Evening Walk - The Royal Parks with the Serpentine Pavilion & The Mastaba: Queensway to Whitehall

Length: 6.0 km

Net Walking Time: 1 ½ hrs      

Meet: Queensway Station  (corner of Queensway and Bayswater Road) at 18.30 hours.

Queensway is on the Central Line in Zone 1, Bayswater (Circle and District lines) is a 3-minute walk away.

Finish: Whitehall, near Charing Cross/Embankment/Westminster stations.

Drop-Outs: Hyde Park Corner or Green Park tube stations, or buses.

Map-led, through Central London's extensive parks, past the Serpentine Gallery’s Summer Pavilion in Kensington Gardens and past Christo’s floating artwork, The London Mastaba, on the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park.

Eat/Drink: The Serpentine Pavilion in Kensington Gardens (this park closes at 20.00), The Lord of the Moon of the Mall (Wetherspoon’s) in Whitehall plus numerous options around Trafalgar Square.

For walk directions, map and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.19

Wednesday Walk - Haddenham to Aylesbury via Waddesdon

Length: 25.2 km (15.7 mi) [shorter versions possible, see pdf for details]

Ascent/Descent: 300m; Net Walking Time: 5 ½ hours

Toughness:  6/10                        

Take the 10.06 Oxford train from Marylebone, arrives Haddenham & Thame Parkway 10.40.

Return trains are on 16.18/16.48/17.15/17.50/18.20/18.47 etc. via Amersham (your ticket is not technically valid on these services) and 16.29/17.29/18.22 etc. via Princes Risborough.

Buy a Haddenham & Thame return, this covers the return journey to London from Princes Risborough. You then need to buy an Aylesbury to Risborough single at Aylesbury and travel via Princes R’boro!, or argue with the ticket inspector.

This walk through some scenic northerly parts of Aylesbury Vale combines tranquil stretches of the Thame Valley Walk with more energetic climbs in between, heading north through Upper Wichenden and the Rothschild’s Waddesdon estate, finally along a long tree-lined avenue up towards Waddesdon Manor, situated on a prominent hill. After lunch in Waddesdon village, Eythrope Park (another Rothschild estate) is passed through and the route follows the Thame River and Bear Brook into Aylesbury.

Alternative (shorter) Finishes  in Stone (frequent buses to Aylesbury) or at Aylesbury Vale Parkway station are described. There is also a shortcut just before lunch.

Lunch: The Long Dog (13.7 km/8.5 mi, food all day). Nearby there are also The Lion (food to 14.30) and the 94 Coffee Shop.  
Tea: lots of choice in Aylesbury, see the pdf for details.

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

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Bank Holiday Walk - Woodberry Wetlands (Stoke Newington Reservoirs) [Short Walk]

Length: 6.8 km (4.2 mi) [or 5.0 km/3.1 mi with the Manor House ending]

Meet at 11.30 (eleven-thirty!) outside Finsbury Park Station (Main Line Services from Kings Cross, and Victoria and Piccadilly Lines).

Return trains from Stoke Newington Overground go to Liverpool Street or to Enfield Town or Cheshunt. Manor House is served by the Piccadilly Line.

Woodberry Wetlands is a Thames Water-owned and London Wildlife Trust-run urban nature reserve on East Reservoir, one of the two Stoke Newington reservoirs on the New River (which – famously – is “neither new nor a river”). The reservoirs were built in 1833 to hold water from the New River, a man-made canal supplying drinking water to London from springs near Ware in Hertfordshire. The reservoir had been off-limits to the public for more than 180 years until 2016, when Woodberry Wetlands and its fantastic café in the former coal house opened.

The route starts with a meander through Finsbury Park before entering the Wetlands and then continues along the New River past the West Reservoir to Green Lanes, to then lead south, then east through Clissold Park (and its café in Clissold House) and along the very charming Stoke Newington Church Street to Abney Park cemetery (one of the most splendid and enlightened of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ London garden cemeteries) and from there to Stoke Newington Overground.

An Alternative Finish goes north from the West Reservoir along Green Lanes back to Manor House Underground (or even back to Finsbury Park Station, this adds 1.4 km)

Please note: Dogs are not allowed  in the Nature Reserve.

Lunch/Tea: 14 Cafés and 3 Pubs en route (see webpage or pdf for details).

For summary, map, photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.26

Bank Holiday Walk - Arundel to Amberley - Arundel Park and the South Downs

Book 1, Walk 32 - Arundel to Amberley

Length: 18.8 km (11.7 miles). Several options to extend or shorten - see the Directions
Toughness: 7 out of 10   Just one ascent in the afternoon up a steep flight of steps onto the Downs (which can be avoided). Remainder of walk 4 out of 10

London Victoria: 09-36 hrs   Southampton Central and Bognor Regis service. CJ  09-43;  EC  09-53; Horsham 10-27. Train splits at Horsham. You need to be in the Bognor section.
Arrive Arundel: 11-01 hrs

Return  Arundel to Victoria:  13 and 46 mins past the hour
Return Amberley to Victoria: 17 mins past the hour  (just one an hour)

Check: as it's a Bank Holiday do check the accuracy of the above travel information. Occasionally, travel websites do not reflect timetable changes over Bank Holiday weekends.

Rail ticket: buy a day return to Arundel

Lunch: bring a picnic in case the lunch pub in Burpham is fully booked

It's almost a year since this Book 1 favourite was given an outing, so here it is for your Summer Bank Holiday (long) walk.

Leaving the railway station you head towards the centre of Arundel to walk (quite steeply) up its High Street, to pass Arundel Castle, then the Roman Catholic Cathedral before you enter Arundel Park, the Duke of Norfolk's modest back garden (....the old ones are the best ones.....). There are some lovely views from the Park. Leaving the Park, and with the River Arun now down below you, you head towards the hamlet of South Stoke. Its church (usually open) is well worth a peek inside. You now cross the River Arun on an ugly, modern steel pedestrian bridge, and head over water meadows, at times beside the river, and into the village of Burpham, where you stop for lunch. If you are lucky, you might find an outside table at the George Inn (indoors is likely to be fully booked some weeks ago): tel: 01903-883131 - but you might be lucky: your e.t.a is 13-05 hrs.  But I suggest you bring a picnic, just in case - there are seats by the church nearby, and in the cricket ground also nearby.

After your lunch stop, do pop into Burpham Church, before you set off on your afternoon leg. You can avoid the steep flight of steps (see later) on the Book 1 walk by reversing the morning leg of Book 2, Walk 22 -Amberley to Arundel  which offers a gradual, steady ascent onto the Downs: if you take this easier route you will meet up with those following the Book 1 route in Amberley. Otherwise, reverting to the Book 1 route, you walk through the churchyard and along a quiet road to Peppering Farm. You now follow a track which is soon beneath a chalky embankment to the South Downs. You now turn sharp right and climb up 244 earthen steep steps (do count them - some say there are 246, others 242 - but I'm sticking to 244). At the top, take a breather, then enjoy the views as you head along and over the South Downs. You eventually descend to Downs Farm, where you often encounter sloppy, chalky mud ( but the farm tracks should be firm today), then you drop down to a road junction above Amberley. You now have a choice of onward route: if you have time and the energy, you follow the walk directions to the village of Amberley, then walk over Amberley Wild Brooks and back beside the River Arun to Amberley Bridge. Otherwise, you can take the direct route down High Titten for tea at the Bridge Inn, close to the railway station. For other tea options, in Amberley village centre or near the railway station, please refer to the walk Directions.

I almost forgot to mention - your water feature for today is the River Arun.
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Walk Directions are here L=1.32
If you are contemplating any "backwards"options, the Book 2 Directions are here 

Sunday Walk: Brockenhurst Circular: A walk in the New Forest

9.9 miles 16 km. Difficulty: 1 or 2 out of 10
An easy walk in The New Forest National Park. You cross Balmer Lawn, to the north of Brockenhurst, then enter a densely wooded part, emerging just south of Lyndhurst. After lunch, at one of two earmarked pubs, the route turns south though Gritnam Wood and Hursthill Inclosure before crossing the more open Black Knowl and returning to Brockenhurst for tea.
Trains: Get the 09:35 Weymouth train from Waterloo (Clapham Junction 9:45) arriving at Brockenhurst 11.17. Return trains are at xx:09 and xx:34. Get a return to Brockenhurst. Note that the off peak return costs £39.90 (£26.35 with railcard).
Trains for both of today's walks leave Waterloo within 5 minutes of each other. Don't get the wrong one.
Lunch at either the Oak Inn, Bank (02380 282350) or earlier at The Crown Stiirrup in Clayhill (02380 282339).
Tea The Thatched Cottage, Brockenhurst is suggested
There are several pubs and cafes in Brockenhurst, including the curiously named Snakecatcher near the station. Don't ask about light bites - they're a bit viper-sensitive. Once you've serpent your money they'll tell you you've adder nuff. There is another bar but I think it’s mambas only. If you want bottled beer, they keep a krait behind the bar. (It's the way I tell'em).
Directions here
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Sunday Walk: Wanborough to Godalming - Watts Gallery and Chapel.

12.9 km (8 miles), difficulty 3/10
A lovely, if short, walk featuring open fields, remote woodland, and the Watts Gallery, tea room, and chapel. Have lunch there or a little further on in The Withies Inn. Later, there's more woodland and a stretch along the River Wey to the ancient town of Godalming.
Anyone wanting more could continue along the river for another 4 miles to Guildford.
Trains 
Unusually, trains for both of today’s walks leave Waterloo at about the same time. Be nice to each other. We don’t want to hear of any nipping or hair pulling.
Get the 9:30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (Clapham Jct 9:39). Change to the Ascot train at Guildford (arrive 10:12, depart 10:17 plat 6). Arrive Wanborough 10:23.
Return from Godalming at xx:56, xx:27.
Buy a return to Wanborough plus a single for the short stretch back from Godalming to Guildford.
There are frequent trains from Guildford if anyone is thinking of finishing there.
Lunch The Withies Inn 01483 421158 or Watts Gallery Tea Shop 01483 811 030 (free entry).
Tea The suggested tea stop in Godalming is the Cafe Mila in Angel Court, just off the High Street, open until 4pm. There's a Costas, open till 5, and a Nero open till 5:30, both on the High Street. Pubs include the recently refurbished Red Lion on Mill Lane or a Wetherspoons, the Jack Phillip, on the High Street.
The Watts Gallery in Compton honours Victorian artist G F Watts. As well as regular displays, there is what looks like an intriguing exhibition about James Henry Pullen "inmate-inventor-genius". Another explores Mary Watts' involvement with the Suffragists. It costs £11.50 to get in (£5.75 with an Art Card).
Nearby, the beautifully decorated Watts Chapel is worth a look - and free.
Walk Directions: here
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Saturday Walk - Milford to Haslemere - Third time lucky/unlucky [heather] walk

Length: 18.7km (11.7 miles)
Toughness: 6 out of 10

10.15 train from Waterloo (10.22 Clapham Junction) to Milford, arriving 11.05.

Buy a day return to Haslemere.

For walk directions click here. For GPX click here.

Following the failure of my last two attempts to produce a heather walk I was all set to move on this week, but then our resident train expert pointed out that this is the ONE weekend when the RMT, in a rare show of consideration for the traveling public, is NOT striking on South Western Railways.

Knowing this, it was a little hard to resist this walk, which crosses acres of glorious heathland. If heather is to be found, here it will be, and it was in full bloom in this time of year in the past. But wisely in view of my record to date, I offer no guarantees.....

Otherwise the great glory of the afternoon is the Devil's Punchbowl, which offers wonderful views. The alternative route along its rim is recommended here over the original main route down into the bowl. Also do not neglect to do the short detour to Gibbet Hill, which among other things gives you fine views of where the A3 used to be but no longer is, having been buried in a tunnel.

Lunch is at the Three Horsehoes in Thursley, after 5 miles. Will they be busy on a bank holiday Saturday? God knows. We usually squeeze in and they do have a garden. If you want to book for you and your chums, you can expect to arrive there at about 1pm. The next refreshments are 4 miles later at the National Trust tea room at the top of the Devil's Punchbowl. Down in Haslemere, Hemingways is usually favoured for tea over Darnley's these days, but it closes at 5pm. Costa Coffee is your late tea stop, open to 7.30pm.

Trains back from Haslemere are at 02, 15, 32 and 39. The 02 and 32 take 50 minutes, the other two about an hour. T=1.27

Kings Sutton Circular

SWC Walk 176 - Kings Sutton Circular
Length: 17.2 km (10.7 miles). Toughness: 3/10

Catch the 9:43 from London Marylebone (changing at Banbury arr: 11:02 dep: 11:08) arrives Kings Sutton station 11:12. Direct return trains to Marylebone: 16:52, 18:49, 20:52, 22:21 else change at Banbury (catch northbound train: 17:58, 19:12, 20:08, 22:04)

An enjoyable walk courtesy of JB. Good news all the pubs are still open, here, here, here, here, here and here

Recent comment from an experienced and trusted walk checker for CW2
"Sun 29 Jul 18, 17:58
There are some great long views on this walk and much is out in the open across the large fields mentioned below, with less variety than for some walks. It's a shame therefore that the author did not point out some of the noteworthy features of the villages (apart from the pubs): churches in most of them have unusual features (e.g. medieval wall paintings in Croughton, spire and weird monument in Kings Sutton, tablets in Aynhoe), the fine Grammar School in Aynho, Anynho Park (grand 17th century house, Soane involved in design, gardens by Capability Brown) is private but one gets a very good view of the house from the road, handsome houses such as Souldern House and others.."

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Saturday walk: Hassocks to Upper Beeding

10 miles / 16.1 km
Toughness: 7 out of 10

A classic downland walk via Devil's Dyke with many fine views, finishing at the riverside village of Upper Beeding.  From here there is a short bus journey to Shoreham-by-Sea railway station.

A slightly longer version of this walk has a different route into Upper Beeding (see the Valley Route in the directions, this adds an extra 1.4 miles / 2.3 km).  Or a few extra miles further will take you into Shoreham.

Trains: Take the Brighton train from London Victoria at 9:25 (East Croydon 9:41), arriving at Hassocks at 10:20.  Return trains from Shoreham are at xx:12/xx:43.  Buy a return to Shoreham-by-Sea.
Buses: The no 2 bus stops opposite the Rising Sun in Upper Beeding.  The journey takes about 15 mins.  Bus times: 15:37, 16:49, 17:43, 18:44, 19:36, 20:36 (and later). 

Lunch: The Devil's Dyke pub (01273 857256), large and popular pub in a very scenic spot.

Tea: The Kings Head or the Rising Sun in Upper Beeding, further options in Shoreham.

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