East Grinstead South - 5 miles

There are places that can be muddy on this walk so it is recommended that you take good footwear unless it has been dry for some time. If you intend to take the train back to East Grinstead please check the Bluebell Railway website before you leave to ensure they are running. Also, please allow enough time to get to the end of the walk (with a little to spare to explore the station) before the train departs from Kingscote.

 From East Grinstead station, walk along the road away from the supermarket to a roundabout.  Go straight across the roundabout and continue along Railway Approach.  At the end of Railway Approach turn right into London Road.  At a crossroad managed by traffic lights, go straight across and continue along London Road.

Bear right at the top of London Road, then cross the road at a pedestrian crossing. Now turn left and make your way along the High Street on a path above the road between flower beds and the shops.  Keep right as path separates from the main road and continues behind the back of the buildings of Middle Row. Continue until you see a Hermitage Way road sign on the wall of the building in front of you.  Turn right along Hermitage Lane. This sunken lane carries you downhill away from the High Street.

 At the end of the lane it meets “The Rise” (a no-through road on your right). Bear left for a few yards until you come to a T junction. Cross the road at the T junction. Turn right then immeditately left into Harwoods Lane and proceed along Harwoods Lane for about ¾ mile.  Most of your journey along Harwoods Lane is downhill but, just after the lane starts to rise, you should see a footpath sign ahead and gap in the hedge on your right. Go through the gate and head towards the left-hand corner of the field.  Just before the corner of the field there is a small gate on the left. This is where it can get a bit muddy but there may be a couple of planks which take you over the worst. Follow the path along the left-hand side of the next field.

 Go through the next gate (it can be muddy here too).  Almost immediately you will come to yet another gate. Go through this one and keep to the right of the field until you find a gap in the hedgerow.  Cross the stile and take the footpath on the right, heading uphill.  When the path forks, you can take either the path on the right or walk along the boardwalk. Both paths will meet later on.

 After a while you will reach a gate and an information sign about Rocking Hill Wood. Bear right on the path, climbing along the side of the valley.  Go through a gate and cross the road. Take the footpath straight ahead. You will be walking along a path with a hedge on the left and a field on the right.  Pass through a kissing gate, then keep to the left-hand side of the field ignoring any paths you may see to the left or right.

At the bottom corner of the field, go through a gate. The footpath now dives into woodland and turns into a sunken path for a while.  Proceed downhill, ignoring other paths to your right and left until you come to a gate.  Go through the gate and take the path off to the right. Continue along this path into the next field. After passing an open sided cattle shed head downhill to the left and look for a kissing gate into woodland. A sign on the post signifies that this is open access land under Countryside Stewardship. Continue forward along the path until you reach another gate at the other side of the woodland.  Turn left and continue to a car park. Leave the car park and turn right up the lane.

 When the lane meets another road, quickly cross the road and walk uphill. Then immediately, take the footpath on the left (near a rocky outcrop). This is only a short stretch of road but please take care as vehicles can fast appear around the corner with little warning.  The path now passes along the top of a sandstone cliff before dipping downhill and becoming sunken.

 As the path turns right, take the gate in front of you into a field. Continue down across the middle of the field towards an electricity pylon in the distance.  At the bottom of the hill look out for a narrow footbridge over a stream. When you have made it over the stream, turn left and follow the path to a gate at the edge of the field.

 Go through the gate, cross the track and then through another gate.  You will soon come to a stile at the foot of a railway bank. Climbing the bank will take you to a level crossing. You could wait for a train here (when they are running) but be sure to keep well away from the track. When you are ready, go down the opposite bank and continue along the footpath to a narrow lane.  Turn right onto the lane and continue for nearly a mile until you see a footpath through the hedge on your right. You should be able to see a white house in the far corner of the field, situated next to the railway.

 Once in the field, continue along the footpath towards the house.  Turn left onto the road leading away from the house.  At the road you will see Kingscote Station on your right. 

If you decide to the take the train back to East Grinstead, head toward the station and go through the station entrance. Here you will see a ticket office on your right where you can buy a single ticket for the journey back to East Grinstead. If the ticket office is not manned, the friendly station staff will open it for you. We recommend you explore the station before your journey home. If you wish to walk back to East Grinstead instead of catching the train, follow the Kingscote North walk.

Waypoint Arrival Times

(1) Go to the Bluebell Railway Timetable and look up the nearest departure times from Sheffield Park 

(2) Add the extra time for the trains to arrive at your waypoint from the table below

(3) Repeat for the trains from East Grinstead