1. Main Walk
Book 1, Walk 40: Gerrards Cross to Cookham
Length: 15.4 km (9.6 miles) Option to extend to Maidenhead or Marlow (walking in the dark)
Toughness: 2 out of 10
London Marylebone: 09-43 hrs Stratford-upon-Avon service
Arrive Gerrards Cross: 10-04 hrs
If you miss this train, there are plenty more: walk fast to catch up
Leave plenty of time to buy your tickets at Marylebone: visitors from the Orient may be in vast numbers queuing for tickets for travel to Bicester Village
Return
Cookham to London Paddington changing at Maidenhead: 16-20 and 17-34 hrs.
Marlow (to Paddington) : 17 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: you will need separate singles, given you are travelling with different rail companies using different rail termini.
2. A late start walk for New Year's Eve Revellers
Book 1, Walk 24: Cookham Circular
Length: 11 km (7 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10
London Paddington: 11-57 hrs Maidenhead service Ealing Broadway: 12-05 hrs
Arrive Maidenhead: 12-34 hrs Change trains
Leave Maidenhead: 12-39 hrs Marlow service
Arrive Cookham: 12-46 hrs
Return: 16-20 and 17-34 hrs
Both walking groups meet for a late lunch in Cookham
1. Today's main walk is relatively easy and not too demanding for New Year's Day. Near the start we walk through Bulstrode Park then through woods to Hedgerley and on through the beechwoods of Egypt Wood and Burnham Beeches.
During the morning we will stop to toast in the New Year with some bubbly. I will bring the base provisions - if one or two of the gents could bring a back-up bottle, that would be appreciated. We will find an excuse to use it sometime during the day ! If the ladies could bring some savory snacks, again that would be appreciated. Apart from the champers stop we will be doing the main walk in one stretch today, so some sustenance during the morning break will help keep us going to Cookham.
After the morning break we head for Littleworth Common then its mostly gently downhill, through more woods until we reach the River Thames for a final leg beside the river into Cookham.
Late Lunch: I have booked a table for NYD regulars at the Kings Arms pub in High Street, Cookham. The pub's management looked after us very well on NYD last year, so let's hope for a similar experience this year.
After Lunch: you either head for Cookham railway station, in the dark but on safe roads, to catch either the 16-20 hrs train or (more likely) the 17-34 hrs service back to London via Maidenhead. If the weather is good, those who enjoy walking in the dark can head for Marlow or Maidenhead, to extend their NYD walk by 3 to 4 miles.
2. Out late start walkers will be undertaking the morning leg of the Cookham to Maidenhead walk. Do bring a bottle of fizz with you, to toast in the New Year on top of Winters Hill. Your walk then continues downhill to the River Thames for a most pleasant walk beside the river all the way to Cookham. You should arrive in the centre of town shortly after walkers on the main walk. I will not know if we have spaces for you at our reserved table until I know your numbers. Might I suggest you phone me on your arrival at Cookham station at 12-46 pm - 07714-326477.
After lunch, you have the same option to continue your walk in the dark, or make for Cookham station.
T=1.40
Walk Directions - main walk - are here: L=1.40
Directions for the late starters walk are here
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Intend to do the Gerrards Cross to Cookham to clear the cobwebs - will aim to bring "refreshments"
Am looking forward to it, and am bringing some sausages ! Should I take my own glass for the champers or will they be provided ?
N=10 on this walk, 8 on the specified train and 2 a bit later, though not so late that they missed the champagne stop, which took place in a churchyard. Despite our relative lack of numbers we managed to put away three bottles, as well as a large box of freshly cooked sausages. Thanks to Marcus, as ever, for lugging two of the bottles, Joe for the third, and Gabriella for the sausages. Thanks too to the various locals who reacted with equanimity to our roistering amId the tombstones.
The weather was perfect for a New Year’s Day walk - w=fairly-sunny, ie sunny when it mattered, even if it was cloudy at times. Birds sang, green shoots thrust up through the leaf litter, and the ground was fairly dry underfoot. One could be fooled into thinking spring was around the corner.
Did anyone do the late start circular walk? If so, we never met up with them. Instead eight of us sat at a table for 14 in the King’s Arms in Cookham (thanks again to Marcus for laying out a sizeable advance deposit to secure this) and had a pleasant late lunch.
When we emerged at 4pm, the sky was still light. For four of us this proved irresistible and we set off to walk the four miles and a bit to Marlow. Our reward was a glorious dusk over the Thames (see the SWC Facebook page) and a nice ending in the gathering dark. After tea at the Marlow Donkey we got the 6.17 back to daily life.
Post a Comment