Saturday walk - Leigh to Tunbridge Wells - A Kent classic with tea in the Pantilles

Length: 18.9km (11.7 miles) T=1.15
Toughness: 5 out of 10

10.00 train from Charing Cross (10.03 Waterloo East, 10.09 London Bridge) to Tonbridge, arriving 10.49, changing there for the 11.01 (Redhill-bound) service to Leigh, arriving 11.05.

Buy a day return to Tunbridge Wells, which should be OK for the four minute journey to Leigh too, though technically this is off-route.

For walk directions click here. For GPX click here. For a map of the route click here.

It has been a while since this tranquil walk through the upper Medway valley had a summer outing, but it should be perfect for this time of year, offering plentiful opportunities to dawdle and meander. After a ridge walk you walk down across the parkland of magnificent Penshurst Place, and there is an early lunch stop here. Otherwise there are two possible pubs in Smarts Hill, the Spotted Dog having a fine view from its garden.

After more meanders in the Medway valley you eventually climb up through woodland to Tunbridge Wells, where you can either choose the scenic option of tea in the historic Pantilles, or try your luck getting into the deservedly popular Juliets in the high street.

Trains back from Tunbridge Wells seem to be a little less frequent than usual today -  at 09 and 39 past the hour

On the Pilgrim's trail...from Sandling to Folkestone or Dover

SWC 93: Sandling to Folkestone or Dover along the North Downs Way

Distance:         11.1 miles/17.9 km to Folkestone OR 13 Miles/21 km to Dover

Difficulty:        7 out of 10 to Folkestone OR 8 out of 10 to Dover

Transport:       Take the 10:09 AM Margate train from London St. Pancras, changing in Ashford (arrive 10:47; depart 11:02) arriving in Sandling at 11:13. Return trains from Folkestone are on the hour and from Dover at 49 past the preceding hour – same train passes through both stations (Dover then Folkestone 11 minutes later).

This walk mostly follows the well way-marked North Downs Way with fine views throughout. For those wanting a shorter walk, you can descend the ridge into Folkestone for a swim or just to explore the harbour arm – the Gormley sculpture on the lower deck of the harbour arm is well worth a look if you have a not already seen it. For the more energetic, you can carry along the ridge past a number of interesting WW2 installations before descending into Dover. More information about the walk and the various routes can be found here. As the instructions are sparse, it may be useful to print the map and/or download the GPX file.

Lunch:  The Gatekeeper Inn (01303 864 345) in Etchinghill, (3 miles/5 km into the walk and 5 minutes off route), serves food until 16:00…large groups should call ahead….

Tea: Plenty of options in Folkestone…..the refurbished harbour arm in particular has a number of interesting hostelries (including a champagne bar in the lighthouse at the end)…Fewer options in Dover, but there are a number of cafes and pubs speckled around…so should not die of thirst....

Enjoy the walk!

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Saturday Walk – The Bluebell Railway and Ashdown Forest

Extra Walk 132a – Horsted Keynes [Station] Circular
Length: 16½ km (10.3 miles) if finishing in the village. Toughness: 5/10

For the cheapest (Thameslink-only) fare from central London, take the 09:00 Brighton train from St Pancras (Blackfriars 09:09, London Bridge 09:15), arriving Haywards Heath at 09:59. Alternatively, take Southern's 09:16 Eastbourne train¹ from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:23, East Croydon 09:33), arriving at 10:01.

At Haywards Heath make your way to the Perrymount Road bus stop for the East Grinstead-bound Metrobus 270 at 10:18, alighting at Horsted Keynes Station (10:36) before the village (unless you want to do the slightly longer start). A return ticket on the 270 is £5.40, cheaper than two singles at £3.40.

[1] If you just miss the Eastbourne service, a Brighton train nine minutes later should still be in time to make the bus connection.

Buses from Horsted Keynes village back to Haywards Heath are hourly at xx:39 until 16:39, plus a final service at 17:52 (four minutes later from the station if you choose to complete a full circular walk, an extra 2¼ km). At Haywards Heath there are three Thameslink trains an hour back to London (at xx:16, xx:31 & xx:47) plus four Southern ones (at xx:14, xx:21, xx:44 & xx:51).

Apologies for the lengthy train info and the need for a bus, but I felt that this rather neglected walk deserved a rare outing when the heather on Ashdown Forest should still have some colour. I've chosen to start the walk from the Bluebell Railway station because this way you should get to see one or two steam trains on the morning stretch alongside the track, a southbound train just before 11am and a northbound one shortly afterwards.

After an undulating climb onto the fringes of Ashdown Forest you should reach the Red Lion in Chelwood Gate at around 12:30. There's an optional short cut at the start of the afternoon leg, but the full walk includes an attractive stretch through the gorse and heather. A gradual descent through woods and fields brings you back to Horsted Keynes, where a couple of decent pubs will be vying for your custom before the bus ride back to Haywards Heath.

In recent years the trend has been to substitute the second half of the Forest Row Circular walk after lunch, since the two share the same pub. If you're tempted by this variation, be aware that you might need to buy an additional ticket back from East Grinstead (the same applies if you choose to take the 270 in that direction at the end of the walk).

You'll need to bring the directions from the Horsted Keynes Circular walk page. T=swc.132.a

Great Chesterford to Audley End - A Multi-pylon Essex extravaganza

And now for something completely different in deepest Essex with (to the best of my knowledge) no dead parrots, lumberjack songs or flying circuses.

Length 8.7 miles (14 km)

Toughness 2 out of 10

Getting there

Catch the 9:28 am Cambridge North train from London Liverpool Street (advertised at platform 3 at the time of writing) or board at Tottenham Hale 9:40 am.
Alight at Great Chesterford at 10:35 am.

Getting back

Catch a train from Audley End station. Through trains depart at 19 minutes and 40 minutes past the hour and call at Tottenham Hale then Liverpool Street.

Tickets

Buy a cheap day return to Great Chesterford

Overview

This short jaunt arrives into Saffron Walden for lunch with opportunities to visit Fry Art Gallery, St. Mary's Church and the town's Museum.
The afternoon section passes the parkland of Audley End House (English Heritage)  before arriving at Audley End Station .
If you wish to visit Audley End and you are not a member of English Heritage then the cost is £18.50.  The house is open from midday to five and the stables, service wing and gardens are open from 10 am to six. You can get all the gen here


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The Secret River at the National Theatre

A deeply moving and unflinching journey into Australia’s dark history. Adapted from Kate Grenville’s acclaimed novel, this multi-award-winning production from Sydney Theatre Company tells the story of two families divided by culture and land. 

William Thornhill arrives in New South Wales a convict from the slums of London. Upon earning his pardon he discovers that this new world offers something he didn’t dare dream of: a place to call his own. But as he plants a crop and lays claim to the soil on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, he finds that this land is not his to take. Its ancient custodians are the Dharug people.

To book, please click here.  Meet at the Kitchen Cafe on the ground floor of the National Theatre for F&B from 5:30pm 

Two ways of getting cheaper tickets 

£20 Friday Rush - Every Friday at 1pm, a limited number of £20 Friday Rush tickets are released online for each of the following week’s performances, excluding West End productions. These are limited to 2 per customer, per production

Day Tickets - A limited number of day tickets are available in person at 9.30am from the Ground Floor Box Office.They are priced at £15 or £18, are limited to two per customer and may offer a restricted view. For popular productions, queues may start early outside the main National Theatre entrance.

Evening Walk – The Battle of the Summer Pavilions (II): Serpentine Gallery (Royal Parks Walk)

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. All are in Zone 1.

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 (the gallery is open to 18.00 only, but we should get into the pavilion, as the park closes at 20.00).

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

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

Wednesday Walk Farningham Road to Eynsford

Farningham Road to Eynsford T=swc.291

Length: 10.9 miles (17.5km) with shorter options possible. 4 out of 10

This is a lovely little walk, with the morning having stretches along the Darent River, and a ridge walk in the afternoon with great views and a shortcut should you need one.

Trains: Take the 0942 Dover Priory train from Victoria, arriving 1020. Get a Farningham Road return (£12.70). This train is a bit early for the ideal walk, but the next one is an hour later. Return trains are xx05 & xx35 to Blackfriars or Victoria via Bromley South.

Lunch: The Lion Hotel with it's nice spot on the river after 4 miles (6¾ km)

Tea: Various options in Eynsford

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Evening Walk: Battle of the Royals….parks, that is….

Compare and contrast Royal Greenwich Park with her more westerly cousins on Thursday’s evening walk (Island Gardens to Greenwich) T=short.12

Distance:          Approximately 4.0 miles or 6.4 km for those more metrically minded
                         6.0  miles/10 km if starting from Canary Wharf

Difficulty:        2 out of 10

Meet:               Island Gardens (DLR) at 18:45 OR, for those interested in something a bit longer, 18:00 at Canary Wharf Jubilee Line exit (DLR side)

Return:             Greenwich mainline train, DLR or even Thames Clipper

This “hot-off-the-press” revised version of the classic Greenwich Park walk takes you on an interesting journey through time from the Ancient Romans to the Tudors and on to the lavish Georgians and more….The Canary Wharf start has the addition of passing along historic docks and through a city farm before reaching the Island Gardens DLR and picking up any additional walkers for the trip through the Greenwich Foot Tunnel and exploration of Greenwich Park...

The fully revised instructions are now available under the download walk tab or here.  Don't forget to bring them along as they are now full of juicy details.....Also, please disregard the old route instructions and map still showing at the bottom of the information page (still updating).

Enjoy the walk!

Bank Holiday Walk - Arundel Circular via Warningcamp Hill, Burpham, South Stoke and Arundel Park

Arundel Circular

Start of  SWC 100 - Arundel and Ambeley walk in the morning, then in afternoon, the reverse of the morning leg of Book 1, Walk 32 - Arundel to Amberley.

Length: 16 km (10 miles)
Toughness: 7 out of 10       One incline in the morning, three steady inclines in the afternoon

Lots of options to mix and match, to lengthen or shorten walk, by ascending the South Downs or not, heading for North Stoke and Amberley instead of returning to Arundel, or returning to Arundel  by a riverside route.

London Victoria: 09-36 hrs   Bognor and Southampton Central service   CJ   09-43   EC 09-53
Train splits at Horsham
Arrive Amberley: 10-57 hrs
Arrive Arundel: 11-01 hrs

Return

Arundel: 13 and 46 mins past the hour
Amberley: 17 mins past the hour

Rail ticket: a day return to Arundel works for both Amberley and Arundel returns.

SWC Wednesday walkers gave this combination a spin last February and it worked well, although I understated the toughness rating - now corrected as above.

In the morning the suggested route after a stretch along the river Arun takes you up Warningcamp Hill - with some delightful views - to the villages of Wepham then Burpham, for an early lunch at the popular and usually very good (but very busy) George Inn - your e.t.a 12-30 pm.  Reserving a table ahead is advised for inside dining - otherwise, take a chance with outside tables.

After lunch the suggested route is to reverse the opening leg of Book1, Walk 32 via South Stoke then Arundel Park, the Duke of Norfolk's modest back garden. On into the town passing Arundel Castle and Arundel Cathedral on  the way. You have a good choice of refreshment stops in town.

Alternative routes:  from Burpham, you can  do the afternoon leg of the Book 1 walk by climbing up onto the South Downs, and making for Amberley, or - on reaching the hamlet of South Stoke, you can head for the hamlet of North Stoke, then Houghton Bridge and on into Amberley: or from South Stoke, take the riverside path back to Arundel via Offham and the Black Rabbit pub.

Whichever route you take - enjoy !
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Walk Directions SWC 100 are here: L=swc.100
Book 1, Walk 32 Directions are here

Bank Holiday Seaside Extravaganza to the Isle of Wight

A Frolic by the Seaside from Lake to Ryde (Isle of Wight) T=swc.71

Length: 13 miles or 21 km for those more metrically minded (various options exist to shorten the walk by catching a bus or train for parts of the route – see walk instructions for details)

Difficulty:  5 out of 10

Train:  Take the 9:00 AM South Western Portsmouth Harbour train from London Waterloo arriving in Portsmouth Harbour at 10:34 to connect with the ferry to Ryde at 10:40 to further connect with the Island Line train at 11:07 to arrive in Lake at 11:27. Return ferries from Ryde Pier are at 18:10 (connecting with 18:45 train); 18:47 (connecting with 19:15 train); 19:47 (connecting with 20:15 train); 20:47 (connecting with 21:15 train).  Buy a day return to Lake which includes the ferry crossing. 

This is a varied coastal walk along the north eastern portion of the Isle of Wight Coastal Path. It includes everything you would expect for a day by the seaside: cliff tops, a quiet harbor and little seaside villages with good opportunities to swim along the way (including Sandown Bay at the start). More information and the walk instructions can be found here.

For the swimmers of the group, the suggested lunch stop is the Culver Haven Inn (01983 406 107) (about 3.5 miles/5.25 km into the walk) perched atop Culver Down with panoramic views. Non-swimmers may wish to carry on to the Crab & Lobster Inn (01983 872 244) a further 2 miles/3 km along the coast at a fine coastal location overlooking Bembridge Ledge. Toward the end of the walk there are loads of pubs and cafes on the approach to Ryde…..See walk instructions for more details….

Enjoy the walk and the swims!

Sunday Walk: Loughton to Epping - Open Day at Copped Hall

SWC walk 197
13.4km (8.4miles) Difficulty 3/10.
Through the ancient woodland of Epping Forest, an area renowned for its old pollarded trees, supporting a wealth of rare insects and fungi. After lunch at a pub in Upshire, you are in open countryside with good views around Copped Hall Park.
The Copped Hall Trust have an Open Day  today from 11-4 that allows you to look round the estate and parts of the mansion. There's also a flower show, tea, home-made cakes, a bar etc. Tickets are £10. You can either buy them online or pay at the gate.
Transport
The walk starts from Loughton Underground Station at 10.00am. Meet outside near the ticket gates.
Loughton and Epping are both in Travel Zone 6 on the Central Line. Trains are frequent. It takes about 37 minutes to travel from Oxford Circus to Loughton. Use TfL's journey planner to calculate your journey time from other stations.
There is car-parking at both Loughton and Epping underground stations.
Lunch 
You could have an early lunch at High Beach Visitor Centre where there is a refreshments kiosk, toilets, café and the Kings Oak pub (0208 508 5000).
The  Horseshoes pub (01992  712745 ) in Copthall Green is better placed, with  friendly service and good food.
The Good Intent (mentioned in the notes) is no longer a pub.
Near the Horseshoes, St Thomas’ Church has a pleasant grassy area with benches, suitable for a picnic.
Or... head on to Copped Hall, where, according to their website, lunches and drinks are available (entry fee).
Tea
The recommended tea stop is the Verde Café, 88 High Street, Epping (01992 571476). Tea in china cups and delicious cakes. It closes at 4pm on a Sunday. If you're too late, there are any number of pubs, cafes and restaurants in Epping High Street (see text).
Walk Directions here.
Map and compass or GPS recommended for sections 8-10.
You can shorten the walk to about 5 miles by staying on the Three Forest Way at  paragraph 7 and rejoining the main walk at the end of paragraph 30 (see text). This, however, bypasses both Copped Hall and the Horseshoes.
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Sunday Walk: Tickle the giant's toes - Berwick to Eastbourne

20.5km (12.7 miles)
7/10
A South Downs walk, first visiting Arlington Reservoir (good for ducks) then Wilmington, famous for its hillside figure and churchyard yew. The church has a charming "bee and butterfly" window. After tickling the Long Man's toes, you're off across the downs, through Jevington, a historic smuggling village, and eventually down to the sea at Eastbourne.
It is possible to do a shorter (11.6 km 7.2 ml) walk, finishing in Polegate.
Hardnuts could extend the walk to include Beachy Head, but you lot don't strike me as hardnuts.
Trains: 9:55 from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:02, E Croydon 10:12) to Brighton, change there to the Eastbourne train (arr 11:01 plat 4, dep 11:05 plat 7) arr Berwick 11:32. You don't get long at Brighton so don't mess about.
For a more leisurely interchange, you could get the 9:46 Ore train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 09:53, E Croydon 10:03) and change at Lewes onto the same Eastbourne train (arr 10:49 plat 1, dep 11:21 plat 3).

Return from Eastbourne at xx00. Get a return to Eastbourne.

Return from Polegate at xx:07 (shorter walk).

Lunch The Giant's Rest in Wilmington (0)1323870207
Tea: In Jevington, choose between the Eight Bells and the Jevington Tea Room.
It shouldn't be hard to find somewhere in Eastbourne. The Qualisea Fish Restaurant on Terminus Road comes recommended.
Directions here
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Saturday Walk: Haslemere Circular

14.0km / 8.7 miles
Toughness: 4 out of 10

A classic Book One walk through woodlands and heathland - should be a good time of the year for heather and bilberries.

Trains: Take the 10:00 from London Waterloo, arriving at Haslemere at 10:51. There are 4 return trains per hour from Haslemere, with the quicker services at xx:02, xx:32.

Lunch: The Red Lion (tel 01428 643 112) by the village green at Fernhurst.

Haslemere has plenty of places for refreshments. For tea/cake head to Darnleys or Hemingways in the High Street. Also on the High Street are the Swan Inn (Wetherspoons) and the White Horse Hotel.

Click here for full walk details and directions

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Saturday walk - Glynde to Seaford - a downland classic, ending at the sea

Length: 23km (14.3 miles) for the whole walk: 16.2km (10 miles) if you get a bus from Exceat

9.46 train from Victoria (9.53 Clapham Junction, 10.04 East Croydon) to Lewes, arriving 10.53, changing there for the 11.15 to Glynde, arriving 11.21. T=1.31

Buy a day return to Seaford. This should also be accepted for the short hop from Lewes to Glynde unless you get a ticket inspector in a bad mood.

For walk directions click here, for GPX click here, for a map of the route click here.

An old favourite, not done in summer for a while. It is a fine downland walk with gorgeous views, and even in the early days of the SWC, when 12 miles was an epic adventure, we always used to think the miles flew by on this one.

I personally would skip the jiggery-pokery through allotments at the start and head straight up the road to cross the A27 at the junction, where a central reservation enables you to tackle one lane of the incessant traffic at a time. After that all is tranquil. A very early lunch would be possible at the Ram Inn in West Firle after just 2.2 miles: otherwise it is around 4.8 miles more (so 7 miles in all) to Alfriston, which has lots of lunch options, of which the usual SWC haunt is the George Inn with its very nice garden. They have a lovely website, full of interesting information about the area, but alas no information about their meal service times. But no matter: Alfriston is full of pubs and tea rooms, so you won’t starve.

Tea at the Saltmarsh Cafe in Exceat, open till 5pm (in earlier, innocent SWC days we considered this the best tea stop on the walks) from where you can get very regular (every ten minutes or so) number 12 buses to Seaford, if you want to finish the walk here. The Cuckmere Inn down the road is another possible tea stop, though I find the staff here unhelpful and unsmiling, and the rules about where and when they do it do not deign to serve food byzantine. The bus stop outside this pub was also out of action due to road works a few weeks back, though these may now have finished.

Those that don’t take the bus here will continue down to Cuckmere Haven and up over Seaford Head, a 6.3km (3.9 mile) walk of great beauty. In Seaford the Trawlers fish and chip shop near the station (not the more standard one down the road) is the best there is. There is also a lovely little bar in the station itself which is worth missing a train or two for.

For sea swimmers, the tide will perfect for a swim, conditions permitting, at Cuckmere Haven, with high tide at 6.33pm. A swim is also possible at the end of the walk at Seaford.

Trains back are at 25 and 53 past the hour till late, changing at Lewes. There are no longer any trains in the evening which require a change at Brighton instead. 

Saturday Walk - Moreton-in-Marsh Circular via Chipping Campden, a Cotswolds Classic

DAC is away…

Length: 25.1 km (15.6 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 429 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ¾ hours

Toughness: 7 out of 10

or longer (also via Dover’s Hill)

Length: 28.9 km (18.0 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 513 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 6 ½ hours

Toughness: 8 out of 10

or shorter (not via Chipping Campden)

Length: 20.0 km (12.4 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 370 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours

Toughness: 6 out of 10

Take the 09.22 Worcester Foregate Street train from Paddington (09.38 Slough, 09.54 Reading, 10.23  Oxford), arriving Moreton-in-Marsh at 10.59.
From Ealing B’way: 09.05 to Slough (09.27).

From NW London the 09.06 Oxford service from Marylebone (via Haddenham & Thame) may be a better option.

Return trains: 16.42, 17.45, 18.48, 19.48, 20.48 & 21.57.

A Cotswold Classic from the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh. It provides a fine introduction to the gentle rolling landscape of the Cotswolds and passes through some charming honey coloured villages for which the area is famous. It is a peaceful anti-clockwise circular walk heading north from Moreton through the gentle foot hills of the Cotswolds visiting a number of pretty honey coloured villages, including Paxford, Broad Campden and Blockley. The morning route passes through some gently rolling fields before commencing a steady climb up a hill with lovely views then descending down to Broad Campden. The afternoon stretch again gently climbs up and follows the top edge of a picturesque valley for a spell before passing through a dramatic dip on the approach to Blockley.

Walk Options: In Broad Campden cut out the loop via Chipping Campden (20.0 km version) or from Chipping Campden add a loop onto Dover's Hill (28.9 km version).

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

Lunch: Churchill Arms  in Paxford (6.8 km/4.2 mi, food to 15.00) or Bakers Arms  n Broad Campden (10.1 km/6.3 mi, food to 14.00) and several options in Chipping Campden.
Tea: The Great Western Arms and The Blockley Shop & Cafe  (now open to 19.00 apparently) en route, and loads of options in Moreton. T=swc.115