British Wildlife Centre & South East Surrey Explorer – 15 miles (25 kilometres)

The highlight of today’s Love To Hike is a three-hour visit to the British Wildlife Centre (BWC) in Lingfield. Founded in 1997, the BWC has the finest collection of native species of fauna in the country.

The circular 15 miles (25 kilometres) route explores the rarely visited south-eastern corner of Surrey that surrounds the village and ancient parish of Lingfield, near the border with Kent and Sussex.

The route is mostly flat, with only 150m of ascent, and follows various quiet, breathtaking, rural paths including a stretch of Tandridge Border Path between East Grinstead and Lingfield.

Lunch: Picnic

Toilets: There are toilets at Lingfield station, and at the BWC.

Drivers: Car park at the station.

Price: £12.00 per person for a full day’s hike guided by Eliza Wyrzykowska plus the £15.00 entry fee for the BWC.

It is strongly recommended that you pre-book your BWC ticket at https://britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/bwc-onlineshop/paymentreceived/ as there are only x50 pay-on-the-day admissions. This means entry is only guaranteed when you pre-book online.

Note: The price of the hike excludes transport, parking, and lunch.

Mobile for the day: 07990 489040.

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/527954508076020/ - please join.

ROUTE

From the station, we head south to pass Lingfield Park Racecourse, the busiest horse racing course in Europe. Opened in 1890, it boasts over 75 meetings a year, including flat, and all-weather jump racing.
Continuing in a south-westerly direction, we hike through some breathtaking Surrey countryside, until we reach Ward’s Farm, the highest point on the route. From here, we carry on north and then west, to reach the BWC.
The BWC is a private zoo specialising in British wildlife and participates in captive breeding programmes. The BWC has over 40 different native species, including red deer, weasels, pine martens, red foxes, river otters, hedgehogs, free-flying owls, along with a badger house and keeper talks every half hour.

Check out this short video:
https://britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/planyourvisit/your-visit/
After our visit to the BWC, we explore the countryside to the west and north of Lingfield as we return to the station by a series of quiet paths.

LUNCH

Lunch will be a picnic at the BWC upon our arrival. There is also a coffee shop at the BWC.

TRAINS

Depart: Leaves London Victoria at 0850 to arrive at Lingfield at 0941. You can also join this train at Clapham Junction (0857) and East Croydon (0910).

Return: Return trains to London leave Lingfield at 13 and 43 minutes past the hour and take 49 minutes.

Train fare: The off-peak return fare from London Victoria to Lingfield is £19.10. With GroupSave, the price per person for a group of 3 to 9 is reduced by 34% to only £12.61. If you would like to form a group, please post a comment on this site and arrange to meet inside London Victoria station by 0835.

DRIVERS

Lingfield station is 9 miles south of the M25 junction 6. Follow the A22 heading south. Turn left onto the B2029, then left onto the B2028, and finally left into Station Road.

WHAT TO BRING

· Hand sanitiser.

· Sturdy, waterproof hiking boots that have been broken-in, ideally with ankle support. No trainers.

· Waterproof jacket: whatever the weather, we hike.

· Water: 2 litres minimum.

· Pre-packed picnic lunch and snacks: it’s a long hike.

· Day pack.

· Long trousers: zip-offs are perfect for warm days.

· Sunglasses, hat and sunscreen if warm and sunny.

· Gaiters or waterproof over trousers if rain is expected.

· Dry base layer for the journey home.

PRICE

£12.00 per person payable in advance upon booking for a full day’s hike guided by Eliza Wyrzykowska.

BOOKING

To book, click on the ‘Yes’ button just below ‘Are you going?’ in the top right hand corner. You can pay from either your PayPal account or with your debit or credit card.

CANCELLATIONS

When you cancel seven or more days before a Love To Hike, you receive a £12 credit towards any future Love To Hike event.

DISCLAIMER

When participating in any outdoor activity, there is always the risk of injury and death. When hiking with Love To Hike, you acknowledge that:

1. You are fully aware of all of the risks involved and accept full responsibility for whatever may happen to you during or after the hike.
2. You are in good health, ‘fit to hike’ and capable of keeping the pace for the duration of the hike.
3. You shall wear sturdy hiking boots that have been broken-in, are in good condition (not brand new), and clothing that is appropriate for the time of year and any weather conditions that may arise during the hike.
4. You shall not hold responsible, nor pursue any legal, injury or financial compensation claim against Love To Hike and or the hike leader for anything that may happen to you during or after the hike.