So the nice consultant at East Surrey told me I didn’t need a plaster cast anymore, so after a few days of cautious 5k meanders round the Acres I thought a longer effort could be in order.
This is an easy walk, on established paths, with minimal stiles and a fair bit of pavement, which seemed sensible in the context of still sporting a fractured limb. I used to walk my kids around quite a bit of this route; it’s a bit over 10km (6-ish miles) and took me spot on 2 hours.
From the top entrance of Horley station turn right and head straight down Victoria Road. At the mini roundabout cross over the Balcombe Road and head down Balcombe Gardens.
At the end of the this road pick up the bridleway; turn right and follow it round to the left, heading straight on, past Four Winds bungalow on the left and onwards following the bridleway until you cross a little footbridge.
After this bridge turn right and follow the path out onto Haroldslea. Suddenly it feels like you’re out in the countryside, rather than 10 minutes walk from the M23. Carry on down Haroldslea until you reach a T-junction; turn right and head slightly uphill until the road turns into a footpath. No horses or carriages!
This path brings you through the Roughs and out onto Peeks Brook Lane with the Greyhound Trust home for retired greyhounds on the left. Go straight ahead and over the bridge over Burstow Stream. Not far ahead on your right is a builders yard; immediately on the left of the gates is a footpath that heads back toward the Balcombe Road waymarked as the Sussex Border path. Take this path, skirting round the builders yard, up some steps and then following the path over two stiles and then all the way along the side of the M23 J9 spur, with fields of cows to your right.
Once you get back to the Balcombe Road, cross over the road and turn left, entering West Sussex as you do so! Walk straight ahead following the main road, going under the M23 J9 spur and on until you reach an emergency access road on your right. This is opposite Fernhill Road and looks like this.....
Skirt round the metal gate and follow the lane ahead, following it round to the left until you reach a waymarked footpath that takes you into Upper Picketts Wood. Considering this skirts the car parks of one of the busiest airports in Europe, it’s very pretty and right now almost eerily quiet!
Keep to the path until you reach almost a footpath 3-way junction! A left will take you back to the Balcombe Road; we’re going to head right (pictured above) through almost a tunnel of hedgerow out towards......Creepy Pond.
’What on earth is this woman blathering on about?’ I hear you cry. So, you won’t see a pond quite yet, head up the steel stairs first. At the top is a water management pond (after all, this hulking great airport is build over a river), but when the children were small we would weave stories of it containing Jurassic beasties and trained sharks.....hence, Creepy Pond. You‘ve got to admit, all that netting looks like they’re trying to keep something in!
Follow the path around the pond to the right; at the moment sheep are being grazed on the slope so you’ll need to come down and follow the path at the base. Follow the waymarked path into the gloriously named Horleyland Wood and head straight on. There are lots of paths to explore here, but keep heading straight ahead following the waymarked footpath until you reach a t-junction with another footpath alongside the fence line of the car parks. Turn right and follow this path until you reach a metal footbridge......
Up and over you go! Take a moment to gaze at the empty wastelands that are Gatwick’s car parks at the moment; sobering stuff. Usually we stand on this bridge and plane spot for 5 minutes, but there was no air traffic today.
After this bridge follow the path ahead and then up and over another footbridge and a short distance along another enclosed footpath until you come out just behind the Enterprise Rent-a-Car unit. Diagonally to your left is the entrance to another path; take this and follow it, going up and over the railway bridge and then down onto the route 21 cycle path. Take a right, passing the ‘Gatwick walking route’ sign on your right.
Follow the cycle route ahead and under the terminal building, the train station on your right. Head straight on, past the bus stops and then down a slight slope under the monorail. At this point you have two options to get back into Horley; the path straight ahead goes into Riverside Park or you can turn right towards the staff car parks and follow the enclosed footpath alongside the train line. Following this path (taking a left at the end) brings you out onto The Crescent. Turn right on The Crescent, then right on The Ridgeway and turn left onto The Drive heading back to the train station.
Nice and easy no? This was always a good walk when my sons were younger with chances to see trains, planes and automobiles galore, and it’s still a decent jaunt, if not terribly adventurous!
A shiny live map with pictures here....
And the cat has made a reappearance, lounging in a flowerbed.....
Comments