Sat 4th Oct, 2008: 9 miles, ascent less than 200m (Map: OS Explorer 135)
This was a Hiking Dykes walk, led by Bethan and Trish. Seven of us met at the station in Balcombe, which is in the West Sussex High Weald a few miles NW of Hayward's Heath. My description of the walk is a bit sketchy as I was enjoying walking without having to think much about maps and directions.
Autumn had really arrived this week and it had been quite chilly the last couple of nights and the forecast was for rain in the afternoon.
From the station we went up and east through the outskirts of Balcombe and down past Balcombe Mill to cross the NW finger of Ardingly Reservoir.
After following the waterside path for a mile and a half, we headed across fields and tracks to Ardingly Church. By this time it was raining properly and we stopped in the church porch to eat lunch.
We passed the county showground in heavy rain via a drive that was traffic-y following a clay shooting event - not the best bit of the walk and if I was walking up here again, I'd try to find an alternative route. After crossing the B 2028 we dipped down into woodland with a bit of shelter from the weather.
We walked N-ish through the woods parallel to the B road, rescuing a group of lost and sodden schoolgirls on the way. They were trying to do a D of E weekend and looking decidely under-equipped and inexperienced for the weather. Schoolgirls in tow, we rejoined the B road and made our way to the entrance of Wakehurst Place. Bethan and Trish kindly directed our strays on their way with a spare (and dry) map and we went up to the Wakehurst Place shop for tea and cakes and a break from the rain.
Wakehurst Place is an offshoot of the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and home of the Millenium Seed Bank. It really is worth a visit (a whole day easily), but we didn't tarry today as it was already gone 4 by the time we'd done with tea.
Picking up the footpath that cuts past the N edge of the Gardens, we made our way W through fields (of a deer farm) and woods down and across Ardingly Brook, and then onwards up and down towards Balcombe Lake; on the way we passed though field with low-flying swallows and saw more gathering nearby on phone cables aiting for a break in the SW wind to make their way S for the winter. Passing the S edge of the lake we saw a grey wagtail, great crested grebes, etc. From here, half a mile up hill brought us back to Balcombe, where we stopped for a beer before heading back to the station.
You know summer's over when you hear yourself saying "never mind the weather, it's good to get out", though I think I said that a couple of times in August!