18:
The village of Goldhanger is some 3 to 3½ miles from White House Farm. By car it would take some five minutes to travel between the two. On a bicycle it would take about fifteen minutes by the shortest route.
This is from the 2002 appeal.
Three and a half miles is a long way. From where I live it would take me to places I would never dream of walking to. And would take me well over an hour to get there.
Bamber having to leave his cottage a lot earlier risks him being seen. If things took longer than expected at WHF, he may have to get back quickly, to continue his plan and avoid being seen by early rising farmers. He was also lazy and didn't want to walk seven miles in one night.