After the Bewl Water Marathon: Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest

The Route: Bewl Water → Bedgebury National Pinetum → Bewl Water Logistics: A short drive; no meaningful public transport link, so a car is required. Marathon Month: September Duration: Day trip

Bewl Water ──(short drive)──> Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest ──(return)──> Bewl Water

For runners wanting more of the same rural Weald landscape without the reservoir's own hills, Bedgebury offers gentler, more forgiving trails the day after a demanding two-lap trail marathon. September at Bedgebury: the forest is heading into early autumn colour, with generally quiet, uncrowded conditions outside school holidays.

The Pinetum and Forest

Bedgebury National Pinetum, one of the most extensive conifer collections in the world, offers waymarked walking trails through carefully planted groves, mostly flat and well surfaced, a genuine contrast to the reservoir's own undulating terrain. The wider Bedgebury Forest adds further, longer trail options for anyone with energy to spare, alongside a well-used mountain-biking trail network that shares the same access roads.

Where to eat: A visitor café operates at the main Bedgebury entrance, offering a straightforward lunch stop without needing to leave the site.

Getting Back

The return drive to Bewl Water retraces the same short route, with both sites sitting within the same stretch of Kent/East Sussex countryside.