Saturday Third Walk - Bluebells and beautiful views

SWC Walk 20 - Sevenoaks to Westerham
Length: 18.8km (11.7 miles)
Toughness: 6 out of 10

9.40 train from Charing Cross (9.43 Waterloo East) to Sevenoaks, arriving 10.11

You can also get the 9.33 from Cannon Street (9.37 London Bridge, 9.43 New Cross, 9.56 Orpington) to Sevenoaks, arriving 10.05 - in which case you are on your word of honour to wait for the 10.11 train to arrive before starting your walk.

Buy a day return to Sevenoaks.

For walk directions, click here.

This walk starts with a walk across Knole Park - very familiar terrain to many of you - and then plunges below the Greensand escarpment into pretty hilly territory with some nice views. There are a series of excellent bluebell woods in the middle section of the walk. The last section is a wooded walk to Westerham.

For lunch there is a choice between a very nice but rather small Windmill pub in Sevenoaks Weald just off the walk route 7.9km/4.9 miles into the walk. I would definitely give them a tinkle to make sure they have space before making the diversion. The alternative, a hefty 13.9km (8.6 miles) into the walk is the Cock Inn in Ide Hill. Service here can be rather gruff but it serves decent food. Last time I looked this was until 3pm but don't quote me.

Your emergency lunch alternatives are the very nice Community Shop in Ide Hill which does soups and sandwiches and the National Trust-run tea room in Emmetts Garden, 14.7km (9.1 miles) into the walk, which otherwise is the recommended tea stop - open till 5pm. Last but not least, Westerham is bristling with pubs, tea rooms, and a Costa Coffee open till 6pm last time I looked.

To get back from Westerham you need to get a bus and there are two choices:

- You can get the 401 at 13 past (last bus 18.13) from Westerham Green to Sevenoaks station, which takes 22 minutes. There are fast and frequent trains to London from here, taking 20 minutes.

- Alternatively the 246 goes at 22 and 52 past from Westerham Green to Bromley South station until 18.22, then 19.22, 20.22, 21.12, 22.12, 23.12, taking 43 minutes (also calls at Hayes station 13 minutes earlier). This bus used to be a London Transport service and so Oyster could be used and the bus fare was the standard Oyster bus fare (also zone four to six travelcards), but I am not sure if that is still true. Your Sevenoaks return IS valid for return from Bromley South to Victoria, however (very frequent trains, 20 minutes), as the station is on the route to Sevenoaks via Otford.

Saturday Second Walk - Halnaker to Chichester (via Cass Sculpture Park and Goodwood)

SWC Walk 239 – Scenic steep chalk downlands around the Upper Lavant Valley, the Goodwood Estate on the Opening Day of the Race Season, unrivalled views from St. Roche's Hill (incl. of the race track below) and historic Chichester's centre

Length: 22.9 km (14.2 mi) [shorter options available, see below]

Ascent/Descent: 500 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours

Toughness:  7 out of 10 (with several steep ascents around lunch, so may feel tougher than that)

09.06 train from [!] London Bridge [!] (East Croydon 09.24 [the 08.43 from Victoria connects with this]), arrives Chichester 10.35. Then take the Number 55 Bus at 10.40 (usually from Bay 6 at the Bus Station), arrives Halnaker Crossroads 11.01. The Bus is half-hourly. The write-up lists nearby cafes should the train arrive late.

Return trains are 2-4 per hour, today mostly to London Bridge. Last direct train: 21.07. Last train with under 2 hours journey time: 22.40. Buy a Chichester Return.

This strenuous West Sussex walk makes for a long day out, as it involves a bus connection on the way out after an already long train journey to Chichester. Its main purpose is to explore the scenic steep chalk downlands well north of Chichester around the Upper Lavant Valley, between St. Roche’s Hill and the South Downs chain, while enabling a visit to Cass Foundation’s Sculpture Park (on an extension) in the morning, and passing through the Goodwood estate as well as through Chichester’s Old Town at the end. The lonely grassy or wooded hillsides of the beautiful Lavant Valley are dissected by quiet flat bottomed valleys, and feature several pretty villages, as well as providing for stunning views. Most of the climbing is done between the lunch pubs, but the longest ascent comes straight after the late lunch option, up to St. Roche’s Hill, from whose treeless summit you have some of the best views of any SWC walk.

On the full walk the scheduled lunch stop is The Partridge Inn in Singleton (11.4 km/7.1 mi), just before the ascent to the highest point of the walk: St. Roche’s Hill; a table has been booked for 13.30 hours. There’s also the Star and Garter in East Dean, but that comes a bit early (5.6 km/3.6 mi). On the short walks the lunch stops are the Star and Garter or The Fox Goes Free in Charlton (9.4 km/5.9 mi) [Shortcut II only].

Chichester has lots of commendable drinkeries and eateries. For details, as always, check page 2 of the pdf.

There are two shortcuts possible within the full walk, one going right past the race track and main stand of Goodwood, as well as an alternative ending from St. Roche’s Hill to the twee village of West Dean (with a lovely tea shop, a good pub and a frequent bus to Chichester from the doorstep of that pub).

For details, as always, check page 2 of the pdf, or the route map on the website.

For walk directions (pdf) click here. For summary, route map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.

Get Hill Fit for Ullapool – The Schedule

23/04 – SWC 251 Tisbury Circular (via Ludwell and Berwick St. John)

30/04 – SWC 239 Halnaker to Chichester (via Cass Sculpture Park and Goodwood)

07/05 – SWC 263 Haslemere to Midhurst (via Temple of the Winds and Henley)

14/05 – SWC 068 (Revised) Rowlands Castle Circular

T=swc.239

Saturday First Walk - A bluebell pilgrimage to Canterbury

Book 1 Walk 28 Chilham to Canterbury
Length 17.7km (11 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

9.22 train from Victoria (9.39 Bromley South) to Chilham, arriving 11.15

OR

10.08 Southeastern High Speed train from St Pancras International to Ashford International, arriving 10.46, changing there to the above train, which departs Ashford at 11.03

Buy a day return to Canterbury

For walk directions click here

Blean Woods, in the afternoon of this walk, is reputed to have fine bluebells, and the suggested lunch pub in Chartham Hatch was surrounded by apple orchards last time I was there (though this was years ago and apple orchards have a regretable habit these days of disappearing). The bluebells should, touch wood, be at best and the apple orchards may be in flower, though given the subarctic weather we have had this week I am less confident about that.

Since it is a long time since I did this walk I have no up to date information on the lunch options - if anyone has, maybe they could post a comment. Recent "fully booked" debacles have made me wary of saying anything and it is with a heavy heart that I have to report that at least one 26-strong Meet Up Group is known to be in this area today (but starting from a different station and much earlier in the day). However, I note that two options are given in the walk directions (a third pub mentioned in the book, the Plough in Upper Harbledown, is now closed) and so hopefully one will do. If someone wants to be public spirited and make an initial booking for 6-8 people, that would be nice.

At the end of this walk you arrive in cheerful, bustling Canterbury which is groaning with tea, drink and dinner options (and tourists). See walk directions for some suggestions.

Trains back:

- Those who have paid the high speed supplement will skip happily to Canterbury West, where the 25 past takes you directly to St Pancras in 56 minutes, or the 45 past requires a change at Ashford for a journey time of 1hr 09 minutes

- Otherwise, the fastest trains are:
      - the 09 from Canterbury East to Victoria (1hr 44 mins)
      - the 45 past from Canterbury West to Charing Cross (1hr 37 mins)
      - the 48 past from Canterbury East to Victoria (1 hr 33 mins)

I have not checked these ad nauseam into the evening, so perhaps cross check with your smartphone app before you travel.

For those that don't know the city, Canterbury West station is to the north of the centre and Canterbury East is to the south. Why they are not called Canterbury North and Canterbury South is a mystery to me.

Midweek day walk Chilham Circular

Chilham Circular

A climb into the Kentish Downs and a descent to two historic houses

Book 3* Walk 138  *Online only

Length :  16 km or 10 miles

Toughness :  5 out of 10

Getting there :  Catch the 10:08 am train from London St. Pancras International (10:15 am from Stratford International) to Chilham change at Ashford (platforms 5 to 6)
If you live near Bromley South Station, you may catch the direct 9:38 am train there and rendezvous with the Pancrastians as they board at Ashford 

Meeting point :  Chilham Station at 11:15

Tickets :  Buy a cheap day return to Chilham

Brief Description

Back to Kent this week with this scenic walk on the Kentish Downs.
The only Lunch time Pub stop is the lovely family run Compasses Inn. I would suggest someone phones from before setting out from Chilham to check all is well for a lunchtime meal.

You may find full details of this walk here and a printable PDF here

Suggested Lunch stop

The Compasses Inn at Crundale t: 01227 700 300

Suggested Tea stops

Shelley's Tea Room t: 01227 730 303 (Open to 4:00 pm on weekdays)

The White Horse t: 01227 730 355 (Might be closed)

The Woolpack Inn t: 01227 730 351

I'd suggest you allow 15 minutes to get from the tea stop to the station.

Map

OS Explorer : 137

Return train times

Trains return from Chilham at 14 minutes past the hour. Change at Ashford for the High Speed train to Stratford and St. Pancras International ( Total journey time 1 hour 9 minutes ) or stay on the train to go to London Victoria ( Total journey time 1 hour 53 minutes)  

Book 2 Walk 14 - a lovely walk along the North Down escarpment

Book 2 Walk 14. Effingham to Westhumble.

Length 14.3km (8.9m); toughness 5/10.

Trains:  10.00 London Waterloo (Clapham Junction 10.09)  to Surbiton arriving 10.22 Then 10.32 from Platform 4, Surbiton arriving at  Effingham Junction 10.50. 

Slow stopping return trains from Box Hill and Westhumble to London Victoria are at xx:18 and 48.

A day return to Effingham Junction should be ok but as you will be returning on a different line from Boxhill and Westhumble two singles may be safer.

The idyllic estate of Polesden Lacey, a fine country house nestling just behind the North Downs escarpment, is the highlight of this walk - a landscape of hidden valleys, pretty woodland, and gentle pasture that seems lost in a golden yesterday. The walk has something to offer at almost any time of the year. In spring, it passes through a number of fine bluebell woods.

Lunch is at the self service restaurant at Polesden Lacey.Tea is usually taken at  Denbies Wine Estate Visitor Centre but there is now a nice café right outside Boxhill station which hopefully should be open until 5pm.

Don’t use Book 2  for this walk;  instead download the pdf file for the updated instructions which can be found here

Free walk 181 - a vigorous South Downs ramble

Download walk 181. Lewes to Seaford via West Firle

Length 22.9km (14.3m); toughness 8/10 – 2, possibly 3 major climbs depending on a choice of routes early in the walk..

Trains 9.47 London Victoria (Clapham Junction 09.53, East Croydon 10.04) arrive Lewes 10.55

Return trains from Seaford at xx.57 to Lewes for connecting trains to London Victoria or alternatively catch a xx.27 to Brighton for connecting trains back to London Bridge. Buy a day return to Seaford.

This vigorous and glorious South Downs workout may be attractive for those going on the Scottish adventure but cannot make the Saturday Tisbury excursion. There are some long climbs and overall a total of 544m of ascent and descent.

An early lunch may be taken at the Trevor Arms in Glynde but the later recommended stop is the Ram Inn in West Firle. Both pubs are run by the same people and serve excellent meals.

Salts café in Seaford is your best bet for tea and cakes.

There are options for shortening the walk and these can be found here along with outline walk instructions.

This walk is in open countryside and is best done with a map or GPS  coupled with the outline walk guidelines. However if you want to use more  detailed written instructions see the beginning of the outline walk instructions for what to bring with you.

Weather watch: the BBC  long-term forecast for the area is for it to be dry but cold but at 150 -200m on the top of the Downs  where you will be mainly walking it could be bleak so wrap up and check on the forecast

Saturday Third Walk - Tisbury Circular (via Ludwell and Berwick St. John)

SWC Walk 251 – Fine views in the undulating Upper Nadder Valley, Wardour Park and its ruined Castle, a long ascent to Win Green, views to the coast and nearby valleys, White Sheet hill and ridge, a rough descent, a jump over a boggy brook, a bluebell wood (at least one, anyway)

Length: 26.3 km (16.4 mi) [shorter option available, see below]

Ascent/Descent: 710 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 6 ½ hours

Toughness:  10 out of 10

09.20 Exeter St. Davids train from Waterloo (Clapham J. 09.27, Woking 09.46), arrives Tisbury 11.06.

Buy a £15 day return to Tisbury on the SWT-website or at the station ticket office (but not the machines) before midnight the night before.

Returns are at xx.01, last train 22.03.

The walk explores parts of the Upper Nadder Valley (also known as the Vale of Wardour) in the south westerly parts of the West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is spectacular walking country with some breathtaking views. Heading west from Tisbury, initially it broadly follows the valley, while never being flat for long, before routing through Wardour Park with its large neoclassical mansion and romantically ruined 14^th century Castle to then bypass the Donheads via a hill crossing.

After lunch in Ludwell it is a long and steady ascent to South Wiltshire’s highest point: Win Green Hill, providing for 360°-views to the coast and the inland valleys. After a stretch along the Cranborne Chase ridge a steep descent into the Chalke Valley is followed by a re-ascent up Berwick Coombe to White Sheet Hill, followed by a steep and rough descent from the chalk escarpment.  A few woods, a boggy brook crossing and some smaller copses are followed by the descent back into Tisbury, a remarkably unspoilt village.

A Shortcut (17.2 km, 440m ascent), limiting the effort to 5/10, is described.

On the full walk the lunch stop is The Grove Arms in Ludwell (10.6 km/6.6 mi), just before the ascent to South Wiltshire’s highest point.

On the short walk the lunch stop is The Forester Inn in Donhead St. Andrew (7.3 km/4.5 mi), an excellent yet welcoming pub restaurant. Pre-booking is advised. 

Back in Tisbury the options are the highly recommended Beatons Tearooms and Bookshop for tea, or one of three pubs – in (my) order of preference: The Boot Inn, The South Western or The Bennett.

For walk directions click here. For summary, route map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.

Get Hill Fit for Ullapool – The Schedule

23/04 – SWC 251 Tisbury Circular (via Ludwell and Berwick St. John)

30/04 – SWC 239 Halnaker to Chichester (via Cass Sculpture Park and Goodwood)

07/05 – SWC XXX (New Walk) Haslemere to Midhurst

14/05 – SWC 068 (Revised) Rowlands Castle Circular

T=swc.251

Saturday Second Walk - Bluebell Blockbuster (and maybe apple blossom)

SWC Walk 41 - Yalding to Sevenoaks
Length: 21km (13 miles) but see Shortening the walk below
Toughness: 5 out of 10

9.10 train from Charing Cross (9.13 Waterloo East) to Paddock Wood, arrive 9.58, changing there (same platform) for the 10.11 to Yalding, arrive 10.19

If you just miss the above, the 9.15 from Charing Cross (9.18 Waterloo East) connects with the Yalding train at Tonbridge (arrive 9.57, depart 10.04)

Buy a day return to Yalding.

For walk directions click here.

There are bluebell woods throughout this gentle Kentish walk, and if they are not fully out by now they damned well ought to be. You also pass through a varied "Garden of England" landscape, including one or two cute villages, the occasional stately home and some apple orchards (which may be in blossom by now, but don't hold me to it: apple blossom is fickle in its timing).

Perhaps best of all in the light of recent pub debacles, this walk has THREE possible lunch pubs, each one a cracker. (They surely can't ALL be "fully booked".) The early train (in case you were thinking of moaning) is chosen to give you a reasonable choice of them, the latter two being 6 miles and 7.4 miles into the walk respectively.

Tea options include Ightham Mote early in the afternoon or rushing on to Knole Park (which only has a kiosk at present). But it is a shame to rush the part of this walk between these two National Trust properties, as it is a lovely stretch, with fine views, interesting wildflowers and - if the weather is sunny - lots of butterflies (eg orange tips - photo)

Backstop tea options are in Sevenoaks, from where trains back to London are too frequent to detail.

SHORTENING THE WALK: There is a bus, the 222, from the third lunch pub in Shipbourne (11.9km/7.4 miles into the walk) to Tonbridge station at 12.24, 14.24 and 17.24. In the opposite direction this goes to Borough Green station at 13.12, 16.15 and 18.12. Journey time is 15 minutes either way, and your Yalding return ticket would be valid from both stations. You miss some bluebell woods and fine scenery in the afternoon, but the morning half also makes a very nice walk.

Wakes Colne to Bures

t=1.46 Length: 18km / 11m
Toughness: 5/10
Transport: Take the 10:02 from London Liverpool Street, change at Marks Tey to arrive at Wakes Colne at 11:07
Return from Bures is at xx:33

From the description:
Many walkers associate Essex with flat landscapes, surly pubs and badly maintained footpaths. This walk suffers only from this last failing – in summer, one 400 metre stretch near the end (just past point [8]) can be invaded by almost head-high nettles or vegetation, so wear long trousers and take a walking pole and compass if possible. Other paths on this walk can also be overgrown in high summer. For the rest, the walk is delightful. Since the last edition there have been some path diversions and a new route is now recommended between Chalkney Wood and Earls Colne. Chappel & Wakes Colne, the station where the walk starts, is a railway museum on every side, with old carriages on display. The village and church at Chappel are a foretaste of the lovely architecture to come, along the Colne Valley, such as fine thatched barns and cottages and the neo-Tudor mansion of Colne Priory. The lunch pub at Colne Engaine is just past the church, and then the route follows the side of a fishing lake (not marked on old OS maps, as it was only created in 1995). Brooks, farms, woods and undulating hills lead into tea at one of the pubs in Bures.

Midweek evening walk

Wanstead Park
Time: 19:00 prompt
Distance: 6km
Meet: Area west of the Wanstead underground station
This is a self-led walk. Directions plus map here.
Destination pub: The George, 155-159 High Street, Wanstead.

T=short.11

Midweek Day Walk - Berkhamsted Circular

A Chilterns Walk to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Berkhamsted

Ashridge, it's woods and college, the Bridgewater Monument and Arms, Golden Valley and Frithsden Beeches. 

A map led walk (A paper map of the route will be provided for all at the start of the walk)

Length : 16 km or 10 miles

Toughness :  3 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:24 am train from London Euston to Berkhamsted. Trains here normally depart from platform 10 and there is a single window Ticket Office just before the platform barriers there.
If it's more convenient for you to catch an overground to Watford Junction, you may join the train there departing 10:41 am
Clapham Junction folk can catch the 9:39 am Milton Keynes train to Berkhamsted arriving there 10:32. There's a coffee kiosk in the station ticket office which may be able to offer a beverage whilst waiting for the Eustonites. 

Meeting point : Berkhamsted Station at 10:53 am

Tickets : Buy a cheap day return to Berkhamsted. 

Brief Description

I posted this walk in August last year at the time of a potential tube strike and remembered it was particularly nice despite earlier drizzle. Hopefully the weather will be better and there will be a few bluebells and other spring flowers in Ashridge forest as well.
The light lunch venue Brownlows can be a bit busy, but they're good at dealing with orders and will sometimes fast forward those just wanting a drink. There's a nice green and some woodland seats nearby for those with a packed lunch.  Walkers may also climb the 172 steps of the National Trust Bridgewater Monument also nearby (don't forget your NT card if you have one).
Details of the "Battle" can be found in the Visitor's Centre adjacent to Brownlows.
After luncheon, the walk continues towards Ashridge House then skirts Little Gaddesden.(where it's possible to divert to the Bridgewater Arms should the weather prove to be inclement.
Then it's on to Golden Valley (modelled by Capability Brown in the 1760’s),  Frithsden Beeches and back to Berkhamsted.

Just to confirm this will be a map led walk and maps will be provided.

Suggested Lunch stops

Brownlows Café t: 01442 851670

Or if the weather is inclement,

The Bridgewater Arms t: 01442 842408 (about 3km further on)

Suggested Tea stops

Here  t: 01442 300870 28/30 Lower Kings Road, Berkhamsted

... or for those wanting something a little stronger

The Crystal Palace, The Boat and The Rising Sun can all be found to the southeast of the station.
The Rising Sun looks like the place to go for Real Ale enthusiasts and connoisseurs of fine lagers. All these Pubs have seating overlooking the Grand Union Canal.

Map

OS Explorer : 181

Return train times

Trains return from Berkhamsted to Euston at 15 minutes intervals or thereabouts.
Trains to Clapham Junction are hourly at 39 minutes past the hour.