On the Right Track
In character, it is a walk through some ancient manors, the remnants of Worth Forest as mixed woodland, some with the stately rhododendron, railway, working and otherwise, houses that are big, small and some very old. It benefits from being quite flat, a doable 14 or so miles and has the ability to get you home at a reasonable time.
Three Bridges is to Crawley what Wivelsfield is to Burgess Hill, i.e. a station within the same town. In actuality, the newer town has absorbed the separate settlements of Three Bridges and Pound Hill, two neighbourhoods this route covers. My experience of Crawley is limited. People like it for shopping, apparently and it's only half an hour up the line. I know it for feeling quite watery when you're walking the footpaths. Indeed the River Mole is fed by the Gatwick stream and in turn, flows north and is a tributary of The Thames. Returning from East Grinstead is usually time-consuming and so it was that I got lucky and intercepted the 84 on its way to Crawley and caught the return train.
The way begins from the crossing in front of Three Bridges station and taking the footpath heading north. This follows the aforesaid Gatwick Stream. The path joins Hazelwick Avenue briefly before you can duck across the car park and rejoin the stream after Henson Road. In time, you'll reach St Mary's Drive. Turn right and go under the railway. On the left is the sign for Grattons Park Local Nature Reserve. Follow the path beyond which continues with the Gatwick Stream. I repeatedly disturbed a heron for the remaining length of the waterway. As you near the A2011, bear right through the trees until you emerge into the field. Cross it and Grattons Drive to meet Worth Park Gardens.
I can't help feeling Crawley is a bit sheepish about these Victorian grounds. After skirting the lake clockwise and crossing Somerville Drive you come across a ha-ha, a fancy fountain and sweeping staircase. There is something quite alarming in the juxtaposition of the unassuming 1960s Milton Mount flats beyond. In explanation, Worth Park Manor turned Milton College was demolished after its purchase by Crawley Borough Council and what fancy-pants gardens, the residents can now enjoy. These are the work of the Pulhams with their penchant for faux rock.
Leaving the back of the formal gardens, you'll be opposite a remnant of the Montefiore's Ridley's Court, where there are toilets and an information centre. I didn't visit and I think it's only open on a Wednesday. Take the path to the south as it exits at the traffic lights crossing the B2036. From Heathfield, turn right and take Walton Heath to continue.
At the Copthorne Road, I rather overshot my turning but continued down The Ridings and went right onto Sedgefield Close to take a path into Lingfield Drive. Here you can find the path that, I believe can be accessed further up in Stace Way and walk through Byerley Wood. This takes you alongside the M23 which bounds the eastern side before veering west to rejoin The Ridings again. This is part of the Crawley Greenway, a route around the borough devised in the year 2000. I have struggled to find a source online but essentially it is a route around the town signposted with little red wheels. At the end of Kelso Close, take the path opposite through to Turner's Hill Road.
Church Road opposite indicates you're getting close to leaving Crawley via the Worth neighbourhood. After Green Lane, you can go left onto the footpath east. This will turn south and reach Worth Way and St Nicholas Church. This route forms part of cycle route 21 and follows part of the old Three Bridges to East Grinstead railway lost in the Beeching cuts. Our walk will take in part of this area of country park but dive south for slightly more interest.
Worth Way is easy navigation to Rowfant Station at Wallage Lane. Beyond, you reach the business centre. An excellent cafe and toilet stop can be had here. Leave Worth Way and cross Hundred Acres wood via the footpath going southeast. As you leave the trees, you reach Turner's Hill Road via the concrete of the reservoir access.
A short way south, go left onto the footpath. Keep roughly in this direction until you hit East Street. You'll exit past the cafe at Pots & Pithoi and the Alexander House Hotel with connections to the Shelley family. Head over the road to the footpath. As you go down towards Woodlands, you see good views south and a lake. A Roman road runs a little to the west in this direction. You'll be well guided through the woods until you meet National Trust's Selsfield Common. You'll be walking down some sunken tracks that seem quite ancient. At Selsfield Common head east through Selsfield Place. The views open up considerably. The 19th Century water tower is visible at Selsfield House.
At Vowels Lane, continue eastwards and take the path at Moatlands. This old estate was once part of Gravetye. Through the deer fence, go east to the hotel, mainly just to be a bit nosy. Gravetye Manor gardens are accessible to guests but, more importantly the Gravetye Estate has additional walking trails for all, the charitable legacy of the gardener William Robinson who owned the property. The walk shares the path at a point with the High Weald Landscape Trail which you take to go south. At this juncture, I heard the familiar whistle from the bluebell railway in the east.
Descendling into West Hoathly, take North Lane towards the Priest House. West Hoathly has stories of smugglers in the shape of the Copthorne gang and rumours of secret tunnels abound. Interestingly, there is a connection with Yacob Hirsh of Jacob's Post fame in Ditchling as he used the Cat Inn as a hideout. ChatGPT had suggested this place for lunch but it didn't realise the Michelin Star eaterie is probably beyond this lunchtime lady. It was midday and so after a brief look around the excellent but diminutive Priest House of 1430, a trot back through St Margaret's churchyard, over Church Hill and up into Finche Field, I walked east to The Fox. I had some nice food here.
At the junction, take the footpath down from The Hollow to join the Sussex Border Path. This follows the line of The Bluebell Railway before ducking under it towards Grinstead Lane. At the far end you'll cross the fields of Blackland Farm campsite. At the road, head north and thank the Duke of Edinburgh participants for the provision of a permissive path at Whillet's Bridge towards Stone Farm Rocks. This avoids the last bit of the road, deemed to be quite dangerous to walk on and gives you a taste of the geology in the area. At the West Hoathly Road, go right and join the Admiral's Bridge Lane on the north bank of Weir Wood Reservoir. There aren't many good views of the water until you reach the footpath going up hill to the north. This meets the High Weald Landscape Trail again. The heavens opened and I met with a bunch of bedraggled students from Hurst College, no less. On the right you join with the path at the back of Standen House. The sign beyond tells you that the gate is shut when the house is closed but it seems entry is tolerated by this route. The sun blasted through and I felt confident in taking the path as I am a member of the National Trust and it was a convenient route to the toilets and the cafe.
After refreshment, (a record number of stops were made on this walk), I spotted that I could take the path from the main drive, across a meadow to Saint Hill Green and catch the bus back to Crawley. Be sure to stand in the right place beyond the junction. There was a sizeable gap between this and the next return to Burgess Hill and so I forewent the onward journey I could have made to East Grinstead via the Landscape Trail. You might prefer the additional distance and attractions here. The useful train station goes north to East Croydon and so a bus is probably the most feasible route.
Comments
Post a Comment