Walks you can reach from Preston Park by train
MapA day hike is just a simple train journey away — plan your next day of green.
Amberley to Shoreham-by-Sea (Sussex)
15 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Highly recommended: Open chalk ridge, South Downs escarpment, wide well-marked paths, exposed hilltops, riverside estuary path and suburban road walking near finish.
Hilly: half on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.
Time: 10h (8h walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
1 lunch spot: Columba's Kitchen (4h in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Buckingham Arms, or the Crabtree
Warnings: Very exposed in wind.
Source: Trains2Green.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Balcombe Circular via Nymans (Sussex)
30 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Recommended: Many worthy historic sights along this route — Nymans itself, the village of Slaugham, and two beautiful medieval churches. The first half of the walk is through idyllic rolling woodland. The second half is marred by mostly following (very quiet) roads and lanes rather than footpaths. Mostly secluded.
Woodland: half under tree cover.
Footbridge and Lake Overflow at Nymans Woodland (National Trust; 1h15 in)
Bench With View of the Lake, High Weald National Landscape (National Trust; 1h15 in)
Nymans: "An extensive yet intimate garden set around a romantic house and ruins" (1h45 in).
St Mary's Church (2h15 in)
Slaugham: Very small, but picturesque (2h15 in).
The Ruins of Slaugham Place: The remains of a fine Tudor mansion (2h30 in).
St Mark's Church, Staplefield (3h in)
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
3 lunch spots: Handcross (1h45 in) — Nymans café, JO.CO cafe, or the Red Lion
1 end-of-walk reward: the Victory
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Goring-by-Sea to Worthing (Sussex)
30 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Recommended
Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.
Highdown Gardens (30m in)
Cissbury Ring Hill Fort (National Trust; 3h45 in)
Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
2 lunch spots: the Black Horse (3h in), or the Gun Inn (3h in)
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Reverse direction: Railwalks.
Hassocks Circular via Ditchling Beacon (Sussex)
6 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Recommended: Quaint village, woods and hilly.
Hilly: a quarter on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.
Ditchling (45m in)
South Downs National Park: Ditchling Area (National Trust; 1h30 in)
Ditchling Beacon: One of the highest points on the South Downs with near-360-degree views (1h45 in).
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
4 lunch spots: Ditchling (45m in) — the White Horse, the Nutmeg Tree, or Ditchling Village; plus the Jack & Jill (3h in)
1 end-of-walk reward: the Hassocks
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Source: Trains2Green.
Haywards Heath Circular via Lindfield (Sussex)
15 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Low hills, Ouse Valley, woodland, nature reserves, fields, hedgerows, historic villages and canal-era river crossings.
Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Hassocks to Lewes (Sussex)
6 minutes direct from Preston Park.
South Downs chalk grassland ridge, panoramic views to sea and inland, dew ponds, Iron Age fort, wooded climbs, riverside embankment and historic town.
Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be slippery.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Shoreham-by-Sea to Littlehampton (Sussex)
15 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Flat coastal promenade, shingle beach, sandy beach, grassy seafront paths and seaside resorts.
Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Check tide timings.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Wivelsfield to Haywards Heath (Sussex)
15 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Woods, wildflower meadows, farmland, High Weald ridge, golf course and suburban road sections.
Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Haywards Heath to Balcombe (Sussex)
15 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Undulating High Weald farmland, woodland, golf course, reservoir dam wall, fields and a private school grounds.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Haywards Heath to Hassocks (Sussex)
15 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Rolling Sussex countryside and South Downs views; farmland and woodland through Ditchling along an old Roman road.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).
Balcombe to East Grinstead (Sussex)
30 minutes direct from Preston Park.
Gentle wooded hills, muddy farm tracks, landscaped gardens, reservoir shoreline, open fields and woodland paths.
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Can be very muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
East Croydon to Oxted (Surrey)
45 minutes direct from Preston Park.
First stage of the Vanguard Way, from suburban East Croydon out through Selsdon Wood and the North Downs to Oxted.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
Time: 7h30 (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).