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East Grinstead to Wivelsfield or Sheffield Park walk

Long walk through area of bluebell-rich woodland then heathery commons, or shorter walk and return by steam train

Heritage Rail Long National Trust Tough Weald West Sussex

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 Option Post # Weather
Sat, 20-Apr-24 Saturday Walk - 21 days to Tomich: Bluebell Woods, Anemones, Heathlands, a Steam Train Option - East Grinstead to Wivelsfield or Sheffield Park
Sun, 23-Apr-23 Sunday Walk - East Grinstead to Wivelsfield or Sheffield Park: bluebell-rich woodlands then heathery commons, or shorter walk via bus or via return by steam train 5 Bursts of moderate rain
Sat, 05-Sep-20 Saturday Walk - Woodlands, Heathery Commons, South Downs Views and a Steam Train Line: East Grinstead to Wivelsfield or via Sheffield Park 5 perfect walking weather
Sat, 28-Apr-18 Fully Revised: Woods, Streams, Hills, Heaths, Steam Trains & Bluebells (East Grinstead to Wivelsfield or Sheffield Park) 11 overcast but dry throughout
Mon, 26-May-08 East Grinstead to Wivelsfield or Sheffield Park
Thomas G
Length: 31.9 km (19.8 mi) [much shorter walks possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 453/532m
Net Walking Time: ca. 7 ½ hours
Toughness: 8 out of 10
Take the 09.20 service from Victoria to East Grinstead (CJ 09.27, EC 09.40), arriving 10.20.
From LBG, take a train to East Croydon for a connection, no later than the 09.19 Horsham service.
Return trains from Wivelsfield: xx.11 (Victoria), xx.14 (Thameslink), xx.26 (Victoria, change Burgess Hill), xx.41 (Victoria) and xx.44 (Thameslink), xx.56 (Victoria, change Burgess Hill).
Buy an East Grinstead return, you then will have to buy an additional single from Wivelsfield to East Croydon, if you want to stay honest.
This route in the East/West Sussex boundary lands descends from East Grinstead into the Upper Medway Valley and past Weir Wood Reservoir and then meanders through an undulating landscape of hills, streams, ponds, heaths and mixed woodland, rich in bluebells and wood anemones in season. For the most part, it largely shadows the course of The Bluebell Line steam railway, and lunch is either in tranquil Horsted Keynes or in Scaynes Hill, near the (Sussex) Ouse River. Later you pass through several parts of the large Chailey Common heathlands and continue westbound through flatter ground – mostly pastures with fine South Downs Views – to Burgess Hill (for Wivelsfield station).
An Alternative Finish at Sheffield Park, the terminus of the Bluebell Line, is possible if a little expensive (in money, travel time or kilometrage): the 121 bus is running at 14.06, 15.21 and 16.36 to Cookbridge and Lewes Stations, or you could take the steam train back to East Grinstead (at 14.15 or at 15.30), but only pricey day tickets are available, or you could walk out-and-back to the interesting station (adds 5.0 km).
Shorter Walks, enabled by bus connections: Start at Forest Row/Brambletye (i.e.: opposite The Chequers Inn, route from there described in the pdf, cuts 3.6 km) or even Horsted Keynes/Lewes Road (right on the route, cuts 13.7 km): Bus line 270 either from East Grinstead (09.11, then xx.05) or from Wivelsfield (10.01, 11.03, then xx.04) or from Haywards Heath/Perrymount Road – by the station (09.21, 10.21, 11.23 then xx.24).

Lunch: The Green Man (Greene King, food to 15.00) or The Crown Inn (food all day) in Horsted Keynes (13.7 km/8.5 mi); The Sloop Inn in Scaynes Hill (19.2 km/11.9 mi, food to 14.30).

Tea all walk options: The Sloop Inn (as above).
Tea Wivelsfield ending: The Watermill Inn, right by the station.
For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.27
Thomas G
Length: 31.6 km (19.7 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 482/571m
Net Walking Time: ca. 7 ½ hours
Toughness: 8 out of 10
Take the 09.21 service from Victoria to East Grinstead (CJ 09.28, EC 09.39), arriving 10.18.
From LBG, take a train to East Croydon no later than the 09.12 Caterham service.
Return trains from Wivelsfield: xx.01 (to Victoria, change Burgess Hill), xx.15 (Thameslink), xx.39 (to Victoria, direct) and xx.45 (Thameslink).
Buy an East Grinstead return, you then will have to buy an additional single from Wivelsfield to East Croydon, if you want to stay honest.
This route in the East/West Sussex boundary lands descends from East Grinstead into the Upper Medway Valley and past Weir Wood Reservoir and then meanders through an undulating landscape of hills, streams, ponds, heaths and mixed woodland, rich in bluebells and wood anemones in season. For the most part, it largely shadows the course of The Bluebell Line steam railway, and lunch is either in tranquil Horsted Keynes or in Scaynes Hill, near the (Sussex) Ouse River. Later you pass through several parts of the large Chailey Common heathlands and continue westbound through flatter ground – mostly pastures with fine South Downs Views – to Burgess Hill (for Wivelsfield station).
An Alternative Finish at Sheffield Park, the terminus of the Bluebell Line, is possible if a little expensive (in money or kilometrage): the 121 bus is not running on Sundays, but you could either take the steam train back to East Grinstead (at 15.00 or at 16.15), but only pricey day tickets are available, or you could walk out-and-back to the interesting station (adds 5.0 km).
Shorter Walk: Start at Forest Row/Brambletye (i.e.: opposite The Chequers Inn, route from there described in the pdf, cuts 3.6 km) or even Horsted Keynes/Lewes Road (right on the route, cuts 13.7 km): bus line 270 from East Grinstead (09.25, 11.25…) or Wivelsfield (09.35, 12.19…) or Haywards Heath/Perrymount Road – by the station (09.51, 12.37…).
Lunch: The Green Man (Greene King, food to 15.00) or The Crown Inn (food to 16.00) in Horsted Keynes (13.7 km/8.5 mi); The Sloop Inn in Scaynes Hill (19.2 km/11.9 mi, food to 16.00).
Tea: The Sloop Inn (as above), and The Watermill Inn in Wivelsfield, right by the station; or The Bessemer Arms in Sheffield Park.

For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.27

  • 15-Apr-23

    Hi I’m interested in this walk but am struggling to find any viable shorter finish points with the walk scheduled for a Sunday. 1: Is it realistic to aim for 18:08 if you are not a very fast walker. 2 The Sheffield Park finish is not possible because the bluebell train is either sold out or not running on the day. 3. Would you recommend trying to walk from the Sloop Inn to Haywards heath station and maybe find a bus if lucky on the way back. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks Karan

  • 15-Apr-23

    Hi,

    'tis tight: that bus stop cuts about half an hour of walking, meaning - with an hour for lunch or other stops - you may make it, or you may not. my net walking time uses Naismith's Formula (pace of 5 km/h on the flat + an extra 10 mins for every 100m of ascent), but only you know whether you are faster or slower than that.

  • 16-Apr-23

    Hi Thomas. I know I am not able to average a pace of 5km/h so will assess my options at the Sloop pub. Would anyone know the walking time (approx) from the pub to Wivelsfield station. Thanks

  • 23-Apr-23

    I did the part of this from Horsted Keynes to Wivelsfield yesterday and after the Sloop pub it became fairly muddy. I was following the GPS and there was one slightly disconcerting bit where after crossing a stile into a field the way onwards was blocked with two lines of tape cutting a diagonal across the corner of the field. I was initially concerned it might be electrified, but went under the tape without any problems. Then carrying on there was something similar after another few minutes, this time cutting the field in two, but easy to tred the bottom tape down and go through the middle. Soon after that there was another stile with a footpath sign so I'm fairly sure I was on the correct route and it matched the gps also. Looking at the instructions now, it's the bit after the solar panel:

    "In 50m turn left at the bottom of the wood and in 25m go over a stile into a pasture and continue along its left-hand boundary"

    I was in a hurry but the pasture was very churned up so at this point it might be worth seeing if there was a way through the wood just to the left of the field boundary instead.

  • 23-Apr-23

    My train from East Croydon might be few minutes late. Please wait for me. Thank you

  • 23-Apr-23

    I have only a slightly obscure report in from my man on the ground: 5 walkers in unreported weather. A cuckoo was heard and a town hall clock plant (me neither) spotted.

    2 took a shortcut after the late lunch pub.

  • 24-Apr-23

    Here's more, from one of the short cutters:

    Two took an earlier train and started out 20 minutes ahead of the other three. Two at the front took a wrong turn but got back on track. Two were walking to the recommended Crown Inn lunch stop in Horsted Keynes, when the other three (who had overtaken during the wrong turn) shouted out from the alternative lunch stop the Green Man, which was a particularly hospitable venue.

    The five continued together, with the two early starters then catching a pre-booked station taxi at the Sloop Inn near Haywards Heath; and the other three continuing for the full walk. Very soon after The Sloop Inn a strong hail storm started.

    Bursts of moderate rain throughout the day, with drizzle and cloud otherwise. One strong burst of hail as mentioned. Several muddy sections made for a more challenging walk. Not many other walkers seen today.

    On a side note getting out at East Grinstead walkers noticed vintage green buses in town for the annual Classic Bus Running Day.

  • 30-Apr-23

    Swc short cutter 2 here supplementary points: Inspired by the many London Marathon runners on the public transport network I undertook this walk taking the 8:51 from Victoria to East Grinstead. The walk was very muddy in places but worth it. Group cohesion 11/10. Many thanks to short cutter 1 (my brother) who although walks much faster than I, took it easy to walk at around 4:00 km per hour. Unfortunately he did get lost along the way (a stewards enquiry is ongoing between him and the writer of the walk directions). Post lunch and having meet 3 other walkers the pace increased and was extremely fast. I was grateful to reach my intended target destination for the day and had mixed emotions as a large hailstorm hit the area. Commendable effort to those who did the full walk.

Thomas G
Length: 31.6 km (19.7 mi) [Much shorter walks possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 451/534m
Net Walking Time: ca. 7-8 hour
Toughness: 8 out of 10
Take the 09.20 service from Victoria to East Grinstead (CJ 09.27, EC 09.40), arriving 10.20. From LBG, take a train to East Croydon no later than the 09.17 Caterham & Tattenham Corner service.
Return trains from Wivelsfield: xx.11 and xx.41 (Thameslink), xx.14 and xx.44 (to Victoria, direct) and xx.25 and xx.55 (to Victoria, change Burgess Hill).
Buy an East Grinstead return, you then will have to buy an additional single from Wivelsfield to East Croydon, if you want to stay honest.
This route in the East/West Sussex boundary lands descends from East Grinstead into the Upper Medway Valley and past Weir Wood Reservoir and then meanders through an undulating landscape of hills, streams, ponds, heaths and mixed woodland, rich in bluebells and wood anemones in season. For the most part, it largely shadows the course of The Bluebell Line steam railway, and lunch is either in tranquil Horsted Keynes or in Scaynes Hill, near the (Sussex) Ouse River. Later you pass through several parts of the large Chailey Common heathlands and continue westbound through flatter ground – mostly pastures with fine South Downs Views – to Burgess Hill (for Wivelsfield station).
An Alternative Finish at Sheffield Park, the terminus of the Bluebell Line, is not practicable anymore, as the line has stopped co-funding the buses that ran from there, but: you could walk out-and-back to the interesting station (adds 5.0 km) and then finish the walk at one of below bus stops for a shorter walk.
Shorter Walks:
· Start at Forest Row/Brambletye (i.e. opposite The Chequers Inn, route from there described in the pdf, cuts 3.6 km) or even Horsted Keynes/Lewes Road (right on the route, cuts 13.7 km): bus line 270 from East Grinstead (09.13, 10.05, 11.05…) or Wivelsfield (09.03, 10.01, 11.03…) or Haywards Heath/Perrymount Road – by the station (09.18, 10.18, 11.20…);
· Finish at North Chailey/King’s Head bus stop (cut 7.9 km/4.9 mi) – line 121 at 15.07, 17.07 and 18.07 to Cooksbridge Station and Lewes, or line 31 at 18.02 to Haywards Heath Station;
· Finish at a bus stop outside Wivelsfield village on the B 2112 (Ote Hall Chapel stop, cuts 2.6 km; lines 33, 166, 271, 272).
For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.
Lunch: The Green Man (Greene King, food to 15.00) or The Crown Inn (food all day) in Horsted Keynes (13.7 km/8.5 mi); The Sloop Inn in Scaynes Hill (19.2 km/11.9 mi, food to 15.00).
Tea: The Sloop Inn (as above), and one pub in Wivelsfield, 600m beyond the station; or The Bessemer Arms (hot food to 15.00) in Sheffield Park. T=swc.27
  • 02-Sep-20

    Hello there,

    Anyone up for the whole 31k this Saturday?

  • Davide
    03-Sep-20

    Sorry not sure why it shows as Anonymous :)

  • Elena
    03-Sep-20

    Right now, comfortably sat on my chair, I'm in!Let's see how I feel after 27 km...

  • Davide
    04-Sep-20

    Ok cool, same here :)

  • Anonymous
    04-Sep-20

    Hi. Is the mud on the East Grinstead descent unavoidable? Thanks.

  • 04-Sep-20

    I will stick my neck out and say there won't be any mud to speak of. It is early September. Mud does not get serious until late October. At this time of year you can get a teeny bit of surface mud immediately after rain, but only a teeny bit.

  • Anonymous
    04-Sep-20

    Thank you, Walker. Are the 5.9 miles of tarmac/concrete in one or two chunks?

  • 05-Sep-20

    Just 5 intrepid souls (incl. 1 first-timer) up for this today in perfect walking weather , namely mostly sunny with some passing clouds and a very gentle breeze.

    Plenty of mushrooms were out in the woods of the morning section, with one of the Italian contingent insisting that plenty of them were porcini, so a bag full were collected. We got to HK just after 13.00, and as one walker was already "starving", we obviously had to stop, and the Crown Inn had avails and some fine food. On to the Sloop Inn for tea & coffee, through more woods and gentle pastures, after that through Chailey Common, which was all bracken, birch, gorse and heather, with the heather a little subdued, but it still made for some good colours all in. The South Downs views on the remaining stretch were fewer than in the past on account of tree foliage, but still quite enjoyable against the mainly blue sky.

    Mud? Paths were mainly rock-hard and streams low to dry, but the East Grinstead descent never disappoints: the very last bit, where it crosses a few streams, you guessed it: mud. On one stretch unpleasant enough sto divert through trees to get around that section.

    At Wivelsfield Station in time for the 18.14, which 1 took, the other 4 decamped into the garden of the (re-opened) Watermill Inn (a G&T for £3.95!!!). A nice day in very fine company.

Thomas G
Fully Revised! The old walk was Forest Row to Sheffield Park, and was - for all intents and purposes - not that attractive (train plus bus at the start, occasional and expensive steam train at the end), and never got posted again after its first outing in 2008, and most parts of its route now feature in other walks in the area anyway. So, it was time for a complete revamp.
Length: 31.6 km (19.7 mi) or 22.5 km/14.3 mi to Sheffield Park (Bluebell Line Terminus)
Ascent/Descent: 451/534m or 336m ascent to Sheffield Park
Net Walking Time: ca. 7 hours or 4 ½ hours to Sheffield Park
Toughness: 8 out of 10 or 5 out of 10 to Sheffield Park
Take the 09.23 service from Victoria to East Grinstead (CJ 09.29, EC 09.41, then all stations to Grinstead), arriving 10.18.
Return trains from Wivelsfield: xx.21 (Thameslink), xx.31 (to Victoria), xx.51 (Thameslink), xx.53 (change Burgess Hill).
Buy an East Grinstead return, you then will have to buy an additional single from Wivelsfield to East Croydon.
This route in the East/West Sussex boundary lands descends from East Grinstead into the Upper Medway Valley and past Weir Wood Reservoir and then meanders through an undulating landscape of hills, streams, ponds, heaths and mixed woodland, rich in bluebells and wood anemones in season. For the most part, it largely shadows the course of The Bluebell Line steam railway, and lunch is either in tranquil Horsted Keynes or in Scaynes Hill, near the (Sussex) Ouse River. Later you pass through several parts of the large Chailey Common heathlands and continue westbound through flatter ground – mostly pastures with fine South Downs Views – to Burgess Hill (for Wivelsfield station).
An Alternative Finish at Sheffield Park, the terminus of the Bluebell Line, for a return to East Grinstead by steam train (last trains at 16.00 and 17.15) or to Haywards Heath by bus (last at 17.01, change in North Chailey), is described, as are other alternatives to shorten the route (see page 2 of the pdf).
Note: the notoriously mud-prone descent from East Grinstead has gotten worse, if anything, as it is now fenced for the particularly mud-prone part.
For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.
Lunch: The Green Man (food to 15.00) or The Crown Inn (food to 14.30) in Horsted Keynes (13.7 km/8.5 mi); The Sloop Inn in Scaynes Hill (19.2 km/11.9 mi, food to 15.00).
Tea: The Sloop Inn (as above), and one pub in Wivelsfield, 600m beyond the station; or The Bessemer Arms in Sheffield Park. T=swc.27
  • Carrie
    27-Apr-18

    I rather like the sound of this one. See you @ East Grinstead :)

  • Anonymous
    27-Apr-18

    Also, how steep is this notoriously muddy section? Just wondering if it'd be useful to bring the poles for stabilisation.

  • 27-Apr-18

    Not steep, but longish. Between fences, no further need for stabilisation tools.

  • Anonymous
    28-Apr-18

    Noted, ta.

  • 28-Apr-18

    8 walkers set off eager to check out how muddy the descent from Grinstead would be, and it wasn't too bad to be honest, certainly easier to negotiate than a few weeks back, the mud was even kind of firmish. Once we crossed the Medway, the area lived up to the name of the train line running through it: there were bluebells everywhere. Only one wood was without, all else had carpets or at least pockets thick with the beasties. Street verges, field boundaries, open meadows, the banks of streambeds, nothing was spared. We went about the route at quite some pace considering the often muddy ground, so that when we got to Horsted Keynes (after checking out Macmillan's grave) we decided to skip past the pubs there and march on to The Sloop Inn. Just as we were about to cross under the railway line we heard a train whistle in the near distance and waited a few minutes for the steam train to pass our spot, and then got to the pub at 14.15. Only 2 lunched (very nice meals we had) but all others waited.

    One walker then chose the Sheffield Park Ending to spare his Achilles tendon more stress, the others enjoyed the now (nearly) bluebell-free heaths near Chailey and the South Downs views further along and got the 18.21 train from Wivelsfield.

    3 other walkers started later and walked the Forest Row to Sheffield Park variant. A separate report may follow.

    In total therefore 11 in overcast but dry throughout weather.

  • 30-Apr-18

    Yes, 3 (including 2 novices) did probably stretch the term of "late-starter" to the latest possible...actually starting at Horsted Keynes Station. After a brief warm-up, we had a good lunch in Horsted Keynes village and enjoyed numerous bluebell, wild garlic and steam train displays en route to Sheffield Park....