Backup Only

This Week's Walks - Archive

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

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

Wednesday 27 June 2018

Wednesday Walk - Oxted Circular

Length: 19.2 km (11.9 mi) [shorter or longer walk possible]
Ascent/Descent: 270m
Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours
Toughness:  5 out of 10

09.51 East Grinstead train from Victoria (CJ 09.58, EC 10.10), arrives Oxted 10.31, or the 10.07 Uckfield train from London Bridge (EC 10.22), arrives Oxted 10.35.
Return trains: plenty.

Much of this walk is on the wooded Greensand Ridge running parallel to and just south of the North Downs. At various points in the walk there are views across the valley to these downs, contrasting with far-reaching views out to the High Weald from the southern escarpment.
The outward route is across the National Trust's Limpsfield Common, the High Chart (some of which is part of the Titsey Estate) and Squerryes Park. This brings you to Westerham, described by Daniel Defoe as a “neat, handsome, well-built market town”. Memorials in the 14thC St Mary's Church and two statues on the Green honour its most famous residents, General James Wolfe and Sir Winston Churchill. Wolfe was born in the town and his childhood home, named Quebec House  after his famous victory in 1759, is owned by the National Trust. The house is open; admission (2018) is £5.60.
The afternoon route starts with an attractive section up the open Darent valley and climbs onto the wooded Crockhamhill Common, from where an optional extension loops out to Churchill's family home Chartwell, also owned by the National Trust. The garden, restaurant and the house are open; admission is £14.40 or £7.20 for the garden only. The walk crosses over the outward route at Limpsfield Chart, continues through more parts of Limpsfield Common and returns to Oxted via the village of Limpsfield, which has retained many of its historic buildings.

Walk Options: See the webpage or the pdf for details.

Lunch: There are three large pubs to choose from in Westerham, about 9 km into the main walk variations. For details and other options see the webpage or the pdf.
Tea: Towards the end of the walk there is The Bull in Limpsfield and many more possible tea places in Oxted itself. see the webpage or the pdf for details.

For walk directions, summary, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.63

4 comments:

Jane from Kew said...

Well i had hoped to d this walk but I left my instructions behind at home Bestjfk

Jane from Kew said...


Yes i had hoped to do this walk but left my instructions behind at home .best jfk
hope you have a super day

Jane from Kew said...

just in case anyone is interested my Jazz choir are performing again this Saturday in a programme called Something like Summer.

This will take place at St Andrews Church
Fulham Fields ,
Greyhound Rd
W14 9SA
7.30 pm Tickets £12 00 on the door

Thanks jfk

Sean said...

n=7 walkers on a w=hot-sunny day, not counting one who showed up in Westerham and made fleeting appearances thereafter. Two pub lunchers looked no further than the Kings Arms and were rewarded with sour beer (grudgingly replaced) and a long wait for food that wasn't worth waiting for. The picnickers did better. In the afternoon grass-mowing was under way in the Darent valley, keenly watched by a pair of red kites which occasionally swooped down on some freshly-sliced unfortunate creature. The fleeting visitor popped up again in Ridlands Grove, then was gone.