Eight Polyramblers for a lovely walk in Sussex on a nice Indian summer day.  The walk was undulating through fields and woodlands to Nymans, a National Trust property.  We did not see the Japanese pavilion mentioned in the walk description – it was perhaps hidden behind the trees.  We reached Handcross and stopped for a drink in the Royal Oak Inn with strict instructions to be ready to leave by 12.30.  We then went through the village of Slaugham (pronounced ‘Slaffam’) and saw the 800 years old yew tree in the churchyard before reaching Slaugham Place.  We reached the Victory Inn, in Staplefield, at 2.00 prompt as promised by Susan.  After lunch, we only had one third of the walk left and we continued walking through fields and woodlands until we reached the river Ouse.  As the trains from Balcombe station are hourly on Sundays, we decided to step up our pace to make sure we caught the 4.30 train.  We managed to catch it by bypassing the village of Balcombe.

10.5 miles.  Leader Susan J

photo of Balcombe church by Charles Drake