Midweek day walk -Laindon Circular

Laindon Circular

A gentle walk through the Essex countryside with lunch at Hordon-on-the-Hill

Book 3* Walk 114   

* Online only

Length :  13.5 km or  8.5 miles

Toughness : 2 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:10 am train from London Fenchurch Street to Laindon

Calling stations are:

• Limehouse 10:14
• West Ham 10:19
• Barking 10:25
• Upminster 10:34

Meeting point :  Laindon Station at 10:44

Tickets : Buy a Cheap Day Return to Laindon

Brief Description

An easy walk not far from the metropolitan sprawl in an apparently surprisingly scenic part of Essex, you may find full details  here and a Kindle download here

Suggested Lunch stop

The Bell Inn  t:  01375 642463

Possible Tea stop

The Four Seasons

Another option may be to travel back to Fenchurch Street and take tea in one of the many cafés near to the station.

Map

OS Explorer : 175

Return train times

Four trains an hour return from Laindon to Fenchurch Street, journey time is about 30 minutes 

Sunday walk 2 The northern Chilterns - Pilgrim Country

Harlington Circular SWC walk 230
17.3 km 10.7 miles. Toughness 4/10
Can be lengthened to 15.2 miles, toughness 6/10, by finishing in Flitwick.

Dust off your blunt pointy hat with the big buckle and come visit the landscape of Pilgrims Progress. The author was a native of Bedfordshire and parts of this walk follow the John Bunyan Trail across the Sundon Hills and the wonderfully named Sharpenhoe Clappers. The “Delectable Mountains” were inspired by these hills, visible from his gaol cell when he was writing.
After the celestial splendour of Pulloxhill, your alternative ending returns you to the temptations of Harlington. On the way, you  pass Bunyan’s Oak, where he used to preach, and where he was arrested.
Of course, pilgrims, there’s nothing to stop those of sterner stuff doing the long main walk to Flitwick - and those of slightly softer stuff shortening that to 13.8, 13.3 or 11.9 miles.
As far as I know, all options avoid the Slough of Despond.

Trains Get the Thameslink (Bedford direction) from Blackfriars at 9:24 or St Pancras at 9:34. (This train stops at a number of stations on its way through London including East Croydon 8:56, Kentish Town 9:38 West Hampstead  9:42). Arrives Harlington at 10:32.
4 trains an hour return to London.
From Harlington; xx:02, xx: 18, xx:32, xx: 48.
From Flitwick; xx:14, xx:28, xx: 44, xx: 58. (Bold trains go further south, through East Croydon.)
A return to Harlington will do for the circular but a return to Flitwick, the further station, costs no more and covers both endings.
Lunch
The circular and some (but not all) main walk options take you to The Cross Keys, Pulloxhill, (01525 712 442).
Two later pubs in Westoning are useful only to the main walk, particularly if taking shortcut 1.(see notes)
Tea
Harlington has two pubs: The Carpenters Arms (01525 872 384) and The Old Sun (01525 877 330)
Flitwick offers plenty of options for any taking the main walk, and there is an earlier recommended stop in Steppingley (see notes)
Walk Directions here
The circular uses the “alternative ending in Harlington”

Sunday walk 1 Kent's Downs

Eynsford Circular SWC walk 59

12.5 miles 19.5km Difficulty 5/10 

8.7 mile 14 km Difficulty 4/10 

A walk in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty returning along the Darent Valley. 

The standard version of this walk (M) is 12.5 miles with lunch in Otford. There's also a shorter 8.7 mile version (c) that skips Otford and heads to Shoreham for lunch.
Attractions en route include Castle Farm's Hop Shop which sells hoppy and lavendery stuff – good ice cream too, so people say. Lullingstone Roman Villa (definitely worth a visit and open till 6 in summer, cost £6:60), Eagle Heights Bird of Prey Centre open to 5, cost £8.95. If you're lucky, you may see the occasional bird flying over the walk. A detour nearer the end will take you to the ruins of Eynsford Castle.
Train  09:36 Canterbury West train from Victoria (Bromley South, 9:53) arriving Eynsford 10:09

Return from Eynsford at xx:48.  If you decide to finish at Shoreham, trains return at xx:45

Lunch: 

Long walk:  Reports suggest the Crown in Otford has closed. There are still two pubs nearby The Woodman  01529 522 195 and The Bull, 01529 523 198. We've not used either recently so feedback would be appreciated.

Short walk: Ye Olde George Inn 01959 522017 in Shoreham is on the walk route. You also have the Kings Arms 01959 523100 and The Crown  01959 522903 round the corner on the High Street

Tea:
Lullingstone Park Visitor Centre has a café 01322 865995 open till 5.

In Eynsford ,you have the Riverside tea room 01322 861551, the Malt Shovel 01322 862164, the Five Bells 01322 863135 and the Castle Hotel 01322 863162. 

Directions available here  

Walk 1-35: Crowhurst to Battle

Length: 20km (12.4 miles), Toughness: 4/10

Trains: 9:18 from Cannon Street (LBG 9:23) to Crowhurst arriving at 10:46. Buy a day return to Crowhurst. Return trains from Battle are at xx:07, xx:37 until 19:07 then xx:07

Lunch: The suggested lunch stop is the recently refurbished The New Inn (previously The Old Courthouse) in Westfield about 9.5km into the walk. Also in Westfield, The Plough is 400m off the route.

Tea: There are plenty of cafes and pubs in Battle. The Senlac Inn is near the station.

Directions: For more information including directions, maps, GPS etc. see TOCW1.35

Saturday Second Walk – New Walk: From the Vale of Pewsey to the heart of Neolithic Wiltshire

SWC Walk 255 – Pewsey Circular (via Avebury World Heritage Site)

Length: 34.7 km (21.5 mi)

Ascent/Descent:  560 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 8 hours

Toughness:  10 out of 10 

                or

Pewsey to Avebury (incl. out-and-back to Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow)

Length: 22.9 km (14.3 mi)

Ascent/Descent:  390 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 hours

Toughness:  6 out of 10 

                or

Pewsey to Avebury (excl. out-and-back to Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow)

Length: 17.2 km (10.7 mi)

Ascent/Descent:  368 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 4 hours

Toughness:  5 out of 10 

First posting of this new walk, we will take the opportunity to check the walk directions.

Apologies for posting a new (and very long) walk in the 2^nd walk slot, but we are running out of daylight for this one before I have a 3^rd walk slot available.

Take the 08.18 Exeter St. David's train from Paddington  (08.48 Reading), arriving Pewsey at 09.39

Pewsey suffers from an infrequent train service, explaining the very early start (the next train is at 11.06, which is too late to finish the full walk before darkness, but early enough for the short versions to Avebury only). Sunset in Pewsey will be at 18.57 hours, giving good light for walking until close to 19.30 hours, and the last stretch is along a road through Pewsey anyway, so we should be fine for light, but bring a torch if you have one, just in case!

Return train  (there is only one reasonable service): 20.23 hours (69 mins journey time)

Buy a Pewsey return ticket.
!! But as Pewsey is just outside the Network Southeast Area: if you are using a Network Railcard, buy a discounted Reading return ticket and a separate Reading-Pewsey return.!!

If you are going to walk “just” to Avebury, the Bus #49 takes you from outside the pub in Avebury to Swindon Station in 25 mins (roughly hourly service until 20.36). You will need a separate Swindon-Reading train ticket!

This is a strenuous excursion into the heart of Neolithic Wiltshire, a mysterious landscape full of pre-historic earthworks, standing stones, sarsen fields and hillforts as well as barrows – burial mounds of kings and warriors. The route passes through or past four of the most famous Neolithic sites in Britain: Fyfield Down Sarsen Stones Field, Avebury Standing Stones and Bank & Ditch Earthworks, Silbury Hill and West Kennett Long Barrow. You walk out of the beautiful Vale of Pewsey in a northerly direction over the southerly ridge of the Marlborough Downs, from where there are stunning far views over this land of wave-like hills, with its scarps, ridges and valleys, before heading to above attractions. Later the walk leads up to Wiltshire’s highest peak (Milk Hill) with its stunning Down. After a scenic descent into the Vale of Pewsey an undemanding stretch along the Kennet & Avon Canal leads back to Pewsey with its many tea options.

For the walk directions click here.

For a map, a height profile, gpx/kml files, and some photos, click here.

The lunch pub is The Red Lion in Avebury (17.2 km/10.7 mi), or The Who'd A Thought It  in Lockeridge (9.7 km/6.0 mi), if you are walking one of the shorter versions of the walk at a leisurely pace (or if you take the later train).
For the tea options in Pewsey check page 2 of the walk directions (the cafes will be shut by the time we get there, of course...).

T=swc.255

Sat 26 Sept Book 1 Walk - Borough Green to Sevenoaks

Borough Green to Sevenoaks Book 1 walk 36
9.3 miles/15.0 km. Toughness 4/10

Outward Train: London Victoria 9:52, arriving Borough Green & Wrotham 10:37. (Stops at Bromley South 10:08) A return to Borough Green should be fine for the return from Sevenoaks.

A walk through Kent taking in the medieval moated manor at Ightham Mote (National Trust) and the parkland around Knole House (also National Trust). There's a bumper crop of apples this year, and the Ordnance Survey map shows many orchards on the way, but not sure how many of these remain.

For a pub lunch, a diversion to The Chaser Inn at Shipbourne is recommended. This is a popular place so worth giving them a call first on 01732 810360. They currently have a British Food Fortnight on and are threatening to serve school dinners. The route to the pub is described in the online walk directions, but not in older copies of Book 1.
Ightham Mote has a cafe and picnic area.
Knole Park has a tea kiosk til about 5pm, and Sevenoaks has further options.

Return Trains: Frequent services from Sevenoaks to London Cannon Street, but make sure it is a fast service not the stopping service, unless you would like a leisurely tour of South East London. There's also a slow train up to London Blackfriars.
T=1.36

Midweek day walk - Welwyn Circular

Welwyn Circular

Ayot St.Lawrence, a ruined ivied Gothic church and the home of George Bernard Shaw

Book 3* Walk 69

* online only

Length :  17 km or 11 miles

Toughness :  2 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:35 am train from London Kings Cross to Welwyn Garden City (10:41 from Finsbury Park)

Meeting point : Welwyn Garden City Station at 11:01

Tickets : Buy a Cheap Day Return to Welwyn Garden City

Brief Description

After a brief encounter with the shopping centre, the walk passes through Sir Ebenezer Howard's world famous new town circa 1920's and shortly enters woodland.
You may find full details of the walk here

Suggested Lunch stop

The Brocket Arms

Suggested Tea stop

Simmons at 33 Howardsgate open to 5:00pm  t:01707 321 051

Map

OS Explorer : 182

Return train times

There are five trains an hour returning from Welwyn Garden City to London
Faster trains appear to be at :23,:40 and :53 minutes past the hour 

Sunday Walk 2 – London's Northern Heights

New Walk – Finsbury Park to Hampstead
Length: 17½ km (10.9 miles), with many ways to shorten. Toughness: up to 5/10

Take a Victoria or Piccadilly line tube to arrive at Finsbury Park by 10:15. Turn left outside the station and meet on the concourse by the bus station.

[Or take the 10:08 Peterborough train from Kings Cross for its 5-minute journey to Finsbury Park, but I doubt if anyone will find this more convenient.]

Late Start option, 13¾ km (8.5 miles): Take a Northern line tube to Highgate (on the High Barnet branch) and intercept the main group as they pass through the station shortly after 11:00.

As this weekend is the annual Open House London event I thought it would be a suitable time to try out this new walk in the capital. You might find there are buildings near the walk route which you'd like to visit, or perhaps you can manage to fit in part of the walk with visits further afield.

The walk itself starts with a long stretch on a disused railway line dressed up as a ‘linear park’, the bit which you can skip by starting from Highgate. It continues through woods, gardens and the distinctive architecture of Hampstead Garden Suburb with its two imposing Lutyens churches. The suggested lunch stop is more than halfway round at the Old Bull & Bush in North End, on the fringes of Hampstead Heath. Much of the afternoon's route explores this large open space and even those of you familiar with the area (perhaps from the SWC's evening walks there) might come across a few surprises. You can easily shorten the suggested route into Hampstead if you want to finish early.

You'll need to print the walk directions and maps from this temporary New Walk page. T=swc.257.a

Sunday Walk 1 – the South Downs

Extra Walk 39 – Amberley to Pulborough
Length: About 19.5 km (12 miles). Toughness: 6/10

10:02 Bognor Regis train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:08, East Croydon 10:17), arriving Amberley at 11:25. Buy a day return to Amberley.

[If you just miss this train, the 10:06 Brighton train overtakes it and you'd have a good chance of catching it at Gatwick Airport.]

Trains back from Pulborough are hourly at 26 minutes past.

Unlike most of our other Amberley & Pulborough walks, this rather neglected one explores the area to the west of the River Arun. A relatively strenuous morning up and along the South Downs Way contrasts with an easier route along shady woodland paths in the afternoon. If you want a pub lunch you'll need to call ahead and book a table at the up-market White Horse in the small village of Sutton; you won't arrive before 1.30pm and there's no alternative place nearby. There aren't any regular tea places near Pulborough station (although you might be able to get a drink at the taxi office), but a little earlier the White Hart is a nice place to stop for refreshment, next to the medieval Stopham Bridge.

You'll need to print the directions from this pdf document.T=swc.39

Saturday Third Walk

Book Two Walk 29: Hastings to Rye – A Dramatic Coastal Cliff Walk ending in Picturesque Rye

Distance:  11.8 Miles (with option to shorten by about 3 miles with train or bus at Winchelsea)

Difficulty:  7 out of 10

Train:  Take the 9:45 AM Hastings train from London Charing Cross (9:47 at Waterloo East BUT NOT stopping at London Bridge), arriving at Hastings at 11:18.  There does not appear to be any advantage to taking the high speed train going out – as the journey time is the same or longer!  Return trains from Rye are at 56 minutes past the hour until 21:56. Alternatively, you could return from Winchelsea on a train at 17:50; 19:51 or 21:53. Either way, you will need to change at Ashford onto either the regular train or the high speed train where there is an advantage on the way back (it is roughly 30 minutes faster on the return).  Buy a day return to Rye (or Winchelsea if you plan to return from there) and consider including the high speed for the return. 

I do not think this walk has had a Saturday outing this summer (while it shares some of the route of the walk to Hastings posted last month going in the opposite direction, it also has a number of differences) – so an effort to squeeze it in before the first day of Autumn! The morning has a few big climbs and a nice swimming spot for those still searching for the “last swim of the season” – the tide will be rising when you arrive at Fairlight (about midway) in the morning and should be just past its peak at Pett Level in the afternoon AND the water temperature is holding at its near peak temperature (16.9 degrees today).   After lunch, the route is more or less downhill or flat across a marsh. You can reduce the length of the walk by catching a train in Winchelsea or taking a bus from just outside the New Inn to Rye (49 minutes past the hour until 17:49; then 18:37 and 19:37).  You can find more information about the walk and the instructions here.  Alternatively, the instructions for the walk are in Book 2.

The recommended lunch spot is the fully licensed Coastguards Tearoom (01424 814 131) at the top of the last hill and just a bit inland from the Coast Guard Tower (or similar structure).  Alternatively, faster walkers can eat at the Smugglers Inn at Pett Level (01424 813491).  Tea and other late afternoon/evening refreshments can be had at the New Inn in Winchelsea (from where you can also catch a bus into Rye).  Rye also offers a variety of refreshment spots.    

Enjoy the walk!

Saturday Second Walk - Gentle hills with views of a lake

SWC walk 40 - East Grinstead Circular with alternative afternoon
Length: 11.2 miles (18.1 km)
Toughness: 4 out of 10

9.53 train from Victoria (9.59 Clapham Junction, 10.11 East Croydon) to East Grinstead, arriving 10.48

For walk directions click here. 

The standard East Grinstead Circular is a very pleasant walk which has suffered in walkers' perceptions in recent years because of several outings in winter when its initial descent across fields has proved very muddy**. But the fields are dry as a bone at this time of year, and even if we do have some heavy rain this week it should quickly soak in/evapourate (it takes a couple of months for the Wealden fields to build up their characteristic winter squelch).

So this is an attempt to rescue this walk's reputation - long overdue as it has many delights, including a mansion which has been lying in ruins since the 17th century. Those who have done this route previously will also be pleased to hear that the Chequers Inn in Forest Row, the usual lunch pub, has recovered from its deep funk and now seems to be offering a large and varied menu. There are in any case oodles of other options nearby.

This is also a chance to do the longer afternoon route (the 11.2 mile version of the walk: though if anyone wants to do the shorter main route instead I won't tell the teacher). The alternative afternoon takes you to around the Weir Wood Reservoir (though with distant views of it rather than close encounters) and up to Standen, a National Trust property. If you can get here before it closes at 5pm you can have tea in its tea room. If not, the walk offers lots of other options.

Trains back from East Grinstead are at 07 and 37 past till late.

** Out of interest, a completely new winter start to the walk has been researched and will be trialled later in the year. This will also allow one to make a morning visit to Standen in the summer months.

Saturday First Walk - An easy Chilterns walk

Book 2 Walk 4 - Chesham to Great Missenden
Length: 15.5km (9.6 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

9.42 Metropolitan Line train from Kings Cross (9.50 Baker Street) to Chesham, arrive 10.45

Best ticket: a zone 1-9 (yes NINE) travelcard, which you can buy from London Transport ticket offices (or presumably machines), but not usually from British Rail ones. You can get a Network Card discount on this, but only if you buy it from a ticket office (admittedly, hard to find one open these days), not from machines. This travelcard can also be bought up to a week in advance (though some ticket office staff are incredulous of this fact).

Then buy a single from Great Missenden to Amersham for the return journey.

You can also use Oyster to Chesham but then you have to either pay the whole single fare from Great Missenden to Marylebone on the way back, or get out at Amersham to tap in and then wait 20 minutes for the next tube train.

For walk directions bring book two or click here.

Its length means this pleasant and undemanding Chilterns walk is often confined to the winter months, when paths, especially in the afternoon, can be rather muddy. But that is a pity, as it has many charms and should make a nice easy outing for this time of year, when paths are a lot drier (even if it rains this week as forecast: evaporation rates are still pretty good and rain soaks away quickly into the dry ground.)

The morning is particularly scenic and you have the prospect of a pub serving Italian food for lunch that has always been popular with SWC walkers (in winter we don't usually get to try out its garden, however, supposed to be nice). In Great Missenden the lovely Cafe Twit is a great tea stop if you can get there in time.

Trains back from Great Missenden are at 19 and 49 past till 19.19, then hourly at 19 past.

Hever to Ashurst

Hever to Ashurst

The High Weald on the Kent/East Sussex border

Book 3* Walk 175

* Online only

Length : 16 km or 10 miles

Toughness : 4 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:08 am train from London Bridge to Hever

Meeting point : Hever Station at 10:50 am

Tickets : Buy a cheap day return to Ashurst

Brief Description

This walk takes in a quiet part of the High Weald near the borders of three counties: Kent, East Sussex and Surrey and you may find full details  here

Suggested Lunch stops

The Fountain  t:01342 850528 at Cowden

May I ask you to note that The White Horse Inn at Holtye is permanently closed  

Suggested Tea stops

Perryhill Orchards (about an hour before the end of the walk to Ashurst)
As well as the Tea Room, there is a farm shop, traditional farm butcher and a fireplace centre which manufactures hand-made fireplaces.  
Not the kind of article that will fit easily into one's rucksack, but nevertheless an interesting place to visit if you're looking for ideas. 

Maps 

OS Explorer : 147 and 135

Return train times

Trains return from Ashurst to London Bridge at the following times ...

15:55 | 16:55 | 17:53 | 18:54  - Victorians and Clapham Junctioneers may change at East Croydon

The rolling landscape of East Buckinghamshire

Download Walk 194. Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Aylesbury

24.5km (15.2m); toughness 5/10. (There are options to shorten the walk)

Trains London Marylebone 10.12 arrives Aylesbury Vale Parkway 11.18. (For North Londoners who do not wish to travel back into London you can pick up this  train at Harrow on the Hill at  10.24)

Three return trains an hour from Aylesbury to London Marylebone at 05, 35 and 55 mins

Buy a day return to Aylesbury Vale Parkway.

This walk has an inauspicious start along an A road but soon meanders through some attractive countryside with fine views and visits a number of quiet hilltop villages. It ends with a stretch along the Grand Union Canal.

Click here for more information about the walk and its  lunch and refreshment options.  There are a number of ways to shorten the walk including catching a bus (see walk instructions for details). The pdf file with full walk instructions can be found here

North Downs and Greensand Way

Download Walk 2. Woldingham to Oxted

17.2km (10.7m); toughness 5/10.

Trains: London Victoria 09.53 (Clapham Junction 09.58, East Croydon 10.10) arrive Woldingham 10.26. Return trains from Oxted at xx:28. Buy a day return to Oxted.

This walk is just outside London and is therefore ideal for those who want to get back to the “Great Wen” reasonably early. It combines stretches of the North Downs Way and the Greensand Way and has some impressive views .

Click here for more information about the walk and its pub lunch and tea options. Scroll down the page to find full walk instructions plus maps and click option M for the main walk instructions  unless you want to do one of the shorter options. 

Third Walk

Wadhurst Figure of Eight
Length: 17.6 km (10.9 miles). Toughness: 4/10
T=swc.5.d
Catch the 9:49 from London Cannon Street (London Bridge 9:54) arrives Wadhurst 10:47.

The Wadhurst Figure of Eight walk combines CW2, Walk 18a Wadhurst Circular Short Walk with SWC 5 Wadhurst via Bewl Water walk to create a Wadhurst Figure of Eight walk (ie having both lunch and tea in Wadhurst) offering a comprehensive introduction to the different types of scenery around the village. This walk is 7km (4.3 miles) in the morning and 7.4km (4.6 miles) from lunch to tea, which with a further 3.2km (2 miles) to the station gives a total walk length of 17.6km (10.9 miles). Or if you use the long walk option, it is 9.7km (6 miles) from lunch to tea, giving a total walk length of 19.9km (12.3 miles).

Aside from the main headline walk, there are two longer options, plus the longer Figure of 8 walk (mentioned above) - all detailed below. For the Robertsbridge ending, buy a day return to Robertsbridge. Suggested lunch stop for the long walk ending at Robertsbridge is the Woodpecker Café (18km from the end of the walk - The Visitors centre in the text [L3])

The main walk options are detailed below
Walk	Directions required	Distance km
Wadhurst figure of 8 long option	CW2 Walk 18a pages 1-3,7,8 + SWC Walk 5	20
Wadhurst to Robertsbridge	CW2 Walk 18a pages 1-3,7,8 + Wadhurst Long walk option	34
Wadhurst to Robertsbridge (via Mayfield)	CW2 Walk 18 + Wadhurst Long walk option	43

Return trains
Station
Robertsbridge	xx:14 17:44 18:14 18:44 xx:14 until 22:14
Wadhurst	xx:00 xx:29 17:59 18:29 18:59 xx:29 until 22:29

Saturday Second Walk - Heather-clad heaths

Book 2, walk 12 - Guildford to Farnham
Length: 22.2km (13.8 miles)
Toughness: 2 out of 10 - fairly flat

9.45 train from Waterloo (9.52 Clapham Junction) to Guildford, arrive 10.23

Best ticket: an interesting question. Some say that a day return to Farnham (£11.55 with a Network Card) works through the barriers at Guildford, but if it doesn't, South West Trains can be fussy about imposing penalty fares. You can cover your back by buying a single from Woking to Guildford for the outward journey (£2.40 with a Network Card, so £13.95 in total), but you will need to do this from a ticket office (in which case you might as well ask them if the Farnham return would work at Guildford). 

Otherwise a day return to Guildford (£10.55 with a Network Card) plus a single from Farnham to Woking (where the lines join = £5.20) comes to £15.75.

For walk directions click here.

Before anyone starts posting comments about it, yes, for a second week I am putting up a book walk not an SWC walk (as would be more normal for this slot). My reason is because the (longish) afternoon of this walk crosses some wonderful heathlands which should still hopefully have plenty of heather in flower. (If one times this right, they can look really quite spectacular). We also need to get some longer walks in before the clocks go back (!!) and I think it is a while since this walk had a Saturday outing.

The morning is a simple walk along the North Downs Way - mainly lowland tracks at this point. Lunch is in the Good Intent in Puttenham, which normally manages to accommodate us, but if not there is (or was last time I looked) a Harvester pub just before it.

Tea is most conveniently had in a pub by Farnham station, though if you get there during shopping hours the historic town centre has some other nice tea places. Really this walk could do with a tea stop mid afternoon, however, which it doesn't have. You could bring a thermos…

Trains back from Farnham are at 28 and 58 past till late.

Holmwood to Gomshall

Book 1, walk 42, Holmwood to Gomshall
Length: 16.7 km (10.4 miles)
Toughness: 6/10

9:31 from London Victoria, arriving in Holmwood at 10:32
Return: xx:53 via Guildford to London Victoria or xx:04 via Redhill to London Victoria

I suggest buying a day return to Gomshall.

Walk directions can be downloaded from here

A beautiful walk through woods with a climb up to Leith tower and tea in the cozy tearoom in Abinger Hammer.

The suggested lunch place is the Stephan Langton Inn in Friday Street. The waiting room for the train is the Compasses Inn in Gomshall.

Midweek day walk Oxted to Lingfield

Oxted to Lingfield

The Greensand Way, the Low Weald and Staffhurst Wood

Book 3* Walk 135

* online only

Length : 18 km or 11 miles

Toughness : 3 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:23 from London Victoria (10:29 Clapham Junction) to Oxted or
Catch the 10:08 am train from London Bridge to Oxted arriving 10:38 and wait for the Victoria train (suggest in Café Papillon )

Meeting point : Oxted Station at 11:01

Tickets : Buy a day return to Lingfield

Brief Description

You may find full details  here

Suggested Lunch stops

Royal Oak Inn

Suggested Tea stops

Joyce's with Best Wishes t: 01342 832428
The Place to Meet   t: 01342 837587

Maps

OS Explorer : 146 and 147

Return train times

Trains return from Lingfield to Victoria at the following times ...

16:14 |16:44 | 17:14 |17:44 |18:14 |18:44

and to London Bridge at 18:24

Sunday Second Walk - a Chilterns figure-of-eight

Book 2 Walks 2a and 3a, Saunderton figure-of-eight
Length: 18.3km (11.4 miles) Toughness: 4/10

10:28 Aylesbury train from Marylebone arriving at Saunderton at 11:19.

Return trains from Saunderton to Marylebone are at xx:16 (journey time 55 minutes). If you just miss this hourly service, catch a train a few minutes later in the opposite direction to Princes Risborough, for a connection to a fast train to Marylebone (journey time is about the same).

This walk combines the short versions of two Book 2 walks centred on Saunderton: Saunderton via Bledlow Circular and Saunderton via West Wycombe Circular. You can do them in either order, returning to Saunderton for lunch halfway through the day. A convenient lunch stop might be the Golden Cross (01494 562293) close to Saunderton station. An alternative early lunch pub would be either The Boot at Bledlow Ridge, or the George and Dragon Hotel at West Wycombe, depending on which of the short walks you do first.

Unless you’re carrying TOCW Book 2, you will need to download walk directions for both Walk 2 and Walk 3. Follow the directions for the short walks at the end of each document.

Sunday First Walk - Sussex canal and coast

Extra Walk 167 – Chichester to West Wittering
Length: 20km (12.4 miles) Toughness: 2 out of 10

09:17 Portsmouth Harbour/Littlehampton train from Victoria (Clapham Junction 09:23, East Croydon 09:33) arriving Chichester at 10:59. Make sure you’re in the Portsmouth Harbour section of the train

Buses from West Wittering to Chichester Station are at xx:06 (journey time 31mins) and xx:46 (journey time 21 mins) until 18:46 (last bus). The xx:46 connects nicely with direct return trains to Victoria which leave at xx:15. There are also return trains at xx:23, involving a change in Brighton and taking just over 2 hours in total.

If you decide in advance to have dinner in Chichester before returning on the 20:15 train, you could purchase Advance rail tickets each way for a total of £19.00 (£11.00 out; £8.00 back), compared to £28.90 for the Off-Peak Day Return. A Railcard will give you a third off all these fares.

We have heard, from a helpful guard, that it’s possible to buy a Southern Daysave ticket for £15.00, allowing one day’s travel anywhere on the Southern region. These tickets can reputedly be bought only in person from tourist offices, and not from rail ticket offices or machines or online. Do tell us if you succeed in buying one of these.

This coastal walk in West Sussex has impressed those who have tried it: “A tremendous walk” … “absolutely lovely”. It follows the final section of the New Lipchis Way, starting out along a quiet canal and then via the shoreline of Chichester's tidal harbour to West Wittering's wide sandy beach and East Head - a very pretty sand spit at the harbour entrance.

The recommended lunchtime pub is the Ship Inn (01243 512284.) at West Ichenor. Do ring to reserve a table when setting out from Chichester.

Detailed walk directions are unnecessary, since you simply follow canal & shoreline, but a brief description of the route is given in the Walk Notes.

Saturday Third Walk – the Kentish Weald

Extra Walk 238 – Tunbridge Wells to Hildenborough
Length: 17.7 km (11 miles), with shorter options. Toughness: 2/10 (I'd have said 4/10)

10:03 Tunbridge Wells train from Cannon Street (London Bridge 10:07, New Cross 10:13, Orpington 10:26), arriving Tunbridge Wells at 10:57. Buy a day return to Tunbridge Wells.

Trains back from Hildenborough go to London Bridge and Cannon Street at 06 & 36 minutes past the hour.

This new walk was posted as a last-minute Sunday replacement for another Tunbridge Wells walk back in January. I don't think the weather was great and the group opted for a shorter ending in Tonbridge, so this will be the full walk's début. The start is essentially the same as the ending of Book 1 Walk 15 in reverse, after which it continues on a northerly route via Bidborough and Haysden Country Park to Hildenborough and its out-of-the-way station on the Sevenoaks-Tonbridge line.

Lunch is at a newly-renovated gastro-pub in Bidborough, the Kentish Hare, which you should reach before 1pm. Halfway through the afternoon you go through Haysden Country Park where you could switch to one of the shorter endings in Tonbridge or Leigh.

If you continue to Hildenborough be sure not to miss the suggested tea place: Café 1809 “one eight oh nine” was opened by Dame Kelly Holmes last year and looks very appealing. Note that the station is a mile out of the village, so unless you can run as fast as Ms Holmes you'd better allow 20-25 minutes to get there from the café.

You'll need to print the directions from the Extra Walk 238 page.

Saturday Second Walk - Hills, views and villages in the Chilterns

Book 1, walk 5 - Great Missenden to Amersham
Length: 16.3km (10.1 miles)
Toughness: 5 out of 10

9.42 train from Marylebone to Great Missenden, arriving 10.23

Buy a day return to Great Missenden, though if you want the option of using the Underground to return from Amersham, buy a zone 1-9 (yes nine) travelcard, with a day return from there to Great Missenden. You can get a discount on this with a Network Card if you can find a tube station ticket office open to sell it to you (not available from tube ticket machines).

For walk directions, click here.

The weather has decided to be autumnal, so I have decided to enter into the spirit with a Chilterns walk. Though actually this is also a perfectly pleasant walk on a sunny summers day too, having little woodland, lots of open views, and numerous pubs to stop at en route. It is rather a pity it normally gets confined to muddy winter, in fact.

The usual lunch stop is after 9.5km/5.6 miles in Penn Street where last time we looked you had a choice of two pubs. But Little Missenden after 5.5km (3 miles) also has two ancient hostelries, so if you are feeling lazy you could stop there.

Old Amersham has various tea options, of which the best is Seasons Cafe Deli if you can squeeze into it. Otherwise various ancient pubs in this attractive old coaching town can accommodate you.

It is about 20 minutes walk up the hill from Old Amersham to Amersham station, from where trains back to Marylebone, taking 39 minutes, go at 26 and 56 past the hour. Or you can take Metropolitan Line trains at 16 and 46 past, taking 49 minutes to Baker Street, but your Great Missenden return will not be valid on these.

Saturday First Walk - Ockley to Warnham

Saturday First Walk Book 1 47 Ockley to Warnham
T=1.47Length 16.5KM (10.3 miles)
Toughness 3 out of 10

For walk directions, click here

Get the 0931 from Victoria to Ockley (Clapham 0937 - Horsham train) arrives 1036. Buy a day return to Warnham. 

Return trains are xx08 direct to Victoria and via Horsham xx41. Note that the last direct train back is 1808 and the last train is 1841 via Horsham. 

"This is a beautiful walk through an unspoilt country­side of fields, woods and gentle hills. In this sleepy corner on the Surrey-Sussex border it seems as if nothing exceptional has happened through the ages. You go through no bustling towns, pass no grand country houses and there are no particularly interesting historical events to relate. Just mile after mile of oak woods and rural delights." Note that there is no evening service on this line.

	The suggested lunch place is the Scarlett Arms pub in Walliswood. This is a small, walker-friendly, pub with a garden for sitting outside in the summer. I still remember the warm welcome I got, arriving dripping wet one winter Wednesday.
	An alternative is the equally homely Punch Bowl pub in Okewood Hill.
	The suggested tea place is the Sussex Oak in Warnham. It is 1.4km to the station from the village of Warnham, but there should be plenty of time for a drink in the garden before the last train. OS Map Explorer 134 &146 Landranger 187

Midweek Evening Walk

Distance: 4.5km
Meet: 19:00 prompt at the entrance to Island Gardens station (DLR).
This is the last daylight evening walk this year; not so many as in prior years partly due to tube strikes (planned and actual) targeting midweek travel.
This is a self-led walk. T=short.12
Destination pub: Plume of Feathers, 19 Park Vista, SE10 9LZ.

Mid week day walk - Moreton-in-Marsh Circular

Moreton-in-Marsh Circular

Last of the Summer Wine in the Cotswolds

Book 3* Walk 115

* Online only

Length :  20 km or 12 miles

Toughness :  5 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:22 am train from London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh

Calling stations are:

1. Slough:  departs 10:36
2. Reading: departs 10:52

Meeting point : Moreton-in-Marsh Station at 11:56

Brief Description

With the nights rapidly drawing in and the scope for longer, more distant walks receding, I thought this would be a fitting jaunt as summer wanes.
As ever, you may find full details of the walk here and a Kindle download page here

Suggested Lunch stops

The Churchill Arms, Paxford GL55 6XH T:01386 594000. Nouvelle Cuisine. An early lunchtime stop  7km from the start of the walk.

The Bakers Arms, Broad Campden GL55 6UR. T:01386 840515. More traditional food. 10km from the start of the walk.

The Great Western Arms, Station Road, Blockley, GL56 9DT. T: 01386 700362 for a late lunch stop

Suggested Tea/Supper stops

There are many tea or supper stops in MiM
If I recall correctly, The Spice Room was a recommended Thai/Indian restaurant.
More eating possibilities here

Map

OS Explorer  OL45

Return train times

Trains return from Moreton-in-Marsh at the following times ...

18:05 (A two hour journey)
19:26 (A one and a half hour journey)
20:47 (A two hour journey)
21:41 (A two hour journey)

It may be possible to shorten the 2 hour journeys by changing at Oxford or Reading - please check.