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Finally We Arrived at the Sea. Image from the Vanguard Way 2021
Friday 15 – Monday 18 April: The Wealdway
Over Easter 2022 the SWC will be walking The Wealdway and you are extremely welcome to join us for as many or few days as you like. This is a LDP that links the Thames Estuary to the English Channel so it is the south-east’s very own coast-to-coast path. It crosses through three AONBs, makes a full traverse of Ashdown Forest (which will look very different in Spring to how it looked for our VGW outing) and links the North Downs Way to the South Downs Way, finishing in Eastbourne.
Our outing is commutable from London as each day begins and ends at a train station. Alternatively, you may wish to stay overnight en route. Pleasingly, it gets easier as the weekend progresses. Members of LDWA London Group have been invited to join us.
Day 1: Gravesend to Tonbridge - Friday 15 April
Conductor: Gavin Fuller
Start Gravesend station 08:55 (Southeastern service departs Charing Cross 07:48, London Bridge 07:57 or fast service departs St Pancras 08:25). Meet by exit to Platform 2.
Return trains from Tonbridge depart at 09, .19 and .49.
Route Description: We proceed to the official start point near New Haven Fort before returning through Gravesend. Exiting the town by a tedious road walk we eventually proceed across what will probably be somewhat muddy undulating countryside to the North Downs. As once the route departs Gravesend there are precious few benches or obvious places to stop until Tonbridge it will probably be a generally continuous walk to lunch, which is scheduled for around the 11-mile mark. Please bring a picnic lunch, and seat mats might be helpful, as it will of necessity be on the ground. More undulations take us to Platt (exit point for Borough Green & Wrotham station) before a gentle climb on to the Greensand ridge and a drop down to the tea stop at West Peckham (the only facility is the Swan on the Green pub). We then drop to the Medway Valley before a walk along the river brings us into Tonbridge.
Other stations: Sole Street (5.5 miles), Borough Green & Wrotham (a mile from the way at the 16 mile mark)
Please note: As we have a long day pace will be aimed to be around 3mph
OS Explorer 161, 148, 137, 147
Distance 28 miles
Day 2: Tonbridge to Buxted - Saturday 16 April
Conductor: Kate Copeland
Start Tonbridge Station 09:00. Train departs London Charing X 8.15, London Bridge 8:22 arrives Tonbridge 9.00 Return trains from Buxted hourly at .37
Route Description: We leave Tonbridge passing the Castle (reputedly England’s finest example of a Motte and Bailey), along the River Medway and before too long we climb up onto the High Weald for some far-reaching views. We pass through typically pretty Kentish villages such as Bidborough and Speldhurst and will stop for a late-ish lunch at The Dorset Arms in Withyam (13 miles). A couple of miles later will find us climbing through Five Hundred Acre Wood (the inspiration for A.A. Milne’s 100 Aker Wood) to emerge onto Ashdown Forest. Here were have more stunning views. At Camp Hill we leave the heathland and encounter a mix of farmland and some incredibly pretty woods. We leave the Wealdway at St Margaret the Queen Church and continue onto Buxted station. As there is only one train an hour it seems sensible to have a tea stop at the Buxted Inn (near the station) rather than any earlier in the walk.
For those staying over in Buxted, dinner at the White Hart has been highly recommended and it may be worth booking a table in advance.
OS Explorer 147, 135
Distance 24 miles
Day 3: Buxted to Berwick - Sunday 17 April
Conductor: Lynne McKenzie
Start Buxted Station 09:20. Train departs London Bridge 07:52 arrives Buxted 09:17. Return trains from Berwick hourly at .55
Route Description (revised 4 April): We leave Buxted Station to retrace our steps to join the Wealdway at St Margaret the Queen Church. We shall pass the Buxted Park Hotel and stroll on through beautiful countryside following the very well way marked path. We shall stop around 5 miles at Newlands Wood for a morning banana break. We cross farmland with a regular sprinkling of stiles heading through East Hoathly to have lunch half way along the route at Chiddlingly. In the afternoon we skirt the edge of Hailsham, through a residential area, to go towards Upper Dicker, There are many fields to cross which had been rutted by animal feet which means tread carefully. At Upper Dicker there will be a tea stop at the pub. Around 3 miles left to go on the final stretch, we head around Arlington Reservoir leaving the Wealdway to pass Chilverbridge House to reach Berwick Station
OS Explorer 135,123
Distance 20 miles
Day 4: Berwick to Eastbourne - Monday 18 April
Conductor: Gavin Fuller
Start Berwick Station 10:00 (train departs London Bridge 08:26, East Croydon 08:42, change at Lewes)
Return trains from Eastbourne .06 and .35
Route Description: The Wealdway is rejoined near Arlington Reservoir; the first stretch to the A27 is likely to be slightly overgrown from past experience. Once across the main road we pass through Wilmington to the base of the Long Man hill figure where we circle mainly below the South Downs to Jevington. Ascending to the Downs – please bring a picnic lunch as the lunch stop will be along this section – we process above Eastbourne to Beachy Head and the way’s secondary start point above the lighthouse. Then it is back below Whitbread Hole and along the seafront to the official start/finish point by Eastbourne Pier. There should be time for a celebratory ice cream or drink before returning home.
OS Explorer 123
Distance 14 miles
Over Easter 2022 the SWC will be walking The Wealdway and you are extremely welcome to join us for as many or few days as you like. This is a LDP that links the Thames Estuary to the English Channel so it is the south-east’s very own coast-to-coast path. It crosses through three AONBs, makes a full traverse of Ashdown Forest (which will look very different in Spring to how it looked for our VGW outing) and links the North Downs Way to the South Downs Way, finishing in Eastbourne.
Our outing is commutable from London as each day begins and ends at a train station. Alternatively, you may wish to stay overnight en route. Pleasingly, it gets easier as the weekend progresses. Members of LDWA London Group have been invited to join us.
Day 1: Gravesend to Tonbridge - Friday 15 April
Conductor: Gavin Fuller
Start Gravesend station 08:55 (Southeastern service departs Charing Cross 07:48, London Bridge 07:57 or fast service departs St Pancras 08:25). Meet by exit to Platform 2.
Return trains from Tonbridge depart at 09, .19 and .49.
Route Description: We proceed to the official start point near New Haven Fort before returning through Gravesend. Exiting the town by a tedious road walk we eventually proceed across what will probably be somewhat muddy undulating countryside to the North Downs. As once the route departs Gravesend there are precious few benches or obvious places to stop until Tonbridge it will probably be a generally continuous walk to lunch, which is scheduled for around the 11-mile mark. Please bring a picnic lunch, and seat mats might be helpful, as it will of necessity be on the ground. More undulations take us to Platt (exit point for Borough Green & Wrotham station) before a gentle climb on to the Greensand ridge and a drop down to the tea stop at West Peckham (the only facility is the Swan on the Green pub). We then drop to the Medway Valley before a walk along the river brings us into Tonbridge.
Other stations: Sole Street (5.5 miles), Borough Green & Wrotham (a mile from the way at the 16 mile mark)
Please note: As we have a long day pace will be aimed to be around 3mph
OS Explorer 161, 148, 137, 147
Distance 28 miles
Day 2: Tonbridge to Buxted - Saturday 16 April
Conductor: Kate Copeland
Start Tonbridge Station 09:00. Train departs London Charing X 8.15, London Bridge 8:22 arrives Tonbridge 9.00 Return trains from Buxted hourly at .37
Route Description: We leave Tonbridge passing the Castle (reputedly England’s finest example of a Motte and Bailey), along the River Medway and before too long we climb up onto the High Weald for some far-reaching views. We pass through typically pretty Kentish villages such as Bidborough and Speldhurst and will stop for a late-ish lunch at The Dorset Arms in Withyam (13 miles). A couple of miles later will find us climbing through Five Hundred Acre Wood (the inspiration for A.A. Milne’s 100 Aker Wood) to emerge onto Ashdown Forest. Here were have more stunning views. At Camp Hill we leave the heathland and encounter a mix of farmland and some incredibly pretty woods. We leave the Wealdway at St Margaret the Queen Church and continue onto Buxted station. As there is only one train an hour it seems sensible to have a tea stop at the Buxted Inn (near the station) rather than any earlier in the walk.
For those staying over in Buxted, dinner at the White Hart has been highly recommended and it may be worth booking a table in advance.
OS Explorer 147, 135
Distance 24 miles
Day 3: Buxted to Berwick - Sunday 17 April
Conductor: Lynne McKenzie
Start Buxted Station 09:20. Train departs London Bridge 07:52 arrives Buxted 09:17. Return trains from Berwick hourly at .55
Route Description (revised 4 April): We leave Buxted Station to retrace our steps to join the Wealdway at St Margaret the Queen Church. We shall pass the Buxted Park Hotel and stroll on through beautiful countryside following the very well way marked path. We shall stop around 5 miles at Newlands Wood for a morning banana break. We cross farmland with a regular sprinkling of stiles heading through East Hoathly to have lunch half way along the route at Chiddlingly. In the afternoon we skirt the edge of Hailsham, through a residential area, to go towards Upper Dicker, There are many fields to cross which had been rutted by animal feet which means tread carefully. At Upper Dicker there will be a tea stop at the pub. Around 3 miles left to go on the final stretch, we head around Arlington Reservoir leaving the Wealdway to pass Chilverbridge House to reach Berwick Station
OS Explorer 135,123
Distance 20 miles
Day 4: Berwick to Eastbourne - Monday 18 April
Conductor: Gavin Fuller
Start Berwick Station 10:00 (train departs London Bridge 08:26, East Croydon 08:42, change at Lewes)
Return trains from Eastbourne .06 and .35
Route Description: The Wealdway is rejoined near Arlington Reservoir; the first stretch to the A27 is likely to be slightly overgrown from past experience. Once across the main road we pass through Wilmington to the base of the Long Man hill figure where we circle mainly below the South Downs to Jevington. Ascending to the Downs – please bring a picnic lunch as the lunch stop will be along this section – we process above Eastbourne to Beachy Head and the way’s secondary start point above the lighthouse. Then it is back below Whitbread Hole and along the seafront to the official start/finish point by Eastbourne Pier. There should be time for a celebratory ice cream or drink before returning home.
OS Explorer 123
Distance 14 miles