walk, via Loder Valley (13¼ km)

1. Alternative Walk, via Ardingly Reservoir (12¾ km)

Walk Directions

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If you are doing the Alternative Walk (via Ardingly Reservoir), start at §D.

1. Balcombe Station to Balcombe (village) (2 • 1 km)
• Go out through the station car park and take the footpath down steps to Rocks Lane. For the full route, cross a stream and continue on the footpath heading north-west up to a farm track. Follow this round a long arc to the right. After crossing the railway take the footpath on the left up to the B2036. Turn right onto the road, then fork left at a mini-roundabout to go up Haywards Heath Road into the centre of the village.
  • Alternatively, turn right at the bottom of the steps and follow the Walk 1–34 route up Rocks Lane and Bramble Hill into the village.
1. Arriving from London on Platform 2, cross the station footbridge and go out through its car park. Where the access road meets the B2036 veer right onto a signposted footpath. Keep right at a three-way signpost and go over a stile to continue across a small field. Go over another stile and down a long flight of stone steps with a handrail to a lane (Rocks Lane).

You might have recognised this start from both Walks 1–16 & 1–34. The main route stays with Walk 1–16 as it climbs away from the railway line before looping back and rejoining Walk 1–34 in the village. As an alternative you can take the latter's rather gloomy direct route in [?].

2. Main route (2 km)

1. Bear left onto the lane to cross a stream and then turn right through a metal side gate onto a signposted footpath. Go uphill past some farm sheds and through a gate into a field.
2. Follow a grassy path straight ahead up the field, heading NW. At the top go over a stile in the tree boundary and veer left to continue up the left-hand edge of two more fields. In the top corner go over a stile next to a fieldgate and bear right onto a farm track.
3. In 75m fork right at a Y-junction, leaving the Walk 1–16 route. The track then merges with a tarmac lane which you follow round a long arc to the right, eventually crossing over the railway line on a brick bridge.

   You should be able to spot a thinly-disguised phone mast in the trees off to your right.

4. At the bottom of a dip 100m after the railway bridge veer left at a footpath waymarker onto a grassy path climbing through scrubland, a woodland grove and finally the right-hand edge of a grassy slope. At the top turn right onto the pavement alongside the B2036 (London Road).
5. You will be forking left onto Haywards Heath Road at the mini-roundabout ahead so at some point you will need to cross the main road carefully. Unless you can take advantage of a break in the traffic it will usually be easier to do this after the junction, since much of the traffic also forks left.
6. Either way, go up Haywards Heath Road into Balcombe. In 250m you pass the back of the Half Moon Inn and reach a crossroads in the centre of the village.

3. Direct route (1 km)

1. Turn right and follow Rocks Lane all the way up to its T-junction with the B2036, passing under the railway line halfway along.
2. Cross the main road carefully and continue along the residential street just off to the left (Bramble Hill), still climbing. Near the top you pass the JO.CO coffee shop on the left-hand side and reach a crossroads in the centre of the village, with the Half Moon Inn opposite.
2. Balcombe (village) to Paddockhurst Lane (2½ km)
• Take the side street passing the Balcombe Stores out of the village, then go down across a field past Balcombe House, heading north. Keep ahead at a footpath junction to go across an area of wet woodland and turn right onto a farm track (Boundary Road). In 700m turn right onto a footpath going up through woodland and across farm fields. Go past a cluster of buildings at Forest Farm and turn left at a T-junction to come out onto Paddockhurst Lane.
1. From the crossroads take the side street heading N, passing the front of the pub and then the Balcombe Stores. The street turns half-right in front of the entrance to Balcombe House and soon becomes an unsurfaced lane. Where it swings right in front of a fieldgate, bear left through an old metal side gate into the top of a large field.
2. Go straight ahead down the field for around 200m, staying near its left-hand edge. Later there is a view of Balcombe House off to the left and you cross a grassy farm track. The right of way continues through a wooden gate in the trees ahead, although before reaching it you might have to detour a litle to the right to skirt a muddy patch and a fallen tree.
3. The path goes steadily downhill through the trees and passes a large depression on the right. In 100m keep ahead at a three-way footpath signpost, where the Walk 1–34 route turns right. After going a down a flight of steps the path continues on a long newly-restored plank footbridge across a swampy area. At the far end go up a bank and turn right onto a farm track.
4. Follow this tree-lined track for 700m, with farm fields off to the left. Shortly after crossing a stream on a brick bridge turn right onto a signposted footpath. After crossing another boggy area on a plank footbridge it swings left to climb uphill through woodland.
5. At the top of the wood go out through a metal kissing gate and bear slightly right on a faint grassy path, passing to the left of a dead tree. Maintain direction across a large field, eventually passing a pole carrying power cables and reaching a waymarker post in front of the tree boundary. Bear left and go along the field edge to the corner.
6. Go through a metal fieldgate (or over a stile) and bear left onto an enclosed farm track. Keep right at a signposted footpath junction to continue on a narrow path through a wooded area. Where this emerges from the trees join a track passing the entrance to several old and new houses on the left. At a T-junction with a three-way footpath sign turn left and go out past a few more properties to a minor road (Paddockhurst Lane).
3. Paddockhurst Lane to Little London (2½ km)
• Turn right and go along Paddockhurst Lane for 800m, then turn left onto a footpath going down through woodland to the Loder Valley. Cross an arm of Ardingly Reservoir on a long footbridge and follow the footpath up past Tillinghurst Farm. Either cut across a corner of Ardingly Showground and exit through its North Gate to reach the Gardeners Arms, or continue along the farm drive and turn right onto the B2028 for the pub.
1. Turn right onto this narrow lane, taking care as there is no pavement (but not much traffic). After 400m it straightens out, with woodland on the left and farm fields on the right. In a further 400m, after it has started to go gently downhill, turn left onto a signposted footpath into the trees.
2. Follow this meandering woodland path steadily downhill for 400m, initially heading E. Eventually it comes to a path T-junction where you turn left, away from a gate with an access keypad into part of the Loder Valley Nature Reserve?. The path leads to a long covered bridge high above the valley, one of the arms of Ardingly Reservoir?.

   The main part of the reservoir is downstream to the right. Around the bend to the left is the outflow from Westwood Lake, one of the water features in Wakehurst created by damming Ardingly Brook.

3. After crossing the valley turn left at a path T-junction, away from another locked gate into the main part of the Nature Reserve. Almost immediately turn right up a flight of steps and go out through a metal kissing gate into a field. Bear left and follow a clear grassy path sloping up the field to its top corner (with a bench to pause and admire the view back down the valley).
4. Carry on up the hillside, for 100m on a path through rhododendrons and a wooded area, then along the left-hand side of two meadows. In the top corner go through a metal fieldgate and head towards the buildings of Tillinghurst Farm.
5. Shortly before reaching a barn turn left as indicated by a yellow waymarker to skirt around some outbuildings. Bear left onto the driveway leading away from the farm, heading E. In 175m you come to a path crossing, with a fieldgate ahead on the right at the north-western corner of Ardingly Showground?.
6. The suggested route is to go through a gap beside this gate and cut diagonally across the grass towards its North Gate, 300m away. Follow the main driveway out to the B2028 (via a wooden side gate if necessary) and cross the road carefully to the suggested lunch pub, the Gardeners Arms.
   • If you are not visiting the pub (or if this part of the showground is being used as a car park for a major event), you could choose to continue along the farm drive. Just before it comes out onto the B2028 the onward route to Wakehurst is through a gate on the left (where you would resume the directions at [?] in §F), but to visit the pub turn right and go alongside the main road for 150m; the pub is on the other side.

Continue the directions at §F.

4. Balcombe Station to The Causeway (3¾ km)
• Go up onto the station footbridge and out to the B2036. Take a path opposite up a slope and turn right onto Newlands. Follow this residential street and its continuation (Oldlands Avenue) to a T-junction. Turn left onto Haywards Heath Road, then in 150m turn right onto a bridleway. In 300m take a footpath going down steps and turn right onto Mill Lane. Follow the lane over an arm of Ardingly Reservoir, then veer right onto a bridleway going around its northern edge for 2 km. At the end turn right onto a lane (West Hill, which becomes Balcombe Lane).
1. Go up steps onto the station footbridge and turn right to come out onto the B2036. Cross the main road at the traffic island and take a tarmac path up a wide gap between houses, away from the main road. At the top cross over a residential street (Newlands) and turn right onto the footway alongside it, still climbing and curving round to the left.
2. After passing a few side streets the road name changes to Oldlands Avenue. Go all the way along this tree-lined ‘unadopted road’ (which is also a public footpath), eventually coming to a T-junction with Haywards Heath Road. Turn left and go along its pavement for 150m, coming to Barn Meadow on the right. Cross the main road carefully and take the (rather gloomy) bridleway to the left of this side street.
3. The bridleway leads into a field where it continues between a wire fence and a large plantation of young trees (with a plaque for the Queen's Green Canopy?), then alongside a wood. In the bottom corner of the field ignore a broad grassy ride into the wood (the continuation of the bridleway) and go through a metal kissing gate ahead onto a footpath.
4. Follow the path down a long flight of newly-restored steps with a sturdy wooden handrail, passing an old millstone and seat “for the enjoyment of walkers” along the way. At the bottom turn right onto Mill Lane.
   • If the footpath down the steps is closed for repairs take the continuation of the bridleway through the wood and turn right onto Mill Lane at the far end. The lane has to wind its way downhill before it passes the bottom of the steps in about 400m, so this detour adds nearly 500m.
5. From the bottom of the steps follow Mill Lane round to the left, passing Balcombe Mill and crossing a short causeway over one of the arms of Ardingly Reservoir?. After the lane swings round to the right and climbs for 150m, veer right through a wooden side gate onto a signposted bridleway. This drops downhill through woodland, levels off and passes a “Welcome to Ardingly Reservoir” information panel.
6. Ignore all ways off and simply follow the bridleway through this Local Nature Reserve for a total distance of 2 km, with views of the water through the trees on the right. Eventually the path swings round to the left to head N. At the far end go out through a gate and turn right onto a footway alongside a lane, crossing a causeway separating two parts of the reservoir.
5. The Causeway to Little London (2¾ km)
• On the other side of the causeway turn right onto another section of the perimeter path. In 450m turn left onto a footpath going uphill to Townhouse Farm and continue along Church Lane to St Peter's church. Turn right briefly onto Street Lane, then turn left onto a short link road leading to a driveway. Follow this around the western side of Ardingly Showground and out through its North Gate to the B2028, with the Gardeners Arms opposite.
1. On the other side of the causeway turn right through a gate onto the continuation of the perimeter path around the reservoir. Follow this path for 450m as it meanders around a couple of inlets. After the second of these, by a “Kingfisher” information panel, turn left at a three-way footpath signpost. Go over (or around) a stile onto a path going up through scrubland and into the bottom corner of a large field.
2. Carry on up the left-hand field edge. In the top corner bear left as indicated onto a farm track. This swings right and left and leads into the corner of a yard with some derelict farm buildings. Go across the yard to a four-way footpath signpost and take the track to its left, initially heading NE.
3. The track soon bends left and becomes a long residential street (Church Lane), eventually coming to a churchyard on the left. If you detour through it to visit the church of St Peter? (which is usually open) you can leave via its lychgate further up the lane. Either way, go up to its T-junction with Street Lane.
4. Turn right briefly onto Street Lane, then almost immediately turn left onto a short private road, signposted as a public footpath. At the end go through a wooden side gate and turn left onto a wide tarmac driveway, which you will be following around Ardingly Showground?. The drive soon turns half-right to head N, with views across a valley on the left containing an arm of the reservoir (not visible).
5. In 500m turn half-right at a three-way footpath signpost to stay alongside the perimeter fence. In 200m ignore another footpath off to the right by an entrance to the showground, then turn half-right again. …
6. Little London to Wakehurst (exit) (2¼ km)
• Head north briefly on the B2028. Turn left into the track to Tillinghurst Farm, then immediately turn right onto a permissive path along the edge of South Park to Wakehurst's car park and its Visitor Centre. If not visiting the Botanic Gardens, take a short link path from the northern end of the car park, turn left onto the public footpath and follow it through the gardens to its exit in Horsebridge Wood.
  • If visiting the gardens, enter through the Visitor Centre. One possible route would be along the Rock Walk, back down Bloomers Valley to Westwood Lake and then up Westwood Valley to the Mansion and Stables Kitchen. To resume the walk, join the right of way through the grounds at the path junction behind the Visitor Centre.
    
1. From the pub turn right onto a footway alongside the B2028, passing a few cottages. You will be turning left onto a footpath after 150m, so when it is safe to do so cross the road carefully to continue on the wide grassy verge on its left-hand side. At the footpath signpost turn left briefly into the track to Tillinghurst Farm, then immediately turn right through a wooden gate in the fence.
2. Go through the deer gate behind the wooden gate onto the start of a permissive path to Wakehurst. The mown path meanders along the right-hand side of South Park, which contains some fine specimen trees as well as a new plantation which should help to screen out the road noise in future. In 600m pass through another deer gate and go through a small grove of birch trees to reach a driveway.
3. Cross the driveway and continue across a field. Towards the far side follow the mown path round to the left and go through a wooden fieldgate. Veer right through a gap in the hedge and make your way across the car park to the Wakehurst visitor entrance, 125m ahead on the left. If you are not visiting the Botanic Gardens, skip to [?].

4. Notes on visiting Wakehurst (up to 4 km)

• Access is through the Visitor Centre, which contains a large shop, toilets and the Seeds Café (open to non-visitors). On entry you can pick up a map and guide to the gardens; there are prominent signposts at every path junction to help you navigate.
• From the back of the building the path curves round to a major path junction, next to the driveway through the grounds. From here you could continue along one of the suggested routes below, or simply wander wherever looks most appealing before returning to this point.
• For a relatively short visit (up to 1 hour) bear left onto the path towards the Mansion?. Take any of the paths past the ponds beyond it and continue down Westwood Valley to explore the area around Westwood Lake at the bottom. Return up a different path and head for the Stables Kitchen.
• For a longer visit (1–1½ hours) take the path on the right going straight across the driveway towards the Rock Walk in Bloomers Valley. Return along the other side of the valley and continue through Horsebridge Wood (crossing over the public footpath where it leaves the grounds at [?]) to explore the area around Westwood Lake. Take any of the paths up Westwood Valley and head for the Mansion? and Stables Kitchen.
• When finished return to the major path junction behind the Visitor Centre and turn left onto the driveway, leaving the visitor area and joining the right of way through the grounds. Resume the directions at [?].
  
5. The right of way through Wakehurst starts along the fenced driveway beyond the car park, which you should be able to reach via a gate marked “Staff only” in the left-hand corner (signifying that this is not the entrance for bona fide garden visitors). Ignore another gate ahead into the staff area and take the short link path on the right. Go through a high metal gate and turn left onto the drive, heading W.
   • As Wakehurst actively encourages visitors arriving on foot these gates are unlikely to be locked, but if you cannot get onto the driveway here then leave the car park through the main vehicle exit and walk alongside the main road for 125m.
6. The drive curves round to the left behind the Visitor Centre and in 250m comes to a path crossing. Do not take either of the side paths into the gardens but go straight ahead, passing a “No Visitor Access to Gardens” notice to show that you are not entering them.
7. In 50m follow the drive as it turns half-right to head W towards Wakehurst Farm and Pondfield Cottages, as indicated by a two-way footpath signpost in the hedge. Carry on between administration buildings and the large Millennium Seed Bank? down to the right. In 150m keep ahead by the entrance to Wakehurst Farm.
8. In a further 50m, where the drive curves right towards Pondfield Cottages, go through a wooden gate into a large field. Follow a grassy path straight ahead down the field, initially alongside a hedge. At the bottom go through a gate into woodland, briefly re-entering the gardens. Again, do not take any side paths but follow the right of way as it curves down to the right to head NW.
9. In 100m go straight across the main path through Horsebridge Wood, passing to the left of one of the giant redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in this area. Go through a high deer gate in the boundary fence to leave Wakehurst.
7. Wakehurst to Balcombe (village) (3 km)
• Follow the footpath through woodland and up the left-hand edge of a large field. At the top turn right briefly onto Paddockhurst Lane, then turn left into a driveway, the continuation of the right of way. Keep ahead at a footpath junction to go down past a riding school at Woodward's Farm. Join its driveway and follow it downhill to Balcombe Lake, then bear right onto a footpath going up past a cricket pitch into the village.
1. Follow a meandering path through woodland for 300m, with several stretches of boardwalk to get across boggy patches and plank bridges over the streams feeding Westwood Lake. Eventually the path climbs steeply and swings left to emerge into the bottom of a large field.
2. Keep left to go along the field edge, then all the way up its left-hand side. At the top bear left to go out along a short fenced path. Go over a stile and turn right briefly onto a lane, then in 20m turn left at a footpath signpost into the driveway for The Crest, Forest Farm and a few other properties.
3. After passing the entrance to The Crest the drive turns half-left. Keep ahead at a three-way footpath signpost to continue on a long straight chalky track between fields, gently downhill and heading SW. At the bottom bear left off the track where it swings right towards some outbuildings and follow a faint grassy path heading S, parallel with a horse training area off to your right.
4. In 200m go over a stile and turn right to go along the top edge of a field, with a hedge on your right. Go out onto a concrete farm track and turn left to follow it downhill for 400m, where it continues alongside the picturesque Balcombe Lake?.
5. After crossing the outflow from the lake turn right through a metal kissing gate by a four-way footpath signpost. Go along the bottom of a small field and through a potentially muddy gap into a large sloping field, via a kissing gate and plank bridge over a stream if necessary.
6. Follow a clear grassy path up to the top of the field. Ignore a wide gap in the hedge boundary and turn left as indicated to go along its top edge. In the field corner go through an old kissing gate onto a short path through a copse, emerging onto a cricket pitch beside its sightscreen.
7. The right of way cuts across the pitch to a gap in the boundary hedge 75m off to the right, although this direct route might not endear you to the players if a game is in progress. However you get there, go through the gap and bear right onto an unsurfaced lane going gently uphill between hedges.
8. In 200m follow the lane round to the left, where another footpath joins from the right. After the lane turns half-left by the entrance to Balcombe House you pass the Balcombe Stores and then the Half Moon Inn, the suggested refreshment place if the coffee shop on Bramble Hill has closed for the day.
8. Balcombe (village) to Balcombe Station (1 • 2 km)
• Unless you want to take a direct route along Bramble Hill and the B2036, turn left briefly into Stockcroft Road. Fork right onto a footpath going along the side of the recreation ground and then past housing to Newlands. Turn right onto this residential street and veer left down a short link path leading to the B2036 opposite the station entrance.
  • For a short extension you can go straight across Newlands onto a footpath leading to a footbridge over the railway line, then double back along a woodland path alongside the B2036 to the station car park.
    

The suggested route to Balcombe station is different from the usual route along Bramble Hill and Rocks Lane (or the B2036), with less road walking. You can extend it with a short loop to the south of the station, essentially combining the main and shortcut endings of Walk 1–16.

1. From the road junction by the pub take the street opposite (Bramble Hill), signposted to the Railway Station. Unless you are in time for the JO.CO coffee shop (ahead on the right-hand side) turn left into Stockcroft Road.
2. On Stockcroft Road you pass Victory Hall on the right. Where the road bends left after 100m, veer right onto a tarmac path going past a bowling green and sports pavilion into the corner of Balcombe Recreation Ground.
3. Carry on down its left-hand side. In the corner continue on a tarmac path past some houses and keep ahead on a short residential street (Jobes). This comes to a T-junction with Newlands, with a footpath opposite which is the optional extension.
4. To go directly to the station, ignore the footpath and turn right onto Newlands, curving down to the right and retracing the start of the Alternative Walk. At the end of the bend veer left across the road onto a tarmac path going down a wide gap between houses to the B2036. Cross the main road at the traffic island to the station entrance. Go down a few steps and over the footbridge onto Platform 1, for trains to London.

5. Optional Extension (+1 km)

1. Take the footpath opposite Jobes, which soon merges with a track from the left. Go through an area of scrubland and then all the way down the left-hand side of a field. In the bottom corner go through a metal kissing gate onto a path which leads to a footbridge over the Brighton line.
2. Cross the tracks and follow a short fenced path through some trees. Go through a small wooden gate and veer right to go out along the driveway to Kemps House. This curves down to the right past the buildings of Kemps Farm and leads to the B2036. Cross this road carefully and turn right onto the grass verge.
3. Take the signposted footpath ahead through partly-cleared woodland for 300m. Shortly after crossing a farm track turn right at a footpath T-junction to return to the B2036 by the entrance to Balcombe station. Go through its car park onto Platform 1, for trains to London.
   

Walk Notes

1. The Queen's Green Canopy plaque commemorates a plantation of several hundred young trees planted for Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
2. The Loder Valley Nature Reserve is a mix of meadows, wetlands and woodland linked to the botanic gardens. Wakehurst visitors can pick up a trail guide from the admissions desk and request the access code to unlock the gates into the reserve.
3. The 198-acre Ardingly Reservoir is a popular venue for fishing and watersports such as sailing, canoeing and windsurfing.
4. Ardingly Showground is the 150-acre site of the South of England Event Centre. It hosts a major agricultural show in June and many other events throughout the year.
5. St Peter, Ardingly dates from around 1330, with the tower added in the early 15^thC. The village later developed around the main road to the east, leaving the church on the outskirts.
6. The Mansion was originally built at the end of the 16^thC and is listed Grade Ⅰ. Its 20^thC owners were passionate plant collectors and after the estate was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1963 it was leased to RBG Kew. The mansion became the site of Wakehurst's original seed bank and is now used for exhibitions.
7. The Millennium Seed Bank is an international conservation project to preserve plant species for future generations. The building opened in 2000 and now houses seeds from 40,000 different species across the world.
8. Balcombe Lake was created to supply water for Balcombe Mill, on Mill Lane. It is now a popular fishing pond.

» Last updated: September 6, 2025

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