The Bluebell Way Linear Walk, With Steam Train Start!

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Lowland and Hill Walks
Apr 30
2023

10 people attending

10 places left

Your price
£12.50
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Easy Moderate Very Hard
13.5 Miles with 1080 feet (329M) of ascent with road, tracks, muddy and gravel paths that may be uneven.

Join me on this adventure starting with a historic journey on the Bluebell Railway and returning back through the beautiful forest and countryside of Mid-Sussex. 

  • Meet at the Bluebell Railway at 9.30am and have a look around.
  • Catch the train at 10.30am to East Grinstead to start our walk arriving at 11.10am
  • Tickets cost £15 for one way.
  • Walk back and hopefully see some bluebells on the way.

Catching the Bluebell Line, a historic steam railway, we arrive at the start of our walk. Leaving the station we head east then north through the West Sussex town of East Grinstead. Picking up Forest Way, the repurposed railway line discarded from one of Beeching's cuts, in a twist of irony, the line he used to regularly commute on. 

Turning right and leaving the line we head towards the old ruins of Brambletye House. Continuing to head southwest we pass Weir Wood Reservoir, a 153.5-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. Through a section of the Ashdown Forest we make our first decent ascent of the day up to Goat Car Park. 

Crossing Plawhatch Lane we press on and descend to Twyford Farm. Crossing two fords we then head into Birchgrove Wood passing a succession of lakes. Arriving in Horsted Keynes, we will pass St Giles' Church on the way, the final resting place for ex-PM Harold Macmallian.  

Horsted Keynes is a quiet and unassuming village in Mid-Sussex which was home to one of the earliest known cricket matches. 

Much later, two months before his assassation the U.S. President John F Kennedy is said to have stayed the night at Prime Minister Harold Macmillian's residence Birch Grove just up the road. The American Secret Service closed the village and turned the Crown Inn into a communication hub. 

Leaving Horsted Keynes we head south picking up the Sussex Border path and head into Sandpits wood. Crossing Dainhill Brook we arrive at Freshfield Lane and follow for a short stretch. Leaving the road we pick up a footpath that leads us to Town place bridge. A bridge over the bluebell line. Hopefully our timing will be impeccable and we will see a train passing! 

Crossing the River Ouse and the old canal we join the Ouse Valley Way bridle path through our last set of woods of the day. Arriving back at Sheffield Park Station where the walk will end. 

Additional: If anyone can offer lifts from and to Haywards Heath Station for people coming by train to the event. I can take 4 passengers. 

IMPORTANT: Do not park the over flow car park as it maybe locked at the end of the day and we may not be back in time!!

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Image credit for forrest way https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Forest_Way_-_Luxfords_Lane.JPG

Steam Train at Bluebell Railway
Bluebells in woods
Forrest Way Bridge
The ruins of Brambletye House
The grave of Harold Macmillan, ex PM
Forest Way, information board
Meridian line, Mark marker
Steam Train at Bluebell Railway
Bluebells in woods
Forrest Way Bridge
The ruins of Brambletye House
The grave of Harold Macmillan, ex PM
Forest Way, information board
Meridian line, Mark marker