Saturday Third Walk – through Britain's maritime history

Extra Walk 215 – Blackheath to Canary Wharf
Length: 12 km (7.5 miles). Toughness: 1/10

10:24 Slade Green train from Cannon Street (London Bridge 10:28, New Cross 10:33), arriving Blackheath at 10:41. There are other services to Blackheath from Charing Cross and Victoria (both departing at 10:09) arriving 5-10 minutes earlier, if either of those are more convenient.

Blackheath is in TfL Zone 3 and Canary Wharf (Jubilee Line and DLR) is in Zone 2.

This urban walk had an inauspicious début 18 months ago, when gloomy weather and unfounded rumours of train cancellations put off all but a couple of locals. It's basically an extension of one of the club's summer evening walks in Greenwich Park, with bits tacked on at each end. The advantage of doing it in daylight hours is that you can break off to visit some of the many (free) attractions in the Greenwich World Heritage Site: see the walk document for details. Or you can simply clock off the miles and get back in time to watch the rugby (or put in half a day's overtime at your Docklands office).

There are many possible lunch places in Greenwich but the midweek evening walkers traditionally opt for the Plume of Feathers, just outside one of the park's gates. If you do the final section along the Thames Path you'll find plenty of choice in Canary Wharf too.

You'll need to print the walk directions (with maps) from the Extra Walk 215 page.T=swc.215

Saturday Second Walk - Box Hill autumn colours

SWC Walk 64 - Box Hill Circular
Length: 15km (9.3 miles)
Toughness: 8 out of 10

9.31 train from Victoria (9.38 Clapham Junction, 9.59 Sutton) to Box Hill, arriving 10.21

Buy a day return to Box Hill & Westhumble (Look and see if there is a cheaper Southern only ticket to Dorking: if so, take it, as all your travel will be on Southern).

For walk directions click here.

Autumn colours seem to be developing nicely, so I have picked a walk with plenty of woods, though this circumnavigation of the Box Hill area also has some fine views. It is a strenuous outing with some good hill climbs and descents, so even though it is a short walk you still get a good leg stretch. Be careful on the chalk paths, which can be slippery when the ground is wet.

Lunch is early in this walk - after just 5km/3 miles - and a 10.30 train is usually recommended for this reason. But since days are now short, and since there is a tea option at the Box Hill Visitor Centre before the end of the walk, I thought we might profit from all the afternoon daylight we can get.

So my scheme is to get to the two very excellent - not to say delectable - lunch pubs on this walk when they open at midday. If you walk too fast in the morning, you might even get there before they open. So stop and look at the view at some point.

Trains back are at 28 past till 18.28 and then 19.00 and on the hour till 22.00

Saturday Walk 1 Hever to Leigh

Length 14.2km (8.8 miles)

Toughness 2 out of 10

This is a beautiful walk through the Garden of England. It includes two castles, a stately home, rivers, ponds, woods, undulating hills and three lovely villages: the National Trust village of Chiddingstone; Penshurst, with its half-timbered houses; and Leigh , with its large cricket green, dominated by the Church of St Mary. The Medway Valley is prone to flooding, and it is possible that parts of this walk may not be passable in extreme conditions, but hopefully that won't be a problem this weekend. If you want to visit Penshurst Place, last admission is 4pm, closing at 5pm

Travel

Get the 1008 London Bridge Uckfield train (East Croydon 1023) arrives Hever 1050. 

Return from Leigh 1723, 1823 (platform 1) are direct to London Bridge (change East Croydon for Victoria). 1643, 1743, 1843 (platform 2) are via Tonbridge  to London Bridge & Cannon Street. There are later trains back.

Buy a return to Leigh (pronounced 'lie') "This is valid for both return routes, but on the way out it is only valid as far as Edenbridge Town (on a different line, but tickets via the two Edenbridge stations are interchangeable). In practice a Leigh ticket is usually accepted to Hever, the next stop, but you might be asked to pay a small supplement.

Lunch

The Castle Inn (tel 01892 870 247) in Chiddingstone, after just over a third of the walk.

Further on (two thirds?), The Leicester Arms Hotel (12-3pm) in Penshurst (tel 01892-871617),  is up-market and "serving excellent food".

Tea
There are tea shops in Penshurst closing at 5pm, or the Fleurs-deLis pub in Leigh near the station.

L=1.19

Midweek Day Walk - Chorley Wood to Chesham

Chorley Wood to Chesham

The Chess Valley, one of the most beautiful and tranquil parts of the Chiltern Hills

Book 3* Walk 81

* online only

Length :  16 km or 10 miles

Toughness : 5 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:02 am Metropolitan Line from London Aldgate to Chorley Wood.

The main calling stations are:

• Liverpool Street  10:04 
• Kings Cross       10:12
• Baker Street      10:20

Meeting point : Chorley Wood Station at 11:02

Tickets : Buy a zone 1-9 travelcard/oystercard unless you have a freedom pass.
Travelcard prices are here

Brief Description

I suspect the walk is not really 10 miles but more like 8.  Yes it's hilly, but I'd say the toughness was more like a low 4.
Anyhow you may find full details  here and a printable PDF here

Suggested Lunch stops

The Red Lion in Chenies   t: 01923 282 722
The Bedford Arms also in Chenies  t: 01923 283 301

Suggested Tea stop

The Drawing Room in Chesham  t: 01494 791691 (open late)

Maps

OS Explorer : 171 and 181

Return train times

Metropolitan Trains return from Chesham twice an hour at :22 and :52 minutes past the hour.

Sunday Walk 2 Not exactly the Greensand Way

Dorking to Reigate SWC Walk 16
7.8m 12.5 km
Difficulty 3/10
Follow the route of the River Mole upriver through picturesque villages to the grounds of Reigate Priory. Sometimes you're on the Greensand Way, sometimes you're not.
There's a bit of a climb near the end, then down you go again.
Don't forget the clocks went back today We get an extra hour in bed this morning - the bad news is it gets dark an hour earlier.
Lunch The suggested pub is the Dolphin Inn in Betchworth  01737 842288 phoning advised
An earlier choice is the Royal Oak in Brockham, a later one, the Skimmington Castle on Reigate Heath
Tea Although recommended, the Vintage Tea Rooms close at 4 on Sundays.  Priory Park Cafe is open till 6.
Trains A return to Dorking stations covers.

Get the 10:02 Dorking train from Waterloo (Clapham Junction 10:11) arr Dorking Main 10:54
Rail works today mean your return journey will take a little longer than normal.

For London Bridge, take the 15:19 16:20 17:19 18:20 or 19:19 Redhill train from Reigate changing at Redhill. There is a 35 minute wait for the xx:01 onward connection. Overall journey time 1h.22.
The journey to Victoria is marginally quicker but involves a 20 minute bus replacement from Reigate to Gatwick Airport and a train from there. Buses leave for Gatwick at 15:26 16:30 17:26 and 18:30. Overall journey time 1h.16.
You can get to Waterloo by taking the 15:27 or 17:27 Reading train from Reigate to Dorking Deepdene, walking to Dorking Main and picking up a connection there, but this journey is longest, taking 1h.32 overall.
Anyone in a real hurry could fly by mosquito from Gnatwick airport.
(You can thank Kindle's predictive text for that "joke")
Walk Directions here

Sunday Walk 1 Balcombe Circular

Balcombe Circular, Book 1 walk 16
Length 17.6 km.  10.9 miles
Difficulty 5/10

Clocks went back today (that's if we remembered to put them back). It will get dark an hour earlier.
The clocks are ticked off about it. Their complaint has been seconded and gone in the minutes.

Features of this High Weald walk include a ruined manor house, a churchyard with a 600 year old yew and 17th C fake Roman ruins. You also pass Nymans gardens (as featured on TV). You can visit if you've £11 to spare (NT members free). From the footpath, you get a view of the Japanese Garden and lake and then go through a woodland section that can be impressive in autumn.
Good news: For years, this walk was blighted by a dangerous road crossing that required a diversion. There's now an underpass and the old route's been reinstated (point 37). Also, a tricky rail crossing near the end (point 63) has been replaced by a footbridge - see comments page.
Take care on the stone steps just after the start (point 1). They are slippery when wet and hard if you fall on them. Use the handrail. (Poor Mr Tiger hurt his own front paw here a few years ago and had to wear a sling. For ages.)
Trains: get the 9:27 Brighton train from Victoria (Clapham Junction 9:35, East Croydon 9:46) arrive Balcombe 10:15. It'll feel later, you've had a lie-in, remember. Return trains xx:30
Lunch: Your early lunch stop is the Red Lion in Handcross 01444 400292 or later on you have the Victory Inn 01444 400463 and  Jolly Tanners 01444 400335, both in Staplefield. Visitors to Nymans could avail themselves of the garden's cafe. Sadly, the Chequers in Slaugham has closed. 
Tea: You got the Balcombe Tea Rooms 01444 811777, open till 4 and the Half Moon 01444 811582.
Walk Directions: Available in book 1 but best to use the updated on-line version.

Third walk

SWC 222b Robertsbridge to Stonegate
Length: 18.5 km (11.5 miles). Toughness: 3/10

Catch the 9:18 from London Cannon Street (London Bridge 9:22) arrives Robertsbridge 10:34.

The headline walk was originally planned to be 222a Robertsbridge to Battle. However there are engineering works past Robertsbridge, necessitating a rail replacement bus journey from Battle to Robertsbridge to connect with the train back to London. Even though the bus journey from Battle is less than 15 minutes, thought best to go for the Stonegate ending. If you're not too bothered with the bus journey then probably preferable to go for 222a, as Battle has plenty of tea places / pubs vs. the isolated station at Stonegate. So if undecided on the day, buy a day return to Battle to keep your options open.

Aside from the main headline walk, there are other options - all detailed below. For the Battle ending, buy a day return to Battle.

For the longer walk 222c it is recommended that you take some provisions just in case you are delayed and don't make it in time before they stop serving at 14:30 at The Ash Tree

[Link to zip file with gpx data for 222c]

All walk options are detailed below
#	Walk	Distance km	To lunch km	Train	Directions required
222	Robertsbridge Circular	18.3	N/A	9:18	SWC Walk 222 pages 1-7
222a	Robertsbridge to Battle	19.7	13	9:18	SWC Walk 222 pages 1-5,7 + SWC Walk 30 pages 3-5
222b	Robertsbridge to Stonegate	18.5	13	9:18	SWC Walk 222 pages 1-4, 7-9 + CW2 Walk 19 pages 4-7
222c	Robertsbridge to Battle (long option)	34.5	22.5	8:18	SWC Walk 222

Return bus from Battle to Robertsbridge
Station
Battle	xx:22 xx:52 18:52 xx:52 until 21:52
	Journey time less than 15 minutes, to connect with the Robertsbridge train.

Return trains
Station
Robertsbridge	xx:14 xx:44 19:14 xx:14 until 22:14
Stonegate	xx:23 xx:53 19:23 xx:23 until 22:23

T=swc.222.b

Saturday Second Walk - Chiltern beechwoods, lovely views and chocolate cake for tea

Book 2, walk 6 - Henley via Stonor
Length: 21.9km (13.6 miles) or 19.4km (12.1 miles) - short walk of 14km (8.8 miles) also possible: see bottom of post
Toughness: 6 out of 10

8.57 train from Paddington (9.05 Ealing Broadway), changing at Twyford (arrive 9.42, depart 9.50: connection usually held, but you need to cross the footbridge so don't dawdle), arriving Henley at 10.02.

Buy a day return to Henley-on-Thames (NOT Henley-in-Arden).

Walk directions: the online version includes important updates and is to be preferred to bringing the book.

I had kept this walk back for the last day of Summer Time because it needs an early train from Paddington, as you see. I thought people might brave that on the last long walking day till March. But as we now know that walkers will happily get up for an 8.18 train from the same station not once but twice (!!!), this one is a positive lie-in. If you still need persuading, remember you get an extra hour in bed tomorrow.

This is essentially a Chilterns walk, with plenty of small beechwoods which may just be showing some colour by now (the Chorleywood to Chesham walk last Sunday reported some good tints...)

It is also many many years since I have managed to get to the proper lunch stop for this walk, The Crown in Pishill (no sniggering at the back there). This is a great little place, but popular and they are fussy about walking groups booking in advance. I have done my best to be charming to them and reserved a table for ten people under my name for 1pm. I was quizzed quite a bit about when exactly we would turn up ("so we can plan properly and the kitchen is not overwhelmed"), so if you walk faster and get there at 12.30 and they ask you to wait till 1pm till you order, please be polite and considerate about it.

Those in excess of the 10 booked for lunch can ring up the Crown and be even more charming and they may well be accommodated. Otherwise all a bit earlier in the walk is The Quince Tree "British Pub, Farm Shop and Food Hall". This has both a rather posh pub and a cafe and serves food all afternoon. If you eat here you can take the Stonor Short Cut and shave 2.5km (1.6 miles) off the walk. But when we tried it 2.5 years ago this was what I call a "bag of chips" place - that is, after spending £20 on lunch, you feel like buying a bag of chips to fill you up. 

You have roughly half the walk to do after lunch. Towards Henley take especial care in Lambourne Woods. There is only one official footpath through this and it is fairly straightforward but there are lots of side paths and trees with arrows on have a habit of disappearing. If in doubt, bear right.

The tea stop, if you can get there in time, is The Chocolate Cafe (ex Henley Tea Rooms), which when I last looked closes at 6pm. Henley is not short of other refreshment options.

It is nearly full moon and if the skies are clear, a moonlight walk down the Thames Path (all tarmac) to Mill Lock (about a mile, back the same way) is a lovely way to round off the day.

Trains back are at 24 past until late

** The short walk option is option a) in the walk document, but it is only three miles to lunch at The Rainbow in Middle Assendon and taking a train this early you will get there somewhat before they open at midday. But you could linger a bit in Henley, maybe.

Sat Walk 1 - Tring Circular

Tring Circular, Book 2 Walk 5
10.1 miles/16.3 km, Toughness 4 out of 10

This route starts with a bracing ridge walk up to Ivinghoe Beacon, then passes through the woodlands of the Ashridge Estate to the Bridgewater Monument, before descending to the village of Aldbury.

Trains:  9:24 from Euston to Milton Keynes Central, arriving at Tring at 09:59.  (09:41 Watford Junction).  Return trains xx10, xx26, xx56 for Euston, xx34 for South Croydon

Lunch:  Bridgewater Arms, Little Gaddesden, 01442 842408

Tea: The National Trust cafe by the Bridgewater Monument has tea and cake.  Or there's the Greyhound Inn and Valiant Trooper in Aldbury.  Nothing at Tring station.

You can download the walk directions here.
T=2.5

Midweek Day Walk - Otford to Eynsford.

Otford to Eynsford

The River Darent, two castles and a Roman villa

Book 1 Walk 23

Length :  14 km or 9 miles

Toughness : 5 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:22 am train from London Victoria to Otford

Meeting point : Otford Station at 10:56 am

Tickets : Buy a cheap day return to Otford

Brief Description

A short but quite hilly walk within easy reach of London.
You may find full details of the walk here and a Kindle download here

Suggested Lunch stops

The Kings Arms Shoreham  t : 01959 523100

Ye Olde George Inne Shoreham t : 01959 522017

Suggested Tea stop

The Plough Eynsford t: 01322 862281 

Maps

OS Explorer : 147 and 162

Return train times

Trains return from Eynsford at 13 minutes and 43 minutes past the hour to London Victoria and you will need to change at Bromley South.

Sunday Walk 2 – a short Wealden walk

Extra Walk 92b – Leigh to Penshurst
Length: 13½ km (8.4 miles). Toughness: 3/10

There are two ways of getting to Leigh (on the Redhill-Tonbridge line), and the trains arrive within two minutes of each other. Take either:

1. The 09:40 Ashford train from Charing Cross (Waterloo East 09:43, Orpington 10:05) and change at Tonbridge (arr 10:23, dep 10:29) for the Redhill train from Platform 1, arriving Leigh at 10:33. On this route, buy a day return to Penshurst.

2. The 09:32 Brighton train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:38, East Croydon 09:54) and change at Redhill (arr 10:05, dep 10:10) for the Tonbridge train from Platform 1A, arriving Leigh at 10:35. On this route, buy a day return to Leigh (Kent).

Note that on both routes you have to change platforms and there's only 5 or 6 minutes to make the connection, so be brisk.

You can travel back from Penshurst station in either direction and again the hourly trains arrive at similar times: 32 minutes past to Tonbridge, 37 minutes past to Redhill.

I've chosen the shortish “Reverse Walk” starting at Leigh (option b) to cater for any rugby fans who want to finish in time to watch the 4pm quarter-final, but anyone wanting a longer walk can switch in mid-afternoon to the 18 km Leigh Circular (option c): see the walk document for details.

Extra Walk 92 covers Wealden territory which you may recognise from two of the Book 1 walks: the initial section through Penshurst Park is taken from Walk 15 and the stretch through Chiddingstone village from Walk 19. The normal lunch stop is the Rock Inn at Hoath Corner, although this can only provide ‘lite bites’ at present as its kitchen is being refurbished. If you'd prefer something more substantial you could carry on to the Castle Inn at Chiddingstone, but I'd be inclined to take what the Rock has to offer and save room for tea'n'cake in this picture-postcard village, where there's a tough choice between the Victorian Tea Room in the grounds of Chiddingstone Castle and the equally good Tulip Tree in Burghesh Court. [On the Circular Walk the tea places in Penshurst village won't disappoint either.]

Note that both villages are some way from the end of each walk option, but there are pubs near both stations if you misjudge or aren't in a rush to get back.

You'll need to print the directions from the Extra Walk 92 page. Clicking "Other" in the Walk Options heading line will hide the directions for the variations starting at Penshurst station.T=swc.92.b

Sunday Walk 1 – the Chess valley

Extra Walk 81 – Chorleywood to Chesham
Length: 15.9 km (9.9 miles). Toughness: 5/10

10:12 Aylesbury train from Marylebone (Harrow-on-the-Hill 10:24), arriving Chorleywood at 10:39. [If you miss this hourly train, head for Baker Street and take the tube, then do one of the morning short cuts to catch up.]

Metropolitan line tubes go from Chesham to Baker Street at 22 & 52 minutes past the hour.

Chorleywood is in TfL Zone 7 and Chesham in Zone 9, so buy a Zones 1-9 Travelcard or use your Oyster card (and remember to touch out at Chorleywood).

This attractive walk in the Chess valley should provide some early autumn colour without you having to venture beyond the capital's underground network. There's a choice of two pubs in the lunchtime village of Chenies (the Red Lion and the Bedford Arms); it's less than halfway through the walk so you'll get there just after noon. Chesham offers the usual set of tea places plus one that's anything but commonplace, The Drawingroom.

You'll need to print the directions from this pdf document.T=swc.81

Saturday Third Walk

Extra Walk 218:  Midhurst Way:  Haslemere to Midhurst via Henley – Quiet hills, country pubs and Cowdray Park (which includes a castle)

Length:  9.7 miles

Difficulty:  4 out of 10

Train:  Take the 10:00 South West Portsmouth Harbor train from London Waterloo to Haslemere, arriving at 10:48.  To return requires taking one of the hourly buses (No. 70 -- from Stand D at the Bus Station) from Midhurst back to Haslemere (a 24 minute journey).  The buses are every hour on the hour with the last one being 19:05.  Return trains from Haslemere are frequent with regular services at 02; 15; 32 and 39 past the hour (reducing to 02; 15 and 32 at 19:39) until 21:32.  Buy a day return to Haslemere. 

This walk is actually a longstanding special request – but, I liked the description so much that I was keen to do it myself (so had to wait until after the swimming season to post it)!  With autumn tree color just starting to show, this should also be a nice time for a walk in the Haslemere area before the dreaded mud season returns.  The walk climbs two gentle hills with nice views and passes through Cowdray Estate towards the end – in the heart of the South Downs National Park.     More information and the instructions for the walk can be found here.  The instructions actually look a little light – so if you have a map, it would be well worth bringing.

There are two options for lunch – an earlier, more classic pub, The Red Lion (01428 643 112) in Fernhurst and a later, more gourmet pub, The Duke of Cumberland Arms in Henley (01428 652 280), slightly less than halfway and slightly more than half way, respectively.  Larger groups should call ahead and provide some warning – especially for the later pub. 

Tea can be had at Cowdray Farm Shop & Cafe which is open until 5:00 PM.  Alternatively, Midhurst and/or Haslemere undoubtedly have a few watering holes to re-hydrate after the walk.

Enjoy the walk!

Saturday Second Walk - A South Downs Ramble

SWC Walk 25 (in reverse and with the alternative ending) – Eastbourne to Glynde

First posting of this version of the walk (so the SWC files suggest, anyway)

Length: 26.2 km (16.3 mi), ascent:  644 m, net walking time: ca. 6 ½ hours

Toughness:  9 out of 10                        

or: Eastbourne to Berwick  (20.3 km/12.6 mi, 470m ascent, 6/10)

Take the 09.16 train from Victoria (09.22 CJ, 09.32 EC), arriving Eastbourne at 10.44

Return trains: XX.23 (change in Brighton!, 80 minutes journey time, 5 mins earlier from Berwick). Buy an Eastbourne return ticket.

To make use of one of the last long days: a longish South Downs ramble with three notable ascents, but very few sea views. This is because the route follows the inland variant of the easterly end of the South Downs Way, instead of the well-trodden Beachy Head-route. So, once out of Eastbourne and up on the Downs, you turn north towards the picturesque village of Jevington and then via the Long Man of Wilmington down into the Cuckmere Valley to Alfriston. From there it's back onto the South Downs to follow the ridge all the way to Beddingham Hill, where you turn north down to Glynde.

This is a map-lead walk, but it is very easy to follow. For a map, a height profile and gpx/kml files look here.

An early lunch stop could be The Eight Bells in Jevington (10.1 km/6.3 mi), but realistically lunch should be further along in Alfriston, for example at The George (15.3 km/9.7 mi).

For tea the splendid Trevor Arms in Glynde is an ideal stop close by the station.

You should be fine for light, as sunset will be just after 18.00, giving sufficient light up to 18.30, but if you have a head torch, why not bring it? Also: Alfriston is reached after about 3/5 of distance and effort, so it will be easy to gauge whether you are on schedule to get to Glynde in daylight. If running late, just walk the shortcut to Berwick instead…For the shortcut, you head north from Alfriston to Berwick station (and The Berwick Inn opposite), either directly along the Vanguard Way (20.3 km/12.6 mi, 470m ascent, 6/10 rating), passing The Cricketers Arms in Berwick village along the way, or via Alciston village (21.9 km/13.6 mi, 470m ascent, 7/10 rating) passing The Rose Cottage Inn there.
For details of these shortcut routes check the map here.

T=swc.25

L=swc.25