A circular walk with a clear start and finish
Balcombe can be explored through a clearly defined walk and its construction history. The Balcombe Circular is 7.5 miles (12 km) long and rated moderate to challenging. Distance and difficulty level answer two different planning questions: How long is the route, and how demanding is it? If you plan this circuit, you can treat it as a separate part of your itinerary and arrange your other plans around it.
The circular walk starts and ends at the Balcombe station car park on London Road. Having the same start and finish point makes it easier to plan the route as a complete circuit: you do not need to connect two separate endpoints. Given its 12 km length and moderate-to-challenging rating, it makes sense to allow time for your own pace and breaks. The Mid Sussex District Council page describing the circular walk was last updated on 7 June 2024; check the route details before your walk.
The Ouse Valley Viaduct along the route
The Balcombe Circular passes beneath the Ouse Valley Viaduct. This makes the viaduct a specific landmark along the walk. If you enjoy exploring architectural history alongside a route, this offers a clear connection between the path and the structure. Details about the construction period and the arches add further context that can be considered independently of the route’s length.
The Ouse Valley Railway Viaduct was built in 1839–41 and consists of 37 tall, round-arched spans. The years indicate the construction period; the number and shape describe the structure. A round-arched span is an opening with a curved arch, and the 37 spans form a sequence of such openings. These details can therefore be read on two levels: as a timeline and as a description of the repeated architectural form.
Church history and a changing landscape
St Mary’s Church in Balcombe offers a different historical perspective: a royal wedding took place there in 1931, attended by Queen Elizabeth II as a young bridesmaid. Unlike the viaduct, the focus here is a church event with a specifically named role. For those interested in the connection between local and royal history, this provides a separate point of interest alongside the construction history.
The creation of a reservoir adds another perspective on the history of the landscape. It was created in 1979 by damming the Shell & Ardingly Brooks. The three dates relate to different subjects: 1839–41 to the construction of the viaduct, 1931 to the wedding, and 1979 to the creation of the reservoir. This allows the structure, church event and changes to the landscape to be considered separately.
To decide whether Balcombe suits your stay, you can identify what matters most to you: the circular walk offers a specific hike with a stated length and difficulty level, while the viaduct, wedding and reservoir introduce different themes in local history and the history of the landscape. If you are planning an overnight stay, first consider whether the walk or the village’s history is of greater interest to you. This can help you choose a destination that matches what you want from your stay.
Discover more destinations: Pagham, Wisborough Green, Slinfold, Bolney, Storrington, Hassocks, Merston, Arundel.
For the wider travel overview: West Sussex.
