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Vineyard walk · East Sussex
Groombridge, Birchden Wood and Birchden Vineyards
A four-mile loop from the steam railway station at Groombridge. Start with a coffee in Birchden Wood, walk along the foot of Harrison’s Rocks, have lunch at Birchden Vineyards, and finish with a pint at the Junction Inn on the way back to the station.
The walk at a glance
| Distance | 6.9km (about 4¼ miles), a loop |
|---|---|
| Walking time | About 2¼ hours, or most of a day with coffee, lunch and the pub |
| Start and finish | Groombridge station on the Spa Valley Railway |
| Underfoot | Field paths, woodland paths and farm tracks, about 500 metres on a country lane and a few minutes on village roads. Usually muddy |
| Obstacles | Five stiles, several gates and steps down to a short tunnel under the railway. Not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs |
| Coffee | Crag Coffee in the Birchden Wood car park, Wednesday to Sunday from March to October |
| Lunch | Birchden Vineyards, Tuesday to Sunday |
| Pub | The Junction Inn, Station Road, by the station. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays |
| Dogs | Welcome in the wood, at Birchden and at the pub. Keep them on a lead in the fields |
The map
The letters mark the station (A), the Birchden Wood car park and Crag Coffee (B), Harrison’s Rocks (C), Birchden Vineyards (D) and the Junction Inn (E). The walk runs anticlockwise, and the numbered steps below follow it.
The route
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Groombridge station to Birchden Wood
1.4km, about 20 minutes
Leave the station by the steps up to Station Road and turn right over the hump-backed bridge. Take the short path on the left into Gromenfield, then turn left at the end into Corseley Road and follow it south out of the village. A short footpath cuts off one bend.
Where the houses end, take the public footpath on the left. It goes down steps and through a short tunnel under the railway, then crosses the fields to the top corner of Birchden Wood.
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Coffee, then along Harrison’s Rocks
1.5km, about 25 minutes
Follow the path along the top of the wood to the car park. Crag Coffee’s trailer is here from Wednesday to Sunday between March and October, 10am to 5pm, with coffee, cakes and bagels, and there are toilets.
From the car park, head to the western edge of the wood and follow the path south, close to the railway. Harrison’s Rocks, a long line of sandstone crags owned by the British Mountaineering Council, rise beside the path, and on most dry days there are climbers on them. Look west across the valley to the vines of Sanden Vineyard on the slope at Old Birchden Farm. It was planted in 1987 and makes sparkling wine.
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Out of the wood and up to Birchden
2.2km, about 35 minutes
At the southern end, the path turns east along the bottom of the wood and leaves it at the south-east corner, over two stiles and through several gates.
Carry on along the public footpath, a farm track, for about a kilometre north-east to Eridge Road, through one more gate. Cross with care and walk up Park Corner Lane, almost opposite, for about 500 metres, in single file. At the top, turn right along Broadwater Forest Lane for a few steps to Birchden Farm.
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Lunch at Birchden Vineyards
The Blackbird Café does brunch, baguettes, soup and sharing boards and needs no booking. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, closing at 3pm from Tuesday to Friday, 5pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday. The vineyard tour, with three wines, starts at 12.30pm and 2pm and is booked ahead. More in our Birchden guide.
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Back beside the railway to the Junction Inn
2.3km, about 40 minutes
From Birchden, take the public footpath north across the fields. It turns west and runs beside the railway, with the line on your right, over three stiles. This is the way Birchden sends people from the station, and it has its own walking map.
The path comes out on Station Road opposite Lealands Close. Turn right over the hump-backed bridge. The station is on your left, and the Junction Inn is about 150 metres further on.
The Junction serves Harvey’s beer and welcomes dogs. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The hours for other days differ between the listings we found, so ring ahead on 01892 864275 if you are counting on it.
The loop works just as well the other way round, with lunch at Birchden first and the woods in the afternoon. In that case Birchden’s own directions from the station are the first leg.
Getting there
The Spa Valley Railway is a heritage line from Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge, calling at High Rocks and Groombridge. It runs on selected days, not every day, and on its Dark Blue timetable days the trains do not stop at Groombridge. Check the railway’s calendar before you plan the day around it.
Groombridge has no mainline station. On days without steam trains, take a train to Tunbridge Wells, from London Charing Cross or London Bridge in about an hour, and a taxi from there. Eridge, on the Southern line from London Bridge, is the other nearby station.
By car, there is a public car park on Station Road in Groombridge, run by Wealden District Council. You could also park at Birchden Wood, where Forestry England charges from £2.50 for two hours, payable by RingGo, and start the loop from point B on the map.
Good to know
- The field paths are muddy for much of the year. Birchden’s advice is wellies or proper walking boots.
- Birchden Wood opens daily from 8am and closes at 5pm from November to February, and at 10pm from March to October. Crag Coffee is not there in winter.
- Birchden’s café and the Junction are both closed on Mondays, so do the walk on another day.
- We plotted this route from OpenStreetMap’s footpath map and Birchden’s own directions, and checked it on 4 November 2026. If a path, stile or gate has changed, please tell us.
Questions people ask
How long is the walk?
6.9 kilometres, or about four and a quarter miles. Allow about two and a quarter hours of walking, and most of a day with coffee, lunch at Birchden and the pub.
Can I do it without the steam train?
Yes. Take a train to Tunbridge Wells and a taxi to Groombridge, or drive and park in the village or at Birchden Wood.
Is it suitable for dogs?
Yes. Dogs on leads are welcome in the wood, at Birchden, including in the café, and at the Junction Inn. There are five stiles, so a large dog may need lifting.
Can I walk it with a pushchair?
No. The stiles, the gates and the steps down to the railway tunnel make it unsuitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.