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Haywards Heath to Balcombe via the Ouse valley walk

The rolling tree clad High Wield

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
Wed, 15-Mar-23 Haywards Heath to Balcombe via the Ouse valley (with possible detour to Ardingly) 5 sunny
Sandy

Length 10.4 km (6.5 miles), 3/10

Another early posting to get ahead of the game - I will be away in between times but should be back for this walk. I've wanted to try this walk since someone requested it a while ago: it is very short but the walk author makes an eloquent case for it here. Besides, as the next day is a strike day it might be as well to finish early. Note that there is no lunch pub on the main route but I have made a number of suggestions to deal with this issue.

Travel: 1005 from London Bridge (East Croydon 1019) arriving 1051 OR 0959 from Victoria arriving 1041 - if you get this please wait for those travelling from London Bridge. Returns from Balcombe at 25 and 55. Get a return to Haywards Heath.

Lunch: There is no lunch pub on the route itself, but if you don't wish to bring a picnic you could:

1. Divert off the route to Ardingly following walk 174. I'm not sure if the Ardingly Inn will be open but the Ardingly Café (01444-891113; open to 3pm) provided an excellent lunch on my last visit and there is a village bakery. Retracing your steps will add 3.5 miles to the walk but it will still only be a 9.5 mile/15km walk.

2. Instead of returning to the route, after Ardingly you could just use the walk 174 directions to go all the way to Balcombe, giving a walk of 10 miles/16 km. This route also has an 8 mile/13km option (174b) to skip Ardingly and have lunch in Little London.

3. Walk the whole 10 km in the morning and have lunch in Balcombe at the Half Moon Inn (01444-811582), a community-owned pub or the Balcombe Tea Rooms (01444-811777; open Wed–Sun to 3pm)

Tea: see Balcombe options above.

For walk directions, map and GPX click here


T=swc.198

By the way . . . I'm going to be away for my two May slots (10th and 24th) so any requests and suggestions for those dates would be particularly welcome - please post under Walk Requests here


  • 16-Mar-23

    4 of us met at Haywards Heath with 1 catching up with us a couple of miles into the walk, so 5 in total.The paths through the woods were very muddy following the recent rain, but the weather was pleasantly sunny as we made our way towards Ardingly. A sharp left turn along the banks of the river Ouse took us over to the impressive Ouse Valley Viaduct, which apparently was constructed using 10 million bricks!

    4 of us had a picnic lunch perching ourselves on some handily placed girders near Ryelands Farm, with 1 opting to push on.

    The sky clouded up as we approached Balcombe, where we were early enough to find the tea rooms open. 3 of us enjoyed drinks and cake, before catching the 15.25 back to London.

    Thanks to Sandy for posting.