Discover Balcombe: Circular Walk, Viaduct and Local History

Balcombe combines an impressive structure, a challenging circular walk and remarkable local history. The opportunity to shape active days and more leisurely visits according to your own interests is particularly appealing.

Balcombe Circular: a clear choice for active days

The Balcombe Circular is a 7.5-mile (12 km) circular walk rated moderate to challenging. This gives the route an important point of reference even at the planning stage: it is aimed at travellers who want to combine a longer hike with more demanding terrain. The route starts and ends at the car park of Balcombe railway station on London Road. This fixed start and end point makes it easier to incorporate the walk into your stay as a self-contained activity.

One particularly notable section passes beneath the Ouse Valley Viaduct. This gives the route a distinctive architectural landmark that connects the nature and activity aspects with a piece of railway history. The 12 km distance should be taken into account when planning your day. Those travelling with children of different ages or with several generations can deliberately include the circular walk as an active choice and plan other holiday days around shorter visits or a slower pace.

The Ouse Valley Viaduct as a historical highlight

The Ouse Valley Railway Viaduct was built in 1839–41 and consists of 37 tall semicircular-arch spans. Its construction makes the structure a destination in its own right for anyone interested in architecture, transport history and the major construction achievements of the 19th century. On the Balcombe Circular, you experience the viaduct from a special perspective, as the route passes beneath it. This allows you to appreciate its historical significance not only through the dates, but also through the impressive sequence of semicircular-arch spans.

Combining local history and landscape consciously

St Mary's Church is also one of the memorable stops in Balcombe. A royal wedding took place there in 1931; Queen Elizabeth II was present as a young bridesmaid. This connection gives the church a special historical story and complements the viaduct's technical character with an insight into the history of the village.

Another point of interest in the landscape is the reservoir. It was created in 1979 by damming the Shell & Ardingly Brooks. For travel planning, this fact offers another way to experience Balcombe: alongside the walking route, railway structure and church, the man-made waterscape is also part of the destination's character. Depending on your personal interests, you can therefore view a holiday apartment in Balcombe as a base for an active hike or for a trip combining changing interests in nature and culture.

More places for planning your trip

If you would like to compare other destinations from this selection alongside Balcombe, you can also discover Madehurst, Funtington, Angmering, Bognor Regis, Hassocks, Wiston, Walberton and Petworth.

For the main travel overview: West Sussex.