Proposed Walk
Date: 23rd September
Time 17:30
Where: Crawley Down
Parking: Village TQ 347 374
Organgrinder: Mark
Pub: Royal Oak
Note Updated maps and gpx (23 Sep)
Mark has proposed a final loop along the Sussex Border path as a better return to Crawley Down.
Map:
GPX File (remove .txt):
Actual distance 9.11Km
Proposed Walk
Date: 22nd July
Time 18:00
Where: Ashdown Forest
Parking: King Standing Carpark B2026/B2188
Organginder: Roy & Steve ??
Pub: The Hatch at Colemans Hatch
Maps:-
GPX File (remove .txt):-
Ditchling
Date: 1st July 2009
Time: 17:45 for a 18:00 start
Distance: 14.6Km
Parking: left at the
cross-roads coming from the North and behind the village hall.
Pubs: To be selected, possibly a midway refreshment stop at Plumpton
Designer & Ploder in Chief: Andy Dawson
Map:
GPX file:
Report
An excellent walk of 15.2Km and good turnout. A refreshment stop just after the halfway point at Plumpton stoped any signs of de-hydration in the hot weather.
Photos by Tessa Peters are here
East Grinstead & Forest Row
Date: 10th June 2009
Time: 17:45 for a 18:00 start
Distance: 14.6Km
Parking: On Lewes Road, East Grinstead near the Dorset Arms (free after 5pm)
Pubs: Dorset Arms or Rose & Crown with additional refreshment at Chequers in Forest Row
Designer & Ploder in Chief: Mark
Map:
GPX File (remove .txt)
Colgate and St. Leonards Forest.
Date: 20th May 2009
Time: 17:30 for a 17:30 start
Distance: 11.6Km
Parking: In Colgate at the Dragon pub.
Pub: Dragon at Colgate
Designer & Ploder in Chief: Andy
Map:
GPX (change .txt to .GPX):
Report
A select few met at the Dragon at Colgate more or less on time and enjoyed a very pleasant wander through St. Leonards Forest. Mr Carter missed seeing his namesaked location at the halfway point in the walk.
Horsted Keynes
Date: 29th April 2009
Time: 17:30 for a 17:30 start
Distance: 13Km
Parking: In Horsted Keynes by the Green Man or there is also a public car park across the road by the Royal British Legion.
Pub: Green Man
Map
GPX File (change extension to gpx)
Report:
Walk started badly with an SMS from one plodder complaining that the Pub was not open until 5:30, he was a bit thirsty having followed the Sussex Border path from East Grinstead to warm up. As 5:30 approched the rest appeared including a people carrier full of Andy’s family, we set off just after 5:30 so not too much faffing then stopped as we saw Mike drive up then Andy and Tharba. After about 2Km we split into 2 groups, the main one to continue round the planned route and Andy to guide his pary back via a shorter route and bag a good place in the pub!
The bluebells in the woodland along Hoad lane we lovely and we managed to ignore the ‘path closed’ signs at the bridge crossing the Ouse near Fullingmill farm. At Lingfield we lost another , as Adam took off to catch a train in Haywards Heath. The reamaining party continued on the return leg to HK. Arthur was given a shock while crossing a concrete bridge which suddenly moved and made a loud THUNK only to find Roy beside him walking on oblivious to the effect his weight was having on the structure. Neill commented that this will not happen in a few months time after the S Coast walk as Roy will be reduced.
Once back at the Green Man an the groups re-united a few pints of best were enjoyed.
SCM
Charlwood
Date: 8th April2009
Time: 17:30 for a 17:30 start
Distance: 8.5km
Parking:
Pub: Half Moon Charlwood
Map
GPX File
Map & Pictures can be found here or at the Photo Album page.
An excellent walk, devised by Adam, around Charlwood.
Present: Adam Kenworthy, Roy Carter, Plates and Christopher, Roy Carter, Andy Dawson and Thaba, Roy Carter, Neill Turton, DT, Mr Mark Loveridge, Roy Carter, Pete Blair. Phil Carter, ROY CARTER, Andy Sewell, Pete Forman, Roy Carter.
Missing: Welsh Speaker ( Forgotten his boots ), Neal ( No excuse ), Bradlg; ( Reputed to have been seen wandering along beside the Severn Estuary with a large pair of boots, a goldfish bowl and a paint scraper.)
The walk:
The start was oscillatory. I parked at one end of Charlwood, and had to walk a full 60 yards to join the group at the other end, then walk back almost to where I’d started, to set off from the pub down the wrong footpath. A short distance later we all turned back and returned to the start.
Nicely warmed up, we set off finally in the correct direction, across the churchyard.
I thought I coped quite well with my sense of disappointment at not having heard inspiring oratory from our leader at the start of the walk. Surely Adam could have stood on the war memorial steps and urged us towards our glorious destiny ?
The evening was still, and warm for early April, the ground wasn’t too boggy despite the rain earlier and the paths were clear. Could it have been any better ? Yes, Oh yes. Did Roy Carter shut up for one minute ? Clearly his recent idleness hasn’t left him short of things to talk about.
We passed the aircraft museum and the zoo, and came across a decrepit skiddoo parked across the path. Adam’s route setting may have been exemplary, but his map-reading wasn’t quite so good, so Mr Mark Loveridge bounded to the front, map in hand, and there were no more navigational mis-haps.
We continued through beautiful woodland, over gentle hills. Birds were probably twittering but could not be heard over Roy Carter. We passed gentle brooks, though their babbling could not be heard over that of Roy Carter. We walked past serene ponds; their serenity shattered by Roy Carter.
Ambling slowly west through Glovers Wood was especially pleasant, almost, and strolling along past the ponds near Cudworth was another relative highlight.
Then, in the manner of racing cyclists escaping the peleton, a breakaway group formed ! Could enough impetus be maintained so that a peaceful Carter-free world could be entered ? Sadly, no, and the chase group caught up.
Two hours after the start we strolled back down the path into Charlwood and returned to the Half Moon, where we shivered in the garden by the light of the full moon.
Next walk, Wednesday, 29th April.
DT.
First Plod of 2009
Date: 18th March 2009
Time: 5:00pm for a 5:15 start
Distance: 6km
Parking: At the Pub
Pub: White Hart RH19 4RA between Turners Hill & Ardingly
beer in the evening: White Hart
Own website: website
Updated (16 March) GPX file
Go Clockwise from the Pub via Chiddinglye farm
Map
We should be able to find the stone feature big-upon-little
Report
6.36km
DT emailed in with an excuse just prior to the departure of the SLB house taxi service so Neal & Adam were dropped off at the pub while Andy went to get Tarba. Most of the rest turned up at 5pm and were ready to move off at 5:15 howver one was left behind to shepherd the tribe who were destined to be late! An easy route across field brought us to Philpots where it was hoped we could see or even get close to big-upon-little but no luck. Roy & Neill made an attempt to bushwack their way across the ravine, Roy gave up and cought the main party up by the road. Neill persavered but failed to locate the rock and was guided back to the path by tyhe sounds of the late comming Sewell tribe. Once over the road the sun started to set and Neill guided Pete, Andy & familly to a shorter route back to the pub and headed off to catch the main group. The main group headed through some deep dark woods with Pete the ROW officer muttering about dangers of slippery rocks but since it was not his patch he did not have to take notes! Close to the end there was one more wooded section and the main group hoped that Neill had his head torch as there was dark woods and the possibility of horses. The lights of the White Hart soon beckoned and a welcome pint of Harveys.
