Sunday short walk to Leigh Folk Fesival

Benfleet to Leigh-on-Sea T=short.14
3.5 miles Difficulty: 1 out of 10
This short walk along the Essex shoreline coincides with Leigh Folk Festival and is getting to be a regular feature. In Leigh, you'll find free stages along the waterfront as well as artists in other venues.

Trains leave from Fenchurch Street Station. The back entrance to the station is not far from Tower Hill underground - follow the signs. This map shows other connections.
The 10:40 to Shoeburyness is suggested, arriving Benfleet at 11:22. There are 4 trains an hour - The xx:10 and xx:40 are faster.
Trains back from Leigh-on-Sea are at xx:21 xx:28 and xx:51. The LAST TRAIN is at 22:51 getting to Fenchurch St at 23:42.
Get a return to Leigh-on-Sea (not to be confused with Leigh (Kent) or Lee).

Directions: Get your directions here. And have a map as well. Most of the walk is though Hadleigh Castle Country Park. Along the way you have the option to turn left in the direction of the castle ruins  - a good place for a picnic. There are food outlets in Leigh but things can get busy. Note the railway station on your way in. This is where the walk stops and the fun starts.  It’s also where you will be leaving from.

Sunday Walk – Over the South Downs to Rottingdean

Extra Walk 134 – Lewes via Rottingdean to Brighton (or Southease)
Length: 18.7 km (11.6 miles). Toughness: 4/10 (to Brighton)
Length: 20.0 km (12.4 miles). Toughness: 6/10 (to Southease)

09:47 Ore train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:53, East Croydon 10:02), arriving Lewes at 10:48. A day return to Southease is no more expensive than Lewes and is valid for return from any of the possible destinations.

If you finish at Brighton there are fast Southern trains to Victoria at 10 & 35 minutes past the hour (fewer after 9pm), and Thameslink ones via Blackfriars at 14 & 44 past. Southease only has an hourly train at 09 minutes past (changing at Lewes); the last one is just after 8pm.

The start of this walk is the as Book 2 Walk 24 (Lewes-Saltdean), but after a short stretch on the familiar South Downs Way it turns off into the remoter parts of the downs and makes its way to the attractive seaside town of Rottingdean. If you haven't stopped en route for a picnic you'll find a choice of pubs and cafés for a late lunch when you arrive there around 1.30-1.45pm.

After a good lunch the lazy option is simply to hop on one of the many buses plying the coastal route; the walk notes offer ideas about where to get on and off. A more respectable continuation is to walk at least part of the way along the seafront to Brighton. If you want a sterner test there are directions for an alternative route back over the downs to Southease station. This last option suffers from a lack of tea places and infrequent trains, but you could divert to the Abergavenny Arms in Rodmell and perhaps even continue all the way back to Lewes if you know the Walk 24 route via Northease Manor (or bring Book 2).

You'll need to print the directions from this pdf document.

Saturday Third Walk

Extra Walk 115:  Moreton-in-Marsh Circular – A peaceful walk through the Cotswold

Length:  12.3 miles (or just under 15 miles if extended)

Difficulty:  5 out of 10

Train:  Take the 9:21 First Great Western Train to Worcester from London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh, arriving at 10:59.  Return trains from Moreton-in-Marsh are hourly at 16:41, 17:44, 18:45, 19:45, 20:43 and 21:52.  Buy a day return to Moreton-in-Marsh.  At long last, FGW has added a Saturday train that leaves at the appropriate time for this walk – this will give people more time to enjoy this gem of a walk and/or explore the extension to Chipping Campden.

This walk makes a peaceful circuit through the Cotswold, passing through the picturesque villages of Paxford, Broad Campden and Blockley, allowing ample opportunity to rehydrate.  The countryside in the afternoon is particularly pretty with many delightful vistas across the gentle rolling Cotswold landscape. 

There is an option to extend the route by a little over 2.5 miles by adding visits to Ebrington and Chipping Camden.  It is also possible to shorten the walk by taking a bus from Chipping Camden (15:45/17:50) (as well as Blockley (16:16 or 18:21)) back to Moreton-in-Marsh (Johnsons (Henley) Route 21/ johnsonscoaches.co.uk/ 01564 797 000).  If planning on a bus, it is recommended that you verify the exact time for your desired pick-up point.    More information and the instructions for the walk can be found here.

With the earlier train option this year, for those not doing the extension, the logical lunch stop will be The Bakers Arms (01386 840515) in Broad Camden about 6 miles into the walk which serves traditional food until 2:00 PM.  For those who take a later train or prefer an early more avant garde lunch, the Churchill Arms in Paxford (01386 593 159) which is 4 miles into the walk is the better choice – it serves somewhat upscale modern British food until 3:00 PM.  Also possible, for those doing the extension, is the Ebrington Arms (01386 593 223) in Ebrington (on the extension about 1 mile beyond Paxford) which serves high quality main meals until 2:30 PM and serves snacks and sandwiches all afternoon. Larger groups should call ahead and provide some warning to any of these establishments. 

Tea or afternoon drinks can be had at a variety of places in Chipping Campden (if doing the extension) or at the Bakers Arms in Broad Campden (if eating lunch at an earlier pub) or, possibly, the Great Western Arms (01386 700362) in Blockley – though the afternoon opening hours for this pub are presently unconfirmed.   There are also many enticing options in Moreton-in-Marsh.

Enjoy the walk!

Saturday Second Walk – The North Easterly End of The Chilterns

A hilly walk in the Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire borders, half an hour from Central London, for less than a tenner (with a Railcard) 

SWC Walk 234 – Hitchin Circular

Length: 25.7 km (16.0 mi) [with shortcuts: 20.8 km (13.0 mi)]

Ascent/descent: 394 m

Toughness: 7 out of 10

9.22 Peterborough train from Kings Cross (9.28 Finsbury Park), arriving Hitchin at 9.55

Return trains are four per hour until very late, the fast ones are departing on XX.00 and XX.30

First regular posting of this new walk, which was walk-checked to general acclaim last autumn. 

It covers the hilly area west of Hitchin, on the Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire borders, features two notable climbs over the most north easterly Chilterns ridges, and is centred around the steep chalk downlands of Pegsdon Hills and Knocking Hoe Nature Reserves. Most scenic is the descent through Pegsdon Hills to lunch at The Live and Let Live Country Inn in Pegsdon (13.7 km/8.5 mi into the walk), from whose garden you have stunning views back to the surrounding hills. Before and after that the route follows mostly grassy lanes or the ancient Icknield Way, when it doesn't meander through a few woods. 

The Motte & Bailey Village Inn in the pretty village of Pirton is an option for a mid-afternoon break, before another stretch along the Icknield Way leads to the outskirts of Hitchin. On the way Oughtonhead Common Nature Reserve – a mature alder and willow fen woodland – is passed through, where the route follows the Oughton chalk river to its wellhead. From there it is only a few minutes to one of the cutest and quirkiest tea stops: Oughtonhead Farm Garden Gate Tea Room, 3.8 km from the end of the walk. 

After a short ascent to Hitchin's fringes the finish leads down through its old town, which has kept its medieval market town feel and features many fine Tudor andGeorgian buildings, as well as more pleasant tea and dining options (one of the reasons why Hitchin was voted the 9^th best town in the UK in which to live in a 2013 poll in The Times). From there just one more short and sharp ascent through a small park lies between you and the station.

For walk directions click here.

For a map click here.

For a gpx or a kml file click here.

To leave feedback after the walk click here.

Saturday First Walk Book 1 Walk 32 : Arundel to Amberley

Book 1 Walk 32 : Arundel to Amberley
Distance  18.8km (11.7 miles) or less     Please see below  
Toughness   7 out of 10
Explorer 121 or Landranger 197

Ordnance Survey map of the route here

http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_32/map.shtml
 

Take the 10.02 from Victoria Station to Arundel arriving 11.29 (Clapham Junction 10.08 and East Croydon 10.18)

Trains back from Amberley to Victoria are at 17 past the hour, and take 87 minutes.

Buy a day return to Arundel.

There are a number of options for reducing the length of the walk to 8.5 miles or less that are noted in the online instructions here
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_32/index.shtml
 
On this walk there are several stretches that are steep (but with excellent views in compensation) and some of the descents on chalky paths can be slippery in the wet or after recent rain.
I include this piece of info below just in case we have 'April Showers'  on the day When coming down off the South Downs towards Amberley, the final leg of the walk, across the south-western section of Amberley Wild Brooks, should not be undertaken after periods of heavy rain, as your route over the water meadows is likely to be flooded; instead, take the direct route down High Titten to the railway station and the Bridge Inn.

Mervyn Peake and his family lived here and he walked the South Downs while devising the fantasy characters of Gormenghast. The turrets of Arundel Castle may have been its inspiration.

The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary in Burpham is of Saxon origin and has a lepers' window by which lepers could watch the Mass.

The afternoon’s walk, up, over and down the chalky South Downs, makes for a nice contrast to the morning’s walk. Amberley is a delightful village with many thatched houses, a pub, tea shop and village store, in addition to its castle and church.
By the railway station is the Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre (http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/ ) .



Lunch
The suggested lunch stop is the George & Dragon Inn, at Burpham (tel: 01903-883131) which is at 6 miles (just a little over half way), say 2.5 hours of walking so you should get to lunch at around 14.00. 
The pub has an extensive menu of quality main courses and specials (fairly expensive) and substantial snacks, served  noon to 15.00. Just had a look online and the sandwiches and salads are not too bad on price http://georgeatburpham.co.uk/food.html

There are also some benches outside the churchyard nearby where you can sit and enjoy a picnic and a pint from the pub.
It will be necessary to give them a courtesy call if more than 4 of you wish to eat at the pub.  There maybe a service charge for tables of 6 or more so maybe a few should book tables for 4 or 5

Tea
There is a new tea room in main square of Amberley village (the village itself, not the huddle of houses by the station) - the Amberley Village Tea Rooms. See http://www.amberleyvillagetearoom.co.uk/ or phone 01798 839196.

The Black Horse pub in Amberley village is closed according to the Comments section on this walk (tel: 01798-831700) though it maybe open again by now after local campaigning and then a refit.

The Bridge Inn (http://www.bridgeinnamberley.com/page4.htm tel: 01798-831619) serves coffee, tea and stronger drinks all afternoon and good-value meals from 6pm.

More info on the walk here

Midweek Evening Walk

Trent Country Park & Enfield Chase
L=short.10
Distance: 8km
Meet 19:15 prompt at the entrance to Cockfosters underground station. This is a self-led walk making the most of the longer June evenings, this walk on the outskirts of London through Trent Country Park & Enfield Chase and is worth the journey to the end of the Piccadilly line. Finish up at the Cock & Dragon for drink / meal. This is a self-led walk: Directions here plus map.

instructions + map (in development)

Midweek Day Walk - Cholsey to Goring

Cholsey to Goring (and Streatley)

Gentle Oxfordshire Countryside, horse training runs and Old Father Thames 

Book 3* Walk 49

* Online only

Length :  22 km or 14 miles

Toughness :  3 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:15 am express train from London Paddington to Reading and change to catch the 10:53 to Cholsey
Or
Catch the 9:57 train from London Paddington directly to Cholsey
Some calling stations for this service are:

1. Ealing Broadway: Dep 10:05
2. Slough: Dep 10:27
3. Maidenhead Dep 10:34

Meeting point : Cholsey Station at 11:10

Brief Description

This walk offers a fine combination of gentle Oxfordshire countryside, wide grassy horse training gallops, a stretch of the Ridgeway with splendid views from the Berkshire Downs, and a final saunter along the banks of the Thames. Although the walk is fairly long, it has nothing too steep or demanding.

You may find full details  here and a  printable PDF here (also suitable for Kindles)

Suggested Lunch stops

The Red Lion, Blewbury

Suggested Tea stops

Beetle and Wedge

Maps

OS Explorer  170

Return train times

Trains return from Goring and Streatley are at the following times ...

16:46
17:16
17:42
18:12
18:42
19:12

Paddingtonians may shorten the journey by changing at  Reading - please check.

Sunday 2nd Walk – the Greensand Hills and Chartwell

Extra Walk 63a Oxted Circular (long walk via Chartwell) T=3.63.a

21.5km (13.4m); toughness 7/10.

Train: London Victoria 09.53 (Clapham Junction 09.59, East Croydon 10.10) arrives Oxted 10.30

Return trains to London Victoria at xx:28 and xx:58

Much of this attractive and fairly strenuous walk is through the wooded Greensand Hills which are just to the south of the North Downs and where the countryside is owned by the National Trust and two large estates.

This long walk option enables you to visit Chartwell, the home of Winston Churchill and now owned by the National Trust.

Further information about the walk, various walk and refreshment options together with full walk instructions can be found here. Be sure to click on option a for the directions for the longer Chartwell walk.

Sunday 1st Walk – the Sussex Weald and Bateman's

Book 2 Walk 19 Stonegate Circular

15.5km (9.6m); toughness 3/10

Train: London Charing Cross 09.55 (Waterloo East 09.58, Orpington 10.19) arrives Stonegate 11.07

Return trains to London Charing Cross at xx:23

A lovely walk over gentle hills and through tranquil valleys in the East Sussex Weald. There are options to shorten and extend the walk – quite considerably if you fancy doing 18 or 20 miles.

For further information about the walk and its refreshment options plus the link to full pdf walk instructions (you do not need Book 2 for this walk) please click here

Walk 3-106b: Ham Street Circular

Length: 23.5km (14.6 miles), Toughness: 4/10 T=3.106.b

Trains: High speed 9:34 from St. Pancras International changing at Ashford International (arr. 10:11, dep. 10:33) to Ham Street arriving at 10:41. Alternatively catch the 8:52 from Victoria (Bromley South 9:09) arriving at Ashford 10:21 to transfer to the 10:33. Buy a day return to Ham Street.
Return trains from Ham Street are at xx:10 changing at Ashford for the high speed at xx:43 or slow at xx:35.

Options: It is possible to reduce the walk by 5km by finishing at Appledore.

Lunch: The suggested lunch stop is the newly reopened Woolpack Inn (01233 732 900) in Warehorne about 9.5km into the walk. An earlier stop is possible at the Blue Anchor in Ruckinge after 4km but that leaves nearly 20km to complete after lunch.

Tea: The Dukes Head pub in Ham Street.

Directions: For more information including directions, maps, GPS etc. see SWC.106

Midsummer meanders in the Medway Valley

SWC Walk 220 - Tonbridge to Hadlow
Length: 17km (10.6 miles) with longer option of 24.3km (15.1 miles)
Toughness: 2 out of 10

9.33 train from Cannon Street (9.37 London Bridge), arriving Tonbridge at 10.16

OR

9.40 train from Charing Cross (9.43 Waterloo East) arriving Tonbridge at 10.20

If you miss the above, get the 9.45 from Charing Cross, arriving Tonbridge 10.27

Buy a day return to Tonbridge.

For walk directions click here.

New walks appear on our website regularly these days and it is a little hard to keep up with them all. This one had an outing last July and appears not to have been given an airing since. (Note that this is not the same walk as SWC 219 Hildenborough to Hadlow and Tonbridge, done last October, though it obviously is in similar territory).

The map shows few contours on the route, so I am guessing it is not demanding in terms of gradients. It apparently boasts lots of meadows which can be rather dreamy at this time of year, and seems to have a fair quota of pubs for those who want to fill up the (nearly) longest day of the year with some pleasant rural drink and chat.

Lunch is a little over 8km/5 miles in, though there seem to be other possible options before and after. Tea, if you can get there before 5pm, at the tea room of Broadview Gardens in Hadlow. The village also has a large tower, built as an aristocratic folly, which you see rising above the fields as you approach, and the walk has two interesting churches, one decorated by Mark Chagall.

The standard version of the walk takes a no 7 or 77 bus from Hadlow back to Tonbridge. These run at 02, 24 and 42 past until 17.42, then 18.35, 18.47, 18.55, 19.43, 20.46, 21.46 and 22.56.

Alternatively if you really want to make the best of the (nearly) longest day, an optional 7.3km (4.5 mile) extension to the walk takes you back to Tonbridge. This is the 24.3km (15.1 mile) version of the walk.

Trains back from Tonbridge are too frequent to enumerate - every 10 minutes or so.

Saturday First Walk 9.2 miles with the added Rowhedge Regata

Book 1  Walk 30 : Wivenhoe Circular
with Rowhedge Regata  http://www.rowhedge-regatta.co.uk/    floated as a little extra
14.8km (9.2 miles)
2 out of 10
Explorer 184 or Landranger 168
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_30/map.shtml

Take the 10.18 out of Liverpool St arriving Wivenhoe at 11.23
Trains back at XX.23 direct or XX.32 with a change
The ferry starts at 13.30 and finishes at 17.00 but you best check this on the day as with the Regata on it may have changed and there was a recent error in the printing of the timetable http://www.rowhoeferry.co.uk/p/fares.html

I post this walk at the suggestion of one of the walk posters as it is Rowhedge Regatta http://www.rowhedge-regatta.co.uk/ on this Saturday (Wivenhoe's was last Saturday apparently) so you may wish to skip one of the loops in the walk to watch the boats and presumably the stalls and general village fete atmosphere or you may choose to do both halves of the walks but also enjoy the eye candy of the boats on the water.

You will be able to do the Wivenhoe leg of the walk first before catching the ferry.
The fare per passenger is £1.50 per trip which is less than the ferry’s upkeep cost and the ferry relies on donations to keep it going.

Allow at least two hours for the Rowhedge leg and leave plenty of time to get back to the ferry
before the last crossing back to Wivenhoe. If you miss the ferry back, you could catch a bus or a
taxi into Colchester.


This walk is made up of two loops, one on the Wivenhoe side of the river Colne and one on the
Rowhedge side. However, there is no bridge - you need to take a ferry. This means the full walk is
only possible at weekends and on bank holiday Mondays between Easter and the middle of October
when the ferry at Wivenhoe is working (although you might be lucky enough to thumb a lift across
from a boat at other times).  It is well worth making the extra effort to fit in this unusual walk.

Each part of the walk is round figures 7km, so allow 2 hours for each.

Wivenhoe, perhaps because of its proximity to the University of Essex, is a remarkable village
bursting with community spirit, with volunteers out there constantly manning the ferry, re-roofing
the boat house or washing down the slipways. There are always half a dozen dinghies being made
by amateurs in the riverside’s Nottage Maritime Institute. From the church and town, the morning’s
walk is along the mudflats of the River Colne past zones of former dereliction (now in the course of
regeneration through new housing), past a £14.5 million flood surge barrier, and past sand-
extraction works and lakes created in old extraction craters. Returning to Wivenhoe, catch the ferry
over to the village of Rowhedge.

Rowhedge must be the only village in the UK where swans frequently block the main high street.
But having circumvented this fearsome obstacle, you go via the church into a wood controlled by
the Ministry of Defence and used on occasions as a firing range. The last part of the return journey
is the highlight of the day: passing the lovely Norman Church of St Andrew in Fingringhoe, with its
chequerboard design of banded flint, to the former Fingringhoe Mill and on along the John
Brunning Walk – mudflats and saltmarshes beside Roman River and a haven for heron, redshank,
lapwing, shelduck, kestrels and barn owls.

Lunch
On the Wivenhoe side
You should arrive at the suggested lunch which is the Rose & Crown pub (tel. 01206-826371) on
The Quay at about 13.10 It serves food from midday to 7 pm
The ferry should start at 13.30
The ferry should finish at 17.00
Best to check when you go over

Tea
You have several options for tea back on the Wivenhoe side of the river:
The Rose & Crown pub.
The Tudor Tea Rooms on the High Street (closed on Sundays).
The Greyhound pub (tel. 01206-825573) on the High Street, near the start of the walk, now open on
Sundays, and serves “Black Sheep” beer.
The Black Buoy pub (tel. 01206-822425) on East Street.
The Station pub (tel. 01206-822991) next to Wivenhoe railway station.
The Nottage Maritime Institute sometimes serves tea and cakes in the afternoon, up to 5 pm.

If you have time for tea on the Rowhedge side, your options are The Anchor pub or Ye Olde Albion
pub.

More info here
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_30/index.shtml

Midweek Day Walk - Witley to Haslemere

Witley to Haslemere

Gibbet Hill, Devil's Punch Bowl and Hindhead Common

Book 3* Walk 145

* Online only

Length: 16 Km or 10 miles

Toughness: 4 out of 10

Getting there: Catch the 10:15 am from London Waterloo to Witley

Meeting point: Witley Station at 11:09 am
Tickets:  Buy a Cheap Day Return to Haslemere

Brief Description:
This is a request walk by Mike whose birthday is on this very day (that should get him a drink or two!) ...
The walk is in draft format at the moment and you may find details here

Suggested Lunch stop
The Three Horse­shoes pub in Thursley (01252 703268) has an informal eating area and restaurant inside the pub plus extensive seating outdoors in the attractive beer garden.

Suggested Tea stops

Hemmingways or Darnleys in Haslemere town centre

Explorer Map 133

Return train times from Haslemere:

Trains return to London Waterloo from Haslemere and there are about four an hour. The station is 10-12 minutes from the town centre,

Sunday Second Walk - Celebrating Magna Carta

Book 1 Walk 18 variation – Sunningdale to Staines via Runnymede
Length: 17km (10.6 miles) Toughness: 2/10

10.09 Reading train from Waterloo (Vauxhall 10:13, Clapham Junction 10:19) arriving at Sunningdale at 11:00. Buy an off-peak day return to Sunningdale, which is three stops beyond Staines.

There are five return trains an hour from Staines to Waterloo, the fastest being at xx:11 and xx:41.

Some SWC walkers have already visited the splendid Magna Carta exhibition at the British Library, and this walk offers an opportunity to visit the place where the momentous meeting between King John and the barons took place on 15 June 1215. On the 800th anniversary itself a major celebratory event will be held on Runnymede meadows, where King John put his seal to the charter. But the celebrations commence in the days leading up to Monday’s event, and you’ll be able to view the river pageant which arrives at Runnymede on Sunday afternoon.

In the morning the route follows the Book 1 Sunningdale to Windsor walk, but after lunch at the Savill Garden Restaurant it diverts to head directly down to the Thames at Runnymede, before following the Thames Path downstream to Staines. It would also be possible to follow the Thames Path in the opposite direction to reach Windsor, but the station there is on a different line, requiring an extra rail ticket, so it is simpler to head for Staines, which is on the same line as Sunningdale.

As well as the usual lunch stop at the Savill Garden Restaurant, the diverted route passes a nearby pub, The Sun Inn (01784 432515), which could be an option for those who prefer a pub lunch. Please ring the pub when you get off the train to let them know how many walkers to expect. Two recent walkers reported having an unsatisfactory meal there, in terms of both quality and quantity, but the kitchen might have been having an off day, so it would be good to have more reports before dismissing it as an option.

During the weekend a River Relay consisting of about 200 boats will transport a facsimile of Magna Carta down the Thames, with stops en route. The flotilla will be passing Runnymede meadows in the early afternoon of Sunday, with the main flotilla reaching the Runnymede Pleasure Ground at 14:45 and the Queen’s Row Barge ‘Gloriana’ arriving at 15:15. There a re-enactment of the sealing of Magna Carta will take place as part of an all-day Pageant.

The Pageant is a ticketed event which will necessitate the temporary closure of a section of the Thames Path that runs round the edge of the site. At this point the path will be diverted for about 600 metres to go along the A308, where there is no footpath. At the RCDC sign turn left for 150 metres, following a public bridleway sign, to regain the riverside path, where you turn right.

For the morning route you will need to take either Book 1 or the online Walk Directions. The afternoon route can be downloaded here.

T=1.18.m

Sunday First Walk - Richmond Park + cricket match

Extra Walk 188 – Richmond Circular
Length: 12km (7.5 miles) Toughness: 1/10

10.25 Windsor & Eton Riverside train from Waterloo (Vauxhall 10:29, Clapham Junction 10:35) arriving at Richmond at 10:44.
Or take a District Line tube train to arrive at Richmond at the same time. Richmond is in Zone 4. There are frequent return trains to Waterloo.

The idea of combining a shortish walk with a visit to a limited overs county cricket match proved fairly popular last year, so we’re repeating the formula today. Starting out along the banks of the Thames, the route soon climbs to explore the varied and less visited landscapes of Richmond Park, before returning to Richmond via the suggested lunchtime stop, Pembroke Lodge.

The Twenty20 cricket match between Middlesex and Gloucestershire will take place at Old Deer Park, Richmond, starting at 2:30pm. Spectating is free. To reach the cricket ground, do not follow signs to Old Deer Park (Public Park), but go past Richmond Station and walk for 150 metres to Richmond roundabout. Take the second walk exit from the roundabout across the dual carriage way and turn into Kew Road following the signs for Kew Gardens. Stay on this pavement for half a mile, and the entrance to the cricket ground is on the left.

Those not interested in the cricket could combine the walk with a visit to Kew Gardens, or could extend the walk by following the Thames Path upstream to Kingston.

The suggested lunch stop, Pembroke Lodge, is in Richmond Park towards the end of the walk. Allow 45 minutes to reach Old Deer Park from there.

You can find the walk directions and further information here.

Saturday Third Walk – the South Downs above Chichester

Extra Walk 239 – Halnaker to Chichester
Length: 22.9 km (14.2 miles). Toughness: 7/10

09:02 Portsmouth Harbour & Bognor Regis train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:08, East Croydon 09:18), arriving Chichester at 10:34. You need to be in the front (Portsmouth) part of the train. Buy a day return to Chichester.

On arrival I suggest postponing the polite round of introductions on the platform. Instead, march smartly to the nearby Bus Station where a Tangmere-bound Stagecoach 55 leaves from Bay 6 at 10:40 (see the Walk Directions for details of the short link route). The buses are half-hourly so it's not a disaster if you miss the connection, but it's going to be a long day so make every effort to catch it. Alight at Halnaker crossroads to start the walk.

Direct trains back from Chichester to Victoria are half-hourly at 11 & 41 minutes past until 17:41, then 18:12, 18:37 and hourly from 19:07. If you just miss one of the hourly ones, take a Brighton train at 25 minutes past and change at Barnham.

This long and hilly walk in a hitherto-undiscovered part of the South Downs was enthusiastically received on its Valentines Day début four months ago, so it will surely get even more rapturous reviews in the mud-free days of mid-June. There are quite a few steep hills as you make your way across the valleys in this part of the downs, but the walk document describes a few shortcuts for the faint-hearted.

The suggested lunch stop is the Partridge Inn in the village of Singleton, described last time as offering “tasty fare”. This is halfway through the walk but there are a couple of earlier alternatives if you don't think you'll reach it in time. There's a long list of tea places in Chichester.

You'll need to print the walk directions from this pdf document.

Saturday Second Walk - the White Cliffs of Dover

Book 2, walk 30 - Dover to Deal t=2.30
Length: 17.2km (10.7 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

9.40 train from Charing Cross to Dover, arriving 11.31

OR

10.08 Southeastern High Speed train from St Pancras International to Ashford, arriving 10.46, to connect with the above train at 11.00 (and so also arrive at Dover at 11.31)

High speed types could also get the 10.37 from St Pancras direct to Dover, arriving 11.41, which would give you an extra half hour in bed. Note that there is a Meet-Up group of walkers travelling on this train, however. It is a led walk, so we ought to easily show them a clean pair of heels, but I thought the ten minute head start offered by the train choice above might the useful. The Meet-Ups are asked to bring a packed lunch and so hopefully will not clutter up the lunch pub.

Buy a day return to Deal: there is a big advantage to taking the high speed train when coming back from this walk: see note at the end of this post.

For walk directions click here or bring book two.

This walk along England's ramparts is a joy at any time of the year, but especially now when its wildflowers are at their best. In particular, the "boring bit" (a term others use, but not me!!) along Walmer and Deal beaches is enlivened by a spectacular display (see photo, taken this year), and the section before that (St Margaret's Bay onwards) usually has plenty of pretty sainfoin (a pink pea flower).

Lunch is usually taken at the Coastguard Inn overlooking the sea in St Margaret's Bay, but there are all sorts of tea room alternatives - one in the South Foreland Lighthouse that you can access without paying the admission fee, one in the museum opposite the park as you come into St Margaret's Bay, a tea kiosk on St Margaret's Beach and the Blue Birds Tea Room just beyond St M (though the latter is often full).

For tea I particularly like the cafe at the end of Deal Pier, which has a wonderful view of the sea and the town - much nicer than you expect when you see it from the shore. But there are other favourites discovered by walkers on previous outings, including the Pop Up Cafe at 16 High Street.

The little walking tour of Deal contained in the directions is often skipped by walkers, but only takes 15  minutes and is very scenic.

Trains back from Deal now go direct to St Pancras with no need to change, leaving at 31 past till at least 21.31 and taking just 1 hr 23 minutes. But you have to pay the high speed supplement to do this (about £3 with a Network Card and you must have a ticket from London Terminals not a zone boundary.) 

If you want to return by normal train to Charing Cross you now have to change at Ashford (arriving at 15 past and leaving at 35 past) giving a total journey time of 2hrs 22 minutes.

Saturday First Walk – Blenheim Palace and the River Evenlode

Book 1 Walk 38 : Hanborough to Charlbury

20.5km (12.7 miles) or 16K or 12K if you take one of the shortcut options

6 out of 10

Explorer 180 or Landranger 164

OS map of the route here
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_38/map.shtml

Take the 09.21 from Paddington Station to Hanborough arriving at 10.34. 

Trains back from Charlbury are hourly, leaving a few minutes past the hour. 
Journey time about 90 minutes. 
Buy a day return to Charlbury.

You can cut something like 4 Km off of the walk but staying on the Oxfordshire Way - point 50 on the directions 
or catch a bus from Stonesfield, the S3, (which saves about 8km of walking) that go at 9 minutes past the hour apparently as it says so here http://www.stagecoachbus.com/pdfs/XOAS003.pdf

The River Evenlode and its soft, easy hills and fertile countryside inspired Tolkien’s Hobbit Shire. At lunchtime you could take a dip in the river (if you are slightly barking or if you really very very hard) and picnic in the meadow by the Stonesfield Ford and the old slate quarries.

Before lunch, there are the 2,100 acres of the Great Park leading to Blenheim Palace, its lake and the Column of Victory that the first Duke of Marlborough had placed on the horizon so that he could see it from his bedroom. Once over the wall out of the Park, the route is along Akeman Street, the Old Roman road from Alchester to Cirencester, with big stone slabs from the old road still visible in places. This is now part of the Oxfordshire Way and the leg of over a mile to Stonesfield is through open farmland

The walk through the Park is on public footpaths or permissive paths and there are no admission charges if you keep to the walks directions. For further information, and for information on what’s on, phone 08700-602080.

Lunch 
The only pub in Stonesfield is the excellent White Horse ( 01993 891063   http://www.whitehorsestonesfield.co.uk/ ).  Best give them a call to let them know that you are coming for lunch and you should get here after around 3 hours walking.

Tea 
Plenty of options in Charlbury but all pubs rather than tea rooms.


More directions here
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_38/index.shtml

Midweek Evening Walk

Ruislip Woods and Lido
Distance: 7km l=short.8
Meet 19:15 prompt at the entrance hall of Ruislip Manor underground station. This is a self-led walk. Map link plus directions here. Finish up at the Waters Edge PH for drink / meal. H13 return bus from Ruislip Lido to Ruislip station xx:00 xx:30.

Mid-week day walk -Totteridge Circular

Totteridge Circular

Meadows, woods and villages on the Northern Heights

Book3* Walk 228

* Online only

Length: 14 Km or 9 miles

Toughness: 2/3 out of 10

Getting there: Catch a Northbound Northern Line Tube to High Barnet ( Journey time from Bank about 35 minutes) alight at Totteridge & Whetstone Underground Station (one stop before High Barnet)

Meeting point  Totteridge & Whetstone Underground Station at 11:00am ( I'd suggest you plan to get there 10-15 minutes before 11:00am)

Tickets:  Buy a  suitable Travel or Oyster Card - I would suggest up to Zone 5 should you wish to return from Cockfosters ( Totteridge & Whetstone is in Zone 4 ).
You may find ticket details and prices here

Brief Description:

With the possibility of Industrial Action on the railways, our Transport Aficionado has suggested we take to the Northern Line Tube and give the Totteridge Circular Walk an airing.
This Walk explores an area of greenbelt that would have been engulfed by the 1930s expansion of London's suburbia but for the resistance of local residents. The result is a large chunk of countryside that intrudes into London on the so-called Northern Heights - the hills above and behind the more famous ones of Hampstead and Highgate. At one point on this walk you can actually look down on Alexandra Palace and Highgate Hill, and have the illusion that everything in between is still countryside.

You may find full details of the walk  here and a downloadable PDF here

Suggested Lunch stops

The Three Hammers, Hammers Lane, NW7 4EA tel:020 8959 2173  in Mill Hill. 7.1km (4.4 miles) into the walk (5.8km/3.6 miles by the short cut) is the recommended lunch stop - an efficient chain pub run by Ember Inns, which serves food all afternoon. It has a variety of seating areas, including a small glassed-in patio and an even smaller garden, and should be large enough to accommodate a group.

For an alternative to the pub, The Waffle Café in Belmont Children's Farm in Mill Hill (more or less opposite the Three Hammers) is a large, but somewhat basic Café offering paninis, baked potatoes, and pasta specials. You can access it without paying to enter the farm.

Another lunch option, just off the main walk route is the Rising Sun tel: 020 8959 1357 offers "rustic Italian food" in a slightly upmarket table service restaurant with a small outside patio. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday lunchtimes, but does lunch 12-2.30pm on Wednesdays to Saturday, and all day on Sundays. This is not a large place, however, so it is a good idea to phone and make sure they have space.

For picnics, the park just beyond the Three Hammers in Mill Hill has a view over the north west of London and several well-placed benches. When the ground is dry in spring and summer, the greenbelt fields throughout the walk also have numerous pleasant places to stop.

On option e) Short walk from Totteridge to Cockfosters The Monk Pub on the edge of Hadley Green is a possible lunch stop.

Suggested Tea stops

In Totteridge village the Orange Tree is a popular village pub which had an upmarket makeover some years ago. Late in the afternoon it is usually quiet enough, however. It has some outside tables by a duck pond, but also next to a rather busy road.

Tea options by Totteridge & Whetstone station include The Waiting Room tea room 020 6445 0424, 50 metres up the hill from the station on the lefty, which is open Tuesday to Saturday to 5pm.

 Alternatively if you carry up the hill from the station for 250 metres to the high road there is a Costa Coffee, open till 7pm Monday to Saturday, with Coffee Culture just beyond it, open until 7pm Monday to Friday.

On option c) Longer walk to Barnet, The Monk pub (not yet checked out) looks promising and advertises a garden at the rear.
There the inevitable Starbucks (open to 6.30pm Monday to Friday) and Costa Coffee (open to 6.30pm Monday to Saturday) but a better option if you can get there in time is The Coffee Bean (open to 5.30pm), which has nice cakes and open air seating in a courtyard, or Harris and Hoole A modern Café which is open till 6pm Monday to Saturday.

On option d) Longer walk to Cockfosters, the Cock & Dragon pub is a possible tea stop, but in summer, if you are finishing the walk not too late, it is worth making a small extra effort to go to the Trent Park Café a popular local haunt which has an excellent selection of cakes and other food. It is open till 7pm "if it is busy".

Explorer Map 173

Return tubes should be frequent and regular, there's also a plethora of bus options.

Sunday walk 2

Didcot Circular SWC walk 44
20 km (12.4 miles)
Difficulty 3 out of 10.
This walk, in an attractive part of the Thames Valley was originally devised as the Appleford Circular. We usually start from Didcot because the trains are better. In fact, trains to or from Appleford are non-existent today unless you count the one that arrives Monday!
We start off on a cycleway and are soon amongst fields. Later, an unspoilt riverside stretch leads to the lunchtime stop in Dorchester-on-Thames. Dorchester Abbey, one of the few large monastery buildings to survive the Dissolution, is worth a visit. It has a unique Jesse window and, in the floor, near a medieval wall painting, lies a poignant memorial to a Sarah Fletcher.
After lunch, the walk takes us back along the river to Little Wittenham. The church there is also worth a quick visit to marvel at the sleeping knight near the window. The tower is said to have been built with the winnings of a card game. Soon after, you come to Wittenham Clumps, a nature reserve encompassing two hills, one of which is surmounted by an Iron Age hill fort. The twin hills were once known as Mother Dunch's Buttocks, a name now politely forgotten.
Trains 
Get a return to Didcot.
Get the 10.00 Cheltenham Spa train from Paddington. Arrives Didcot 10:51.
Trains back from Didcot are frequent but times vary slightly: 1605 1648 1700 1706 1748 1756 1806  1847 1859  and so on. There are also stopping trains at xx:21, slow but handy for Ealing Broadway and other points west.

(There isn't a convenient start from Ealing Broadway today, but if you don't mind arriving late, the 09:35 Oxford train gets to Didcot at 11:08.)

Lunch Dorchester on Thames still has a large number of coaching inns and pubs, so there's plenty of choice. On past occasions, walkers have used the Fleur de Lys. 

Tea There is a pub, the Prince of Wales 01235 511380 near Didcot station. On return, it's on Station Road, just a short distance past the turn in for the station. Untried, as far as I know.
Anyone up for the longer route back (last paragraph p.4), via Long Wittenham, could divert to the Plough there (follow the road to the right after passing the war memorial).
Otherwise there's a shop and refreshment facilities in the station itself.

Directions are here  Be sure to follow them back to Didcot, not Appleford. 

Sunday Walk 1

Southbourne to Chichester, Book 1 Walk 37
11.5 miles 18.5 km.
Difficulty: 3/10

A meander along the coast of Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with some inland sections. Lunch is in Bosham, an important harbour in days gone by. Its church is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry and bears marks where returning crusaders blunted their swords. King Canute's daughter is said to be buried there. So it's old.
Towards the end of the walk you have the opportunity to detour to the Roman remains at Fishbourne (though this closes at 5 and costs £8.80) and in Chichester you have the cathedral. It's an old one, full of old stuff. They also have a not-quite-so-old Chagall window and a Piper tapestry. Entry free, donations welcome, closes at 7pm.
Trains 
Get a return to Southbourne.
Get the 9.17 Portsmouth Harbour train from Victoria. (Clapham Jct 9:23) This takes you direct to Southbourne, arriving at 11:07.
(There's also a 9:30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo, changing at Havant for the London Victoria train (arr 1052 depart 11.01), arriving Southbourne 11:08. This South West Trains journey costs a little more)
Returning from Chichester:
The xx:15 takes you direct to Victoria. The xx:27 changes at Brighton. The xx:53 changes at Barnham.
Lunch
The recommended pub is the Anchor Bleu 01243 572956 in Bosham, which serves food all day on Sundays (reduced menu from 3). There are also cafes at Bosham Walk Arts and Crafts Centre 01243 572 477  and Cumberland Gallery 01243 572 960
The Old House at Home in Chidham 01243 572 475 is an earlier possibility. Open from 12.
Tea: 
Hadleys, 4 West St  01243 771 631 is recommended.
There is a Slug and Lettuce in South St.on the way to the station.
Directions in Book 1 or here
It is possible to finish the walk early by walking the 2 km from Bosham to Bosham station, where trains are at xx:47 changing at Barnham. Or xx:32 changing at Havant. Fishbourne is one stop down the line on the xx:47 (handy for the palace?)

Third Walk

Extra Walk - Tisbury Circular (via Dinton and Fonvant)
Length: 23.8 km (14.8 miles). Toughness: 7/10 (Both shortcut options: 20.5 km Toughness: 6/10)
Catch the 9:20 from London Waterloo arrives Tisbury 11:06. Return trains xx:01.
This is the final walk in the Tisbury series. This walk is via Dinton and Fonvant (a circular eastern loop).
For the first outing of this new walk by Thomas, we will be taking the opportunity to check the walk directions. From the text: "This is one of the furthest daywalks from London. It explores the Nadder Valley east of Tisbury, part of the West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is spectacular walking country with some breathtaking views. Without scaling any ridges or steep ascents, the route meanders through the beautiful undulating and peaceful countryside with a few grassy U-shaped valleys, pretty views out to some distant coombes, and scenic Dinton Park with its grand mansion (Philipps House). A couple of picturesque former corn mills on the Nadder River are walked past, while the afternoon route also offers views from a wood’s fringe across a valley to the Fovant Badges, regimental badges cut into the chalk, and the largest group of hill side figures in Europe, before leading through a couple of quiet villages followed by a gentle descent across fields back into Tisbury, a remarkably unspoilt village. An extended walk, rated 10/10 and leading through the Fovant Badges up to the ridge of Fovant Down with its Chiselbury Iron Age hill fort site is described." Link to directions.
T=swc.249

Saturday second walk: A downland grand slam

L=3.47.®

SWC walk 47 - Lewes Circular via Southease and Glynde
Length: 17.2km (10.7 miles) to 23.5km (14.6 miles)
Toughness: 7 out of 10: one steep climb per section, level or downhill otherwise

9.46 train from Victoria (9.52 Clapham Junction, 10.02 East Croydon) to Lewes, arriving 10.50.

** LATE START OPTION: see end of post

Buy a day return to Lewes if planning to do the whole walk, or a day return to Glynde if you think you might want to finish there.

For walk directions click here. You only need pages 1-2 and the anticlockwise directions on page 6-8.

Every step of this walk will be familiar territory to many SWC walkers from book two walks 24 and 25, but it is putting it all together that makes a grand June day out. If you stay the course, you go over three sections of downland and cross two valleys (each with a pub in it) and end up back in Lewes feeling pretty pleased with yourself. Throughout you have wonderful views, including the whole route you have done and have still to do.

The walk can be done clockwise, but it is anticlockwise (Lewes-Southease-Glynde-Lewes) I much prefer and ordain for today. It has lots of advantages, including getting the longest section out of the way before lunch, shorter climbs and longer descents, and better options for cutting the walk short.

By this route it is 9.2km (5.7 miles) to lunch at the Abergavenny Arms via the familiar morning route of book 2, walk 24. (An alternative lunch would be at the YHA cafe by Southease station 1.6km/1 mile further on). You then have a 8km (5 mile) walk from the Abergavenny Arms to Glynde. Tea options here include the Trevor Arms or the Little Cottage Tea Rooms.

You can finish the walk at Glynde (making a total walk of 17.2km (10.7 miles) by taking a train to Lewes at 23 past the hour.

Otherwise the last 6.3km (3.9 miles) of the walk - more of a victory lap, really - are over wonderful Mount Caburn: one sustained climb with lovely views and then a gentle stroll down into Lewes, from where trains return to London at 20 and 52 past until 19.52, then 20.52, 21.50 and 22.40 (the last being the "Glyndebourne train" that you will share with dinner-jacketed opera goers).

** LATE START OPTION: Slugabeds could catch the 11.16 train to Lewes, arriving 12.20, changing there for the 12.28 to Southease, arriving 12.34. Buy a day return to Southease. Print off the book 26 directions and follow them to lunch at the Abergavenny Arms (3.5km/2.2 miles) and join the group there. If you then walk to Glynde you will have done a walk of 11.5km (7.2 miles) and finishing the walk to Lewes will make it 17.8km (11.1 miles).