Evening Walk - Parkland in East London

Length: 6.0 km (3.7 mi)
Net Walking Time: 1 ½ hrs

Meet: Wanstead Station, at 18.15 hours. Wanstead is a station on the Hainault loop of the Central Line in Zone 4. Travel time from Oxford Circus is 27 minutes, and from Liverpool Street 17 minutes.

Leafy stroll in the Borough of Redbridge through the Grade II* listed historic landscaped parkland of Wanstead Park, once home to the Palladian mansion of Wanstead House, compared at the time to Blenheim Palace. Today only two smaller structures, The Grotto and The Temple, remain (and the House itself stood on what is now a golf course), but nevertheless the present smaller park retains some of the layout of Wanstead House’s grounds, especially its many ponds, and provides a perfect venue for relaxing and escaping the urban sprawl, with its plentiful water features and varied woods.
The park closes ‘at dusk’.

Eat/Drink: Plenty of options near the station. See webpage for details.
For walk directions, map, photos, and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.11

Wednesday Walk Wye to Chilham - the Crundale Downs, Sole Street, Godmersham Park, Chilham Castle, then tea in Chilham

Wye to Chilham - Morning leg of Book 1, Walk 53 - Wye Circular; Afternoon leg of SWC 138 - Chilham Circular

Length: 17.7 km (11 miles)   Options to go longer or shorter (see the Directions) 

Toughness: 6 out of 10

London St Pancras:  10-12 hrs  Southeastern high speed to Margate

Arrive Ashford International:  10-50 hrs   Change trains 

Leave Ashford International: 11-05 hrs    Southeastern stopping service from Victoria to Ramsgate  

Arrive Wye:  11-11 hrs 

Note: The Southeastern stopping service to Ramsgate leaves London Victoria at 09-25 hrs, before Senior Railcards come into play, but this service is good for those joining this train at Bromley South at 09-42 hrs. You stay on the train at Ashford International as it continues on to Wye 

Return

Chilham to St Pancras: 11 mins past the hour, changing at Ashford International

Chilham to Victoria: as above, but stay on train at Ashford International as it continues on to Bromley South and Victoria

Rail ticket:  Buy a day return to Chilham. You will need to pay the high speed supplement between St Pancras and Ashford International, and return. 

Of our "mix and match" walks, today's combination is arguably one of the best as it incorporates the better (morning) leg of the Wye Circular walk with the delightful afternoon leg of the Chilham Circular walk. If you haven't tried this combination before I recommend it to you. 

Leaving Wye railway station you cross the River Great Stour before walking along some residential streets  which take you to Wye School. From here you take the North Downs Way (NDW) up through woodland onto Crundale Downs with its Crown Memorial, to enjoy some fine views. You stay on top of the downs in the open for a while before you leave the NDW, crossing over a field to take a track which takes you down to the hamlet of Crundale.  Its Church of St Mary is worth a visit. From here its road walking up a steep hill to the village of Sole Street. The village pub - The Compasses Inn - is in fact an award-winning gourmet restaurant and to have lunch here you need to book ahead some days before. They do not usually accept walk-ins, although you are welcome to try.  They will serve drinks, though, either for you to consume in their small bar area or in their extensive gardens.  As this is the only eatery on today's posted walk I suggest everyone brings a picnic.

From Sole Street we switch walks, from the Book 1 walk to SWC 138. After a short woodland section you come out onto open hillside, for more lovely views. You eventually drop down to a quiet country road which takes you to the A28 road, which you cross with care. You are now in Godmersham Park, which you walk through to eventually rejoin the NDW . You walk alongside the high brick wall of Chilham Castle then up into the picturesque village. I believe what was the de rigueur tea place - Shelley's Tea Room - remains closed and up for sale, but there are two pubs nearby, one in the village centre and the other on the route to Chilham railway station. Allow at least twenty five minutes from the village centre to the railway station.    

Recommended !

T=1.53

Walk Directions: you will need both the Book 1 and the SWC walk directions today

Box Hill circular via Mickleham

Length: Main Walk:161/4 km(10.1 miles). Shorter options reducing the length to 8.2 or 8.5 miles are outlined in the walk directions.   Toughness 8 out of 10 for the main walk, 6 out of 10 for the shorter options. This walk traverses a series of hills in a clockwise loop north and east of Box Hill & Westhumble station: Norbury Park, Mickleham Downs, Headley Heath and finally Box Hill itself. There are many fine viewpoints and in several places you can see your earlier route from a new perspective. Trains: catch the 10.02 Dorking train from London Waterloo (Clapham Junction 10:12) arriving Box Hill and Westhumble 10.51.   Or, there is a train from London Bridge at 9.39 which arrives at Box Hill and Westhumbel at 10.34. The earlier arrivals from London Bridge could wait for the Waterloo train to arrive or set off in advance if they don't want to hang around.

Return trains from Box Hill are at xx.16 and xx.46 to London Bridge and xx.10 to Waterloo.

Buy a day return via all routes to Box Hill and Westhumble.  Note, there are no trains from Victoria as suggested in the directions. Lunch: Mickleham (after 6½ km) has two possible lunch pubs, both fairly expensive. The suggested place is the King William Ⅳ (01372-372590, hidden away on a path leading up to Mickleham Downs; it serves local beers and good home-cooked food and has an attractive terraced garden, but limited space inside. Just off the main route, the Running Horses (01372-372279) in Mickleham village is a good alternative.

Tea: There is a popular café inside the National Trust Visitor Centre at the top of Box Hill, plus a servery offering hot and cold drinks, cakes and ice-creams. There is ample seating both inside and outdoors.Further options are detailed in the walk directions here T=swc.64