Crawley Down to Kingscote Down

Highlights

• A Jacobean house
• The Sussex Border path
• The Bluebell Railway
• A mill pond

This section of the Railway Children Walk begins at a former railway station and picks up on several parts of the revived railway route. Some sections coincide with the Sussex Border Path and the route runs close to a distinctive Jacobean house.

The Route

Leaving Crawley Down shops behind you, cross into Burleigh Way (signposted Worth Way) with the Royal Oak public house on your left (OS ref: 346375). Turn into the second road on the right, Woodland Drive (signed Worth Way), and then take the first left, Hazel Way (also signposted Worth Way). Where Hazel Way eventually curves to the left, continue forward into Cobb Close (opposite number 67 Hazel Way and signposted Worth Way), dropping downhill for a short distance and then continue forward on cycle track 21. Keeping the pond on your left, walk up the incline and re-join the line of the dismantled railway line.

In a little over a mile, at a crossing footpath (OS ref: 365382), turn right through a galvanised kissing gate into a field - signed West Sussex Border Path. (Before turning right, there is the option to turn left for a short distance to view Gullege Farm, a fine Jacobean house.)

Having gone through the kissing gate into the field, follow the right side of the field for a short distance, until the field edge turns to the right. Keep forward on a cross-field path, sign-posted Sussex Border Path. At the far side of the field, continue forward into the next field, on the same line on a cross-field path (signposted Sussex Border Path), passing a small mid-field pond on your left. At the far side, continue forward on a track that crosses the next field. At the end of this field, pass through the gateway and turn right on a crossing footpath - signed West Sussex Border Path. In a few metres, cross a stile and continue forward on a cross-field path to a gap in the hedge. Pass through the gap and turn immediately left, following the hedge on the left side of the field. At the far left corner, cross the stile and continue forward, descending steeply to a stile and footbridge.

After crossing the footbridge, turn right along the right hand side of a long narrow field. Shortly before the end of this field, a finger post points to a short cross-field path to a stile forward to your left. Cross the stile and continue along the left side of rough pasture. On reaching the fence at the end, bear right to stile and footbridge. (This low-lying patch can be very wet and requires some care in crossing, if you are to keep your feet dry!) Cross the footbridge and continue on a grass track between fences, with mill house forward to your left (Fen Place Mill). At the tennis courts on the right, turn left onto a gravel drive, with the mill pond on your right. The drive passes between a number of houses, outbuildings and barns. Stay on this drive until it reaches the B2110 road (OS ref: 363363).

Turn left on the road - take great care, sharp bends - and in about thirty metres turn right over a stile in the hedge.
Follow the left side of two fields. At the far left corner of the second field, with a small pond on your left, cross the stile and go through a galvanized kissing gate. Follow the left side of the field to a galvanized kissing gate and a footbridge. Cross the footbridge and go through another kissing gate. Continue ahead up a rising field, to a gate at the right of a corrugated barn. 

Go through the gate into the yard of Tickeridge Farm. Bear right and, keeping the large house on your right, follow the farm road to its junction with the road (OS ref: 365355). Kingscote Bluebell Railway station can be seen a short distance along the road to the left.

Safety

At just 3¼ miles, this walk can be take at a moderate pace and still fitted into a half-day. No special difficulties. Be careful when crossing roads or the railway.

Notes

Bus Routes
Check services and times with Metrobus at 01293 449191 or www.metrobus.co.uk

No.82 Crawley Down/Crawley/Three Bridges/Haywards Heath.
No.84 East Grinstead/Sharpthorne/Crawley Down/Three Bridges Crawley (no Sunday service).
Other buses to and from Crawley Down include the No.624 Horley and East Grinstead, No.684 East Grinstead/Crawley Down/Crawley, 291 East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells, and the 391, 692, and 693 Crawley buses.
There is limited public transport at Kingscote - the 473 goes to and from East Grinstead.

Car Parking
Crawley Down was the site of Grange Road station on the Three Bridges-East Grinstead line.