Ardingly The Oak

You wait for ages then three turn up together!

Venue: Ardingly, The Oak

Found object:  a stripey sock

Time: 3 hrs 20 mins + half an hour at the station

Distance:  7 ½ miles

Walkers: Tb, Farty, 2 Legs, Sue Wind

Weather: a fresh start, but turned out really nice and sunny later on

After last weeks complete lack of interest and subsequent non walk we decided a fresh pub and pastures new were called for so Ardingly it was. What a lovely surprise to find Ten Legs minus eight in the car park so Sue (2legs 2 knees) joined us for her first real post op walk! Oo-er, fingers crossed we set off to the south and almost immediately hit on a beautiful view. Cool breeze but sun and blue skies; fresh leaves on the trees - all was well with the world! On we went admiring views of Ardingly College, a short stretch of old railway hugely overgrown with trees woodland and farms and then  a lovely ‘pac’ of alpacas (well I don’t know the collective noun for a group of them – please text me or add a comment  if you do!). Their hair (fur? coats?) looked lustrous and silky soft and one appeared to be wearing pantaloons. After crossing a road we found ourselves by a field full of tiny Christmas trees and somewhat surreal at the next farm four reindeer! Who lives in a house like this we thought?  With no sign of a fat man in a red coat we pressed on only to find ourselves by a brook with the only way across being a footbridge leading straight into a field of cows. Poor Chris! As there was no other way round (and believe me, dear reader we looked) Chris was very brave and we made our way safely through. We crossed over the Bluebell Line and on to another farm and another large herd of cows to negotiate - no problem. As we walked down a field back towards the road we heard a whistle and suddenly –a Bluebell train with Pullman carriages, one called Christine, burst into view. Much waving (us and the driver)ensued. A hasty conflab on reaching the road decided us on a short diversion to Horsted Keynes station. we bought platform tickets, let the nostalgia commence and with much 'oo-ing' 'I remember' we crossed to the far platform to examine the train. A wedding was imminent. The engine was decorated with ribbon and the couple’s names and the tables in the Pullman coaches beautifully laid ready for the guests. While we were admiring all this another train hove into view. It was the observation car pulled by a small locomotive and then to top it all Sir Archibald Sinclair steamed in. We couldn’t have planned it! As our chosen pub stopped serving food at 3 and Sue had a physio session for the same time we reluctantly dragged ourselves away and continued the walk. Further along the path led through Orchard Wood a magical place full of May blossom and a myriad other wonderful trees. Perfect spot for a future picnic we thought. Down the slope the path led right through a private garden with stream, bog plants, and magnificent rhododendrons and azaleas. We said ‘hello’ to a gentleman working hard in his shed across the road. In another field we went past Brook House once the palatial home of the Clarke family and now private apartments. A 3 bed in the east wing a mere half million! Then after the whiffs of wild garlic it was ‘hill on hill’. Sue’s legs were all a quiver so we kept her going with views of Beachy Head and the excitement of the found sock and suddenly we were back in Ardingly. At The Oak fab fish and chips and liver together with a witty assistant manager (been there one week).Top marks all round!

Next week: It was so good let's go back to the same venue, but different walk