High Weald Landscape Path - day 1

Horsham to Cuckfield - day 1, Monday 8th April

The Long Walk for 2013 has been chosen. Its the High Weald Path running 90 miles from Horsham in the west to Rye in the East. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Weald_Landscape_Trail and we expect to do it in 7 sections.

Today was forecast as high cloud with occasional sun and it turned out to be exactly right.  However, a keen easterly breeze meant it felt more like 5 deg C than the 8 forecast. We drove to Cuckfield; parked up and caught the bus to Horsham and the start of the walk.


The path was in pretty good condition and not too wet under foot but the way-markers were very erratic and a couple of times we made a forced detour when we moved slightly off path. We trekked through a mix of forest and open country and generally it was very pleasant. It was also very steep in places and our legs were not used to such exercise after the truncated recent walks due to the bad weather. At one point we came across some wonderful glens of wild daffodils.

Fortunately in the middle of the village of Slaugham (apparently its pronounced "Slaffam"!) was a nice pub, The Chequers, and as it was approaching 1-00pm we stopped for refreshment.

The village green at Slaugham

After lunch the legs were very slow to get moving and we still had 8 miles to go! The path got steeper and steeper; the stiles to climb over got higher and higher and our pace slower and slower. It was with great delight when the village of Cuckfield came into view and we could get boots off and enjoy the car ride home.













Stats for the day were ...

Date	Steps	Distance (mi)	Time (Hr)	Calories	Average speed (mph)	Elevation gain (feet)	Elevation lost (feet)
8/04/2013	28,996	14.97	5:33	1,756	2.7	2,315	2,085