Horsted Keynes South - 6 miles
You will never be far from the whistle of a Bluebell Railway train on this walk. Meandering through farmland, village and woodland landscapes the walk eventually crosses the line and takes you to to your destination at Sheffield Park station.
OS Grid Ref | TQ 405 236 |
GPS Latitude | 50.994679 |
GPS Longitude | 0.001048 |
Post Code | TN22 3QU |
The recommended way of starting this walk is to park your car at Sheffield Park Station and catch a train to Horsted Keynes.
From the entrance at Horsted Keynes Station walk up the hill. As you near the top of the hill, take the path on the right (opposite an old-stile No Through Road sign with a red warning triangle). Go through a kissing gate and continue along the path to a road. If the path is muddy or overgrown, climb a stile on the left. Then walk in the field parallel with the fence until you encounter another stile which returns you to the original path.
When you reach a road, turn right and walk along the road. After a few yards take the footpath on the left and continue along the path through the woods, gradually descending until you meet another footpath. Turn right here. You will soon see a lake which once provided water for a mill.
As soon as you can turn left (at a junction between footpaths), keeping the lake on your left. After a few yards you will see a beautiful timbered barn with brick infilled panels and shortly afterwards the Old Mill House. An old waterwheel can also be seen at the side of an outbuilding. A long time before the existing mill pond and mill house there was an iron furnace nearby, now lying under the water. Follow the path snaking past the timber framed buildings and head uphill until you reach a road where you will see the spire of St Giles Church.
Turn right onto the road and continue, passing the church entrance and a number of cottages along the way. Proceed until the road swings to the right. Here, take the path uphill towards a bollard and a white direction sign. Cross the road opposite the post office and head towards a footpath sign that stands next to the Chapel Lane road name.
Now walk along Chapel Lane passing between a number of cottages until you encounter the improved road surface of Wyatts Lane in front of you. Continue forwards along Wyatts Lane. Navigation is now easy for a while as your way will be directed by a number of Sussex Border Path signs. Carry on along the border path for some way, passing through beech woods (covered in Bluebells in spring), then head downhill until you reach a stream at the bottom of the valley.
Climbing steeply now the path swings left and meets the tarmac drive to Hole House. Turn right uphill, following the path away from the property and eventually you will see another house in front of you. As the drive bears to the right, a footpath carries you forward, passing to the left of the house until you meet a road. Turn right and walk along the road until you see a sign for Latchetts.
Take the footpath on the opposite side of the road along a track towards Longridge and Kidborough. Keep a look out for a footpath to the right that takes you in to a field. Follow the footpath along the edge of the field until the path disappears into woodland. Eventually the path emerges next to a field full of vines belonging to Bluebell Vineyard Estates.
Continue through a kissing gate and head along the path towards a timber-framed farmhouse in the distance. As you approach Town House you will find that it lies over the other side of a road. Turn right on the road and after passing the house take the next footpath on the left. The footpath follows the line of the hedge for a while but as the hedge stops, go straight across the field downhill. This will take you to the corner of the field where there is a double planked bridge.
Turn right after the bridge and eventually you will come to the Bluebell Railway. Just before the path turns left along the railway bank you will see a stile on the right. Opposite the stile there is a path that disappears into the bushes. Take this path and you will suddenly find yourself crossing a railway bridge. Here is your chance to see a train should you wish.
When you are ready to move on, walk downhill to a stile by a large oak tree. Cross the stile and continue onwards to a road. Turn left and walk along the road until you reach the Sloop Inn. About 100 yards after the pub take the footpath to your left opposite Highbank. The footpath leads you past Bacon Wish and Field Cottage.
After about 200 yards from the road, take a footpath on the right through pine and coppiced hornbeam woodland. After a while you will come to a gate which opens into a campsite. Go through the gate and follow the path across the field.
At the next footpath sign go straight on, ignoring the path on the right. Go through a gate into woodland. After about 1/3 mile the footpath turns right then immediately left. Now follow the path downhill until you reach the edge of the woods. Once out in the open, turn left and follow the path to Wapsborne Farm Manor House.
At the Manor, proceed along the track all the way to the end. As you go there are signs of industrial use of the landscape around Sheffield Park Station. You know you are nearly at your destination. Just before you reach the road take the footpath along the edge of the field until it takes you out onto the road. Cross the road and walk back to Sheffield Park Station.
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
Waypoint | Waypoint Description | Time taken for trains to arrive from Sheffield Park | Time taken for trains to arrive from East Grinstead |
1 | Horsted Keynes Station | 15 | 22 |
18 | Town Place Bridge | 5 | 32 |
30 | Sheffield Park Station | 0 | 37 |