1. Start to Balcombe Mill
Leave Balcombe railway station via the exit steps on Platform 2 (not the car park side) and follow the steps up to the road. Turn left along the pavement and cross the road at the designated crossing point. Continue along this pavement before turning right to join a tarmac path that will lead you uphill. There will be a wooden handrail running on your left. At the top of the slope, you will come to a junction with a residential road, called Newlands. Cross over to the far pavement and turn right along this, following the road as it swings left.
At the crossroads of paths that are marked with a fingerpost, ignore the side paths that follow straight ahead onto the road that becomes Oldlands Avenue. Continue all the way to the T-junction and turn left along the pavement. Just after the pavement bears left (immediately after Barn Meadow on your right), cross the road to reach the signed public bridleway. Go through the wide wooden gate, or use the adjacent stile, and follow the enclosed green track ahead to reach a gate.
NOTE: You may come across cattle here. Go through the gate and walk at about 1 o’clock, heading for the telegraph pole that sits at the corner of the woodland. When you reach this woodland corner, continue in the same direction along the remainder of the field, staying close to the fenced woodland on your left.
In the corner of the field, you will find a choice of two paths leading out of the field. Do NOT take the metal gate to the left, instead take the wooden kissing gate ahead. Follow the stone steps that lead down through the woodland belt. At the bottom, you will emerge onto a junction with Mill Lane, directly alongside Balcombe Mill.
2. Balcombe Mill to West Hill
Turn right along the lane, taking care of traffic, and pass some of the former mill buildings on your right. The lane leads you over the end of Ardingly Reservoir, which will be your companion for the next stretch of the walk. Stay with the lane as it swings right, heading uphill, and about 150 metres later, turn right through the wooden gate to join the bridleway leading you into the site of Ardingly Reservoir.
Follow the stone bridleway that leads steadily downhill before meandering ahead with the reservoir bank running to your right. Sitting within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Ardingly Reservoir was constructed in 1978 and has three uses: water supply, nature conservation and recreation. It is one of two South East Water reservoirs that between them supply about 8% of the South East’s drinking water. It is a popular fishing spot and the activity centre on the opposite bank offers sailing, windsurfing and canoeing. The adjacent grassland meadows are only cut every two years, allowing rare wildflowers and insects to flourish. While on your waterside journey, look out for ducks, geese and grebe on the water, ancient oaks and orchids on the banks, and you may even be lucky enough to spot a kingfisher.
At the first junction of paths, ignore the bridleway signed off to the left and continue alongside the reservoir edge. Eventually, you will emerge out through a gate to reach a junction with the road, West Hill.
3. West Hill to St Peter’s Church
Turn right along the pavement and follow it as it crosses the northeast arm of Ardingly Reservoir. At the far side, turn right through the kissing gate and follow the stone path as it leads you alongside the reservoir once again. Continue until you reach the first signed junction of footpaths alongside a waterside bench on your right. Turn left here, crossing a stile to enter a grass meadow.
Follow the obvious grass path ahead, climbing up the meadow. Pass through the gap in the fence at the top and you will emerge in the corner of a crop field. Walk straight ahead, still climbing, following the left-hand boundary of this field. Take a moment to glance to your right and you will have amazing views across the reservoir and activity centre. At the top of the field, turn left to join the unmade farm track.
The farm track leads you past some barns on your left, to reach a signed junction of paths. Stay with the main track (at about 11 o’clock) and follow this past a row of properties on your right. Keep ahead on this main track which will eventually become a lane and ignore any paths to the sides. You will come to a road junction with St Peter’s Church in Ardingly to your left.
4. St Peter’s Church to Gardeners Arms
Turn right for a short distance, passing a pair of cottages with red-tiled fronts to your left, before turning immediately left onto the signed public footpath, an unmade track between a fence and hedgerow. At the end of the track, pass through the single wooden gate to your right and you will emerge onto a T-junction with the main access drive for the South of England Showground.
Turn left and follow the wire boundary fence of the showground running to your right. The showground, which is managed by the South of England Agricultural Society, hosts an eclectic mix of events throughout the year from country shows and horse events, to dog competitions and antique fairs.
At the first footpath fingerpost, ignore the path signed into a tunnel of trees on your left, and instead stay with the access drive which bears slightly right. At the top of the main showground, stay with the access drive which turns right, exiting onto the B2028. Immediately opposite is the Gardeners Arms pub, the perfect spot for mid-walk refreshments.
5. Gardeners Arms to Footbridge
After your stop at the pub, cross back over the road to the showground and, with your back to the road, turn right along the pavement following the hedge running to your left and the road to your right. Where this hedge line ends, turn left onto the tarmac access drive signed to Tillinghurst Farm and marked as a public footpath. As you walk, take the time to enjoy the far-reaching views across the wooded hillsides.
Continue straight ahead on the tarmac driveway which leads you steadily downhill between hedgerows. Pass through the metal entrance gate or use the stile alongside and you will come to a fork. Take the right-hand branch, passing a pond on your left, and then bear right to join the grass path which leads you along the right-hand edge of the farm’s barns and outbuildings. Beyond the buildings, keep ahead to pick up the farm track and follow this steadily downhill to reach the corner of a hillside meadow.
Walk straight ahead on the grass track that follows the righthand boundary, leading you steadily downhill. Pass through the gateway and continue along the right-hand boundary of this second meadow. In the bottom corner, keep ahead to join the narrow-unmade path that will lead you through a belt of woodland and along the edge of a very small meadow and through another gateway. At the end of this short section of track, you will emerge into a third large meadow.
There is a bench just to your left here, the perfect spot to pause and take in the views. Walk ahead along the right-hand boundary and, towards the bottom, you will pass a wooden facilities centre through the fence to your right. This sits within the grounds of Kew at Wakehurst, part of the Royal Botanic Gardens. The gardens surround an Elizabethan mansion and comprise ornamental gardens, woodland, sculptures, national plant collections and the millennium seed bank.
At the bottom of the meadow, pass through the gate ahead and glance to your right where you will see the elaborate side gate for Kew at Wakehurst. Turn left to join the woodland path. At the bottom of the slope, just before you reach the kissing gate ahead, turn right to reach the beautiful arched footbridge across the northeast arm of Ardingly Reservoir.
6. Footbridge to Edmunds Farm
Cross the bridge and about 10 paces beyond this, you will come to a fork. Bear right onto the public footpath that will lead you uphill through the woodland. Stay with this path as it winds steeply up through the woodland. Eventually, you will emerge out onto a junction with a quiet tarmac lane. Turn left along this, taking care of any occasional traffic.
Stay with the main lane, passing a pond on your right and, further along, you will come to a white fingerpost road sign, marking a junction with Mill Lane. Turn right here, signed to Balcombe, and continue on the lane, still being aware of any traffic, to reach Edmunds Farm.
7. Edmunds Farm to Balcombe Centre
Pass Edmunds Farm and then continue on the lane for about half a mile and you will come to Balcombe Mill (that we passed on the outward leg). Follow the road as it swings right, past the buildings on your left and just as the Mill House buildings begin on your right, turn left onto the signed public footpath (that was used on the outward leg).
Climb the steps to lead you through the woodland. At the top, pass through the kissing gate to enter the cattle pasture. Walk straight ahead and follow the line of fenced woodland on your right. Where this fence steps back, veer slightly left (about 11 o’clock) and pass through the gate in the top boundary. Keep ahead along the green track and go through the gate (or adjacent stile) to reach the road in Balcombe. From here we will be returning to Balcombe rail station, but via a different route in order to visit the shops, pubs and tea rooms.
Turn right along the pavement. At the mini-roundabout, cross over Mill Lane and go straight ahead, passing a brick post box on your right, to join the tarmac footpath with a row of mature trees running to your left. At the top of the hill, you will come to a road junction at the centre of Balcombe.
8. Balcombe Centre to End
There are plenty of options for some post-walk refreshments. At this junction, you will find The Half Moon Inn as well as Balcombe Stores which sells a range of local produce. Alternatively, you will also pass the popular Balcombe Tea Rooms.
Turn left at the junction onto Bramble Hill, signed to the railway station and Cuckfield. A few metres along you will pass Balcombe Tea Rooms on your right. Follow the road all the way to the end, a T-junction with the B2036. Cross over to the far pavement with care and turn left along this where it is signed to Brighton. Continue for about 350 metres and you will come to Balcombe rail station on your right where this walk began.
