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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Friday 1 January 2016

New Year's Day Walk - Champers by the Thames

Book 1, walk 1 - Henley Circular
Length: 16.1km (10 miles)
Toughness: 2 out 10

9.12 train from Paddington (9.20 Ealing Broadway), changing at Twyford (arrive 10.05, depart 10.17) for Henley-on-Thames, arrive 10.29

*** Be aware that tube trains are much more infrequent than usual early on 1 January. Plan your journey to Paddington using the TFL Journey Planner.

For walk directions click here

Marcus has used his considerable powers of persuasion to get us a booking for 14 people for 1pm at the lovely Stag and Huntsman pub in Hambleden - a pub otherwise hyper-busy on that day. The outward train (before anyone complains) has been chosen to ensure prompt arrival for our booking and also time to stop for our traditional drink of champagne halfway through the morning - if you want to bring liquids or festive snacks to contribute to this, please do, though a certain baseload of the sparkly stuff usually seems to mysteriously materialise.

Otherwise you get a classic walk along the Thames in the morning and back over the hills in the afternoon. The Chocolate Theatre Cafe (or whatever it calls itself these days) is usually open for tea.

Trains back are at 46 past the hour.

3 comments:

Casper said...

As I don't drink..I'll be getting Sausage Rolls and a few chocolate bars for the group. Hope that's ok!

tartanrug said...

......bringing nuts and short bread. With the early start we can eat on the train! P

Anonymous said...

n=10 on this walk w=cloud-with-drizzle-late-afternoon. Those who got up early for this walk suffered the not-inconsiderable setback of all trains out of Paddington being cancelled due to a double suicide at Hayes and Harlington (The second time in little more than a month that a walk out of Paddington has been disrupted by serious train problems: we are seriously displeased - Ed). A few decanted to the Sevenoaks walk, but others persisted and decided to go onto the walk by car, as the following report from Marcus describes:

"We mustered 10 thanks to David and his fellow car drivers who set out from Ealing and as our drive down was so quick we were able to set out on the Henley walk in reverse and enjoy the champers on the hill above the town. We arrived at the Stag & Huntsman bang on time to take up our reservation on one large table, which worked perfectly. With the short afternoon leg to follow we did not have to rush our lunch - just as well as the pub was very busy and there was a bit of a wait for our food to arrive, but the staff coped and they looked after us very well. Light drizzle and rain accompanied us along the (unflooded) Thames path back into Henley, where the stop at the Tea Room for all 10 was de rigeur.

Although Paddington had reopened by 3 pm (six hour closure !) 3 of us accompanied David in his car back to London."