It rained on the journey down, which was not encouraging, but it had stopped by the time 12 of us disembarked at Ockley. Thereafter it was cloudy, sunshine occasionally trying and failing to break through until we were on the way home, when, inevitably, the clouds parted.

At the start we were just “doing names” on the platform when I may be right, I may be wrong, but I am perfectly willing to swear... Actually, I definitely am right: a nightingale sang on Ockley station. This is only the second time I have ever heard one, the previous time being the day before when I visited Knepp Wildland especially to hear one. This is why I recognised it today: and yes, they do sing by day too.

Otherwise this is a walk through territory where, as the walk notes say, nothing has ever happened. A kind of Adelstrop country, where no one comes and no one leaves on the bare platform. Except there are also bluebells, wild garlic, yellow archangel, and lovely beechwoods whose new foliage even on a dull day was an eye aching bright green. The bluebell woods are not big show stoppers. No Dockey Woods or Old Simm’s Copses. But little bits and pieces throughout the walk, some full out, some not so. It all made for a perfect April outing.

Five of us lunched at the Scarlett Arms. One of the delights of midweek walks is that even tiny pubs have room, though this one was by no means empty. Four of us were persuaded by another diner to have the fish pie. It arrived hot on the outside but barely warm in the middle. Three of us sent it back and it returned twenty minutes later slightly less barely warm in the middle, at which point we ate it anyway. Very nice it was too. So far no ill effects..... We all got free coffees for complaining even the ones who had not complained, which doesn’t seem quite fair.

At the end of the walk the pub in Warnham did mega pots of tea. Eight got the 17.18, three the 17.39 to Horsham and one perverse soul (me) the 17.46. On the idyllic walk to the station one of my companions said; “This is not the best bit of the walk, is it?” Then I saw a swallow, my first of the year.

Hi Walker
Gosh you heard a nightinglae sing. Wish I was there to hear it. Was walking and exploring Ashridge estate bluebell woods today . Yes Dockey wood was at its best so was Flat Isley, Crawley wood and Old Copse. Luckily no rain just cloudy. Saw and heard a cuckoo flying on way to Berkhampstead plus swallows too. Black caps was at Alpine meadow. I think there are resident there now according to a local bird watcher.
Monica

It is interesting that you heard and saw! a cuckoo at Berkhamsted: I heard one last year there too. Must be a good spot for them. I wish you had been there to hear the nightingale too: the other eleven showed only polite interest. “Well, it doesn’t really change my day,” was one reaction I got.

Hi Walker I see Marcus has posted a walk tomorrow for Tring Blue bell. I may repeat the walk tomorrow as the bluebells were great in other woods which I discovered wondering around. At least its free for Dockey wood on weekdays. I think by next week blue bells may be over. See on some walks in the future.
Monica

Are you walking Marcus? best M

Are you, Marcus?

Melanie, best we do not use this website as a personal diary.You have my e mail address for any private communication you wish to make.
My general request remains concerning all walks posted by me: please do not bring your dog along with you. I believe many of our regular mid week walkers share my preference not to have dogs on our walks.
On the subject of dogs (not my favourite topic), when I last book checked today's walk earlier this month, the unruly and out of control dogs at point 23 in the Directions, by the farms, are still there. What is particularly annoying, the dog owners look on and don't give a damn. As it says in the Directions, have that walking pole at the ready to keep the brutes at bay.

Ladies, do not despair. Stun grenades will be distributed on the platform, pre walk.Lob cricket balls in your garden to simulate the action required.

14 walkers set off from Ockley on a very pleasant autumn day with warm sunny periods. It was delightful and easy walking through serene woodland and quiet country lanes. There was no sign of any unruly dogs, and only occasional sightings of Gatwick bound aircraft. The walk directions were excellent. The Scarlett Arms in Walliswood was the chosen lunch stop and at least half the group sat outside in the pub garden and enjoyed the unusually mild weather. We got to Warnham just too late to catch the 4.18 return train, so most of the walkers stopped off at the Sussex Oak for refreshment, while four pressed on to catch the train via Horsham. All in all a really pleasant day.

Thanks for posting this walk back to SWC classic.

Many would agree with Anonymous that this is a SWC classic, although the height of summer is not the best time to do it (it's better in early May for its bluebells or l). Amusingly, last week an Anonymous Miseryguts posted a most disparaging comment on this walk See Comments, Book 1.

....for its bluebells or late autumn for leaf colour in the woods.) Amusingly, ......

This is a shady walk so will give respite from the heat if it continues.

Thanks for pointing this out. For those who don’t care swimming this walk fits the bill perfectly.

Did I hear someone say "about 15" on this walk?

sunny

A lovely walk with nice woodland and open fields. The negative comments about this walk really do not do justice to this walk (esp the comment relating to fields with cows we saw no cows but horses someone clearly needs a visit to an optician!). About 7 8 ate at Scarlett Arms pretty basic pub food but chicken burgers got high marks. Most stopped at Sussex Oak for refreshment in Warnham. The fast walkers caught the 4:18 train back to London whilst slow strollers an hour later. Nice a day out in good company. I'd recommend this walk for all seasons but agree that spring (for bluebells) and autumn (for autumn colours) would be particularly wonderful.

28 on this walk including 3 on variant trains. The weather was cloud clearing to sun at lunchtime. Though I say so myself, this made a lovely spring walk, one which did indeed have bluebells throughout just as advertised. No vast showstoppers but lots of modest woods, all fully carpeted. Also three big areas of wild garlic, pretty much in full flower. Several people commented on how interesting it was to do this walk in spring rather than the autumn slot it used to occupy in the rota. I enjoyed the contrast between the bare branches in March 2016, when I last did the walk, and the lush green today.

For lunch we spilt between the two pubs. I hear the food was a tad slow to appear in the Scarlett Arms. The Punch Bowl was nearly empty and momentarily surprised to have nine of us turn up, but the single member of bar staff was super friendly and the food came quickly and was tasty. On the way to the pub we passed through a gorgeous little bluebell wood that also had, in the space of twenty metres, early purple orchid, woodruff, sanicle, yellow pimpernel and wood speedwell. I realise this list means little to most of you, but for a wildflower enthusiast like me it was a royal flush, an unprecedented concentration of less common woodland species.

We sat outside the Punch Bowl under grey and ever so slightly chilly skies but as we left the pub the sun appeared and it was then a warm and lovely afternoon. We elected not to do the rather niggardly short cut back to the main walk route suggested in the directions but instead went back into the wood to see more bluebells etc, pass the woodland church and come to the Scarlett Arms where we joined some of those who had lunched there.

In the afternoon there was a big field of ewes and lambs who were thrown into delightful consternation by the arrival of a flock of humans. In one other field there were nervous cattle and calves (I was glad at this point that no one on the walk had a dog, even a well behaved one...). The final delight was the Sussex Oak pub which has a pleasant sunny garden and served proper tea in pots and super puddings with astonishing speed and efficiency. It was only a pity we had to tear ourselves away to catch the last train at 18.08.

I did this walk in the summer. Around point 20, the footpath seems to have changed (or else I missed it). I see someone else has since put a note that you have no choice but to use a stile in the corner, squeezing past an abandoned trailer to get to it.

Sounds delightful especially if Marcus is leading it.jfk.

i need to ask you if i can post a new walk in development from Amberley probably in the spring now jane

Thanks Jane. We will be very happy to post your new Amberley walk in the Spring.

As I will be book checking the Ockley walk tomorrow I will be on the train one hour ahead of the SWC group. I expect you will catch me up late in the morning leg or at the Scarlett Arms.

6
grey sunny cold
A classic SWC walk, saw 5 regulars on the scheduled train catch up with "M", our guide and mentor, at Sutton, whose attempt to do a walk check ahead of the group, was thwarted, having been chucked off the earlier train by our Nemesis, Southern Rail. A fast pace to lunch, in surprisingly good weather with lots of sun to highlight the autumn colours and leaf fall underfoot. Not that muddy, despite overnight rain. All lunched well at The Scarlett Arms. Much pheasant consumed. Onward to the Sussex Oak for tea, the second great pub of the day. A short walk after dark to the station rounding off a great day. Sorry to those who stayed abed due to the dreary forecast which turned out to be........plain wrong.

In case anyone else is snookered by engineering works I intend the following journey suggested by TFL. Any other options gratefully received as there's no trains to CJ via Barnes.

Bus 267 to catch 9.06 Twickenham to Raynes Park
9.43 Raynes Park to Dorking
10.27 Dorking to Ockley
10.38 ETA

Paul (Porky) Nationalrail offer the 18.44 journey via Horsham as a return at the same price so should be no problem...but please check

Not going on this walk now. Too many logistics issues with the rail journey. Will go with Thomas option to Thame.

32 including one late starter who caught us at lunch. A heavenly day of warm sunshine and blue skies. Lots of signs of spring, including hearing the first chiffchaff of the year (first migrant bird to arrive from Africa) and covering nine daisies with one foot (old country saying says it is not spring until you do). Oodles and oodles of bluebell woods, but only the very occasional bluebell flower. Some wood anemones, lots of primroses, daffodils, celandines.

The group got split up, but about half, I think, lunched at the Scarlett Arms. Yet another pub that replaces "order at the bar" with "order drinks at the bar, wait for us to take orders at the table, then pay at the bar". Time and motion studies should be compulsory for publicans! Also no garden, which was painful on a sunny day. But to be fair, the food was nice when it came and we were only in there for just over an hour, which is not too bad.

There was a lot of mud in places, due to low lying fields and squelchy bridleways: interestingly the arable fields at the end were bone dry, however. A glorious tea in the garden of the pub in Warnham big pots, scrummy deserts.

Most got the 17.24, I think. Two of us walked into Horsham a much nicer route than you would think from looking at the map, including an interesting wildfowl lake. We ended up on the 18.20 which is also the last train stopping at Warnham, but didn't see any other walkers get on that.

Wind and rain for the rest of the weekend, they say. Heigh ho. But at least Et in Arcadia Ego