Sunday Walk: Chipstead to Kingswood

15.5 km, 9.6 miles. Difficulty: 5/10
The clocks went back last night and they’re not happy about it. It's gonna dark quicker.

This undulating walk takes in a varied landscape of ancient woodland, open downs and farmland and visits a 16th century country pub for lunch.
Trains: Both stations are in Tfl zone 6. Kingswood is the further station if you need to buy a return.
Get the Horsham Thameslink (St Pancras 9:40, London Bridge 9:55, East Croydon 10:12). Change at Purley for the Tattenham Corner train (arrive 10:17 platform 4, depart 10:38 platform 5). Arive Chipstead at 10:49.
Return from Kingswood at xx:13 changing again at Purley.
Lunch: the Well House Inn, Mugswell (01737  830640)
Tea:  the Kingswood Arms near the station (01737 354053)
Directions: here
Another selection from Mr Tiger’s list of “Woods I got lost in” . He advises using a map or GPS app and avoiding any houses made of gingerbread.T=swc.177

Feasting in Frilsham (Aldermaston to Woolhampton via Frilsham)

SWC Walk 260:  Aldermaston to Woolhampton (via Frilsham) t=swc.260

Distance:  14.1 miles or 22.7 km for those more metrically minded (with longer (16.7 miles/26.9 km) and shorter (bus or SWC 117 which shares start and finish) options available)

Difficulty: 7 out of 10 (8 out of 10 for the longer option)

Train:  Take the 9:00 AM Great Western train from London Paddington, changing at Reading (arrive 9:28; depart 9:43), arriving at Aldermaston at 9:55.  Return trains (all requiring a change at Reading unless otherwise noted) from Midgham (Woolhampton) are at 16:56 (change Newbury); 18:02; 18:56 (change Newbury); 20:03; and 22:05. Buy a day return to Midgham.   

On the first day after the end of British Summer Time, an early start should be manageable (remember that extra hour in the morning)….and well worth the effort for a fabulous lunch in Frilsham – not to mention the walk should be lovely in autumnal tint. In addition to a fab lunch, the walk explores the undulating territory of the West Berkshire Downs, part of the Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  It includes ancient woodland, commons, including Bucklebury Common (the largest in SE England) and pretty villages. You can find more information about the walk and download the walk instructions here. For those preferring something shorter, SWC 117 shares the same start and finish – but has a completely different (and shorter) middle section.

The recommended lunch pub on the main walk is the Pot Kiln Inn (01635 201 366) in Frilsham (5.5 miles/9.6 km into the walk). Note that this is a real foodie kind of pub – specializing in game. I have booked a table (for five) at 12:30. There are some earlier and later lunch options mentioned in the walk instructions.

Tea can be had at the very pleasant Rowbarge Inn near Midgham Station or if pressed for time the Angel pub passed in the village.

Enjoy the walk (and lunch)!

 

 

Woldingham to Oxted - the North Downs Ridge and then some flatter bits

Length: 16.8km (10.4 miles) or 11.5km (7 miles)

9.54 train from London Bridge (10.10 East Croydon) to Woldingham, arriving 10.26. T=swc.2

Buy a day return to Oxted.

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

Some people have social lives. I have heard of such people. They might like a walk that is not too long and has trains back to London Bridge. Conveniently, trains to Woldingham seem to leave from London Bridge today....

I say the above to explain (or not) why I have not posted a 15 miler for this, the last day before the start of the Great Darkness (aka the clocks going back, which they do THIS EVENING!!!!!). But I think this will answer pretty well as an autumn walk, with a fair stretch along the wooded ridge of the North Downs in the morning, and woods and fields territory in the afternoon. (And by the way, if you did the Oxted Circular walk last Saturday this walk has no overlap with it whatsoever. Quite different. They could be on separate continents...)

Lunch is in Godstone which has three pubs and a cafe (see the home page for this walk for a discussion of their respective merits). If Oxted had any more tea options, they would have to rename it Teaside.

There is a short walk (7 miles) missing out Godstone (and so lunch) if you want to be home early to prepare for your social life.

Trains back from Oxted are at 20, 23 and 53 past and they all go to London Bridge today, taking 40 minutes.

Farningham Road to Eynsford

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Length: 17km / 11m
Toughness: 4 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:42 from London Victoria arriving in Farningham Road at 10:20. Return trains from Eynsford at xx:05, xx:11, xx:35 and xx:41. Buy a day return to Farningham Road.

A lovely walk in the Darent valley. There will be opportunities to forage for chestnuts. There are plenty of shortcuts.

Saturday Walk - Some autumnal colours in Zone 6: Caterham to Knockholt

Length: 26.2 km (16.3 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 580/587m

Net Walking Time: 6 hours

Toughness: 7/10

[shorter versions possible (see the webpage), but mostly depending on buses]

 

Take the 09.24 East Grinstead train from London Bridge (Norwood Junction 09.36) and change at East Croydon (09.40/09.44) onto the 09.01 Caterham and Tattenham Corner train also from London Bridge (all stations via Peckham Rye), which arrives Caterham 10.10.   

Return to Charing X (via Orpington, LBG and W’loo East) on xx.13 or xx.43, journey time 44 mins to Charing X. 

Caterham and Knockholt are within the Oyster Zones 1-6. 

 

Tired of reading pages of detailed walk directions? Here is your solution: just follow the well waymarked North Downs Way along one of its better stretches (but do expect some road noise in the early stages), with just minimal directions to hand, found here. 

 

Lunch: Botley Hill Farmhouse in Botley Hill (10.2 km/6.3 mi, food to 15.00). This appears to be fully booked online, so be prepared for picnic lunch. 

Tea: a couple of pubs in Knockholt Pound about 4 km from the end and another one, a little closer and a little off-route, in Halstead. 

 

For summary, map, height profile, some photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.111

Evening Walk: Walking the Wall

Thursday Evening:  Walking the Wall (Tower Hill to Blackfriars or Circular)

Distance:          Approximately 2.8 miles/4.5 km or 4.2 miles/6.8 km

Difficulty:         1 out of 10

Meet:                Outside Tower Hill Tube Station (main exit facing Trinity Square) at 18:30

Return:             Blackfriars (train or tube), back to Tower Hill (tube) or various other drop out points

This is a fascinating short walk that explores the perimeter of London’s Roman Wall. It passes by many substantial sections of the wall that have been incorporated into the modern city of London – a real window into history. In addition to comprehensive walk notes, the route is speckled with information panels proving interesting insights into the history of London.

More information about the route can be found here.

Enjoy the walk!

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Wednesday Walk Woburn Sands to Ridgmont - Aspley Woods, Greensand Ridge Walk, Woburn Abbey, Church End, Woburn Safari Park and Husborne Crawley [new walk]

SWC 394 - Woburn Sands to Ridgmont

Length: 20.8 km (12.9 miles)   Option to shorten 

Toughness: 3 out of 10

London Euston:   10-15 hrs   West Midland service to Northampton 

Arrive Bletchley: 10-49 hrs    Change trains

Leave Bletchley:  11-01 hrs   West Midland service from Bletchley to Bedford

Arrive Woburn Sands: 11-12 hrs 

Return  

Ridgmont to Euston, via Bletchley :  West Midland services at 16-20, 17-13, 18-20, 19-14 and 20-20 hrs 

Rail ticket: buy a day return to Ridgmont

This is the inaugural posting of Mike P's new walk. Mike plans to attend today's walk to ensure we all get lost together.  In places the walk dips in and out of TO Book 1 Walk 17 -  Bow Brickhill to Woburn Sands - but in the main the walk covers uncharted territory. 

Lunch on the main route is taken in the village of Church End at the Green Man pub, some 12.2 km (7.6 miles) into the walk, so your e.t.a is circa 14.00 hrs ( £10 fish & chips served all day on Wednesdays !). Alternatively, you could shorten the walk by some 4 km by diverting into the town of Woburn, for an earlier lunch at one of its pubs or restaurants. You then rejoin the main walk at the lodge as you leave Woburn Park.

After Church End you head for Woburn Safari Park to walk along the public footpath at the edge of the park, where you see for free a variety of animals, such as elephants, giraffes, rhino, buck and more. Leaving the park you head in a north-easterly direction to Husborne Crawley then on to Ridgmont. The limited tea options in Ridgmont are likely to be closed by the time you reach it, so you might consider an earlier stop at the pub in Husborne Crawley.

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Walk Directions are here: L=swc.394

Sunday Walk – Otford Circular, via Shoreham

Extra Walk 290 – Otford Circular, via Shoreham

Length: 14 km (8.7 miles). Toughness: 5/10

10:25 Ashford train from Victoria (St Mary Cray 10:56, Swanley 11:00), arriving Otford at 11:08. Note that there are no trains via Bromley South this Sunday, which also means that the slower Thameslink trains aren't running through south London.

There's a direct train back to Victoria at 26 minutes past. You can also take a train in the other direction at xx:16 & xx:46 and change at Sevenoaks for a fast train to London Bridge; that's just as quick and a return to Otford is valid on this route.

This is a variation on the familiar Otford Circular from Book 1, with a shorter morning around the steep-sided hills on the eastern side of the Darent valley and a longer afternoon exploring those on the other side. Like the original it packs a fair amount of climbing into its short length, but there are a couple of shorter options in the afternoon if you want something a little less strenuous.

There are several pubs and other refreshment places in Shoreham, with most walkers choosing between the Kings Arms on Church Street (open again after its fire in March) and The Crown at the other end of the village. At the end of the walk there's also a good choice of watering-holes in Otford, although some of its tearooms seem to close suspiciously early when an SWC walk is in the offing.

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.290

Sunday walk- Cowden to Eridge

This is a beautiful walk in classic Weald territory of pasture, woods and hills 

Length: 19.5km (12.1 miles) or 16.5km(10.3 miles) if you don't go to Hartfield for lunch.  (directions for shortcut in walk details).

Toughness 4 out of 10

Trains: 9.51 East Grinstead train from London Victoria, changing at Oxted (10.33) for the 10.38 Uckfield  train, arriving Cowden 10.55. 

Return trains from Eridge run hourly at xx.51 to Oxted. Change at Hurst Green or Oxted for the Victoria train.

Buy a day return to Eridge

Lunch: The Anchor Inn Church Street, Hartfield, TN7 4AG (01892 770424   

              Food served noon - 1.45pm Sun). 

              Located 10 km from the start of the walk

 

             The Dorset Arms Withyham, TN7 4BD (01892 770278 /

             Food served noon - 2pm. Located 7 km from the end of the walk,

            

Tea:     The Huntsman pub, Groombridge Lane Eridge (01892 864258) is open from 12 - 6pm on     Sunday. Food is served between 12 and 4pm. 

For walk directions, map and GPS click here

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Saturday Walk - Oxted Circular

Length: 19½ km (12.1 miles). Four hours 45 minutes walking time. 5 out of 10.

Longer, after lunch option, via Chartwell: 22¾ km (14.1 miles)

"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  and Squerryes Park. This brings you to Westerham, described by Daniel Defoe as a “neat, handsome, well-built market town”.  Quebec House owned by the National Trust' is open Wed–Sun afternoons from mid-March to October; admission is £7 (2022).

The afternoon route 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 and restaurant are open throughout the year, but the house is only open from March to October; admission is £20 or £14 for the garden only (2022). "

Trains: Get the 0950 East Grinstead train from Victoria (East Croydon 1010) arriving 1032. Alternatively, get the 1007 Uckfield train from London Bridge (East Croydon 1022) arriving 1036. Those on the Victoria train, please wait for the London Bridge train. Return trains to Victoria xx23 xx53, to London Bridge xx20.

Lunch: In Westerham after 9km (5.6m), various options. The Kings Arms Hotel (01959-562990) is a Greene King pub and the Grasshopper on the Green (01959-562926) is a free house advertising local beers.

Tea: Various cafes and Wetherspoon's pub, the Oxted Inn next to the station.

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Saturday Walk Whitchurch to Andover - or Whitchurch Circular: the River Test, Tufton and Longparish, then either on to Andover, or return to Whitchurch via St Mary Bourne

Re-posted from 08 October when RMT rail strike prevented walk going ahead. 

Book 1, Walk 48 - Whitchurch to Andover  - or Whitchurch Circular

Length: main walk19 km (11.8 miles)   Circular walk 15 miles

Toughness: main walk 3 out of 10         Circular walk 5 out of 10

London Waterloo: 09-50 hrs   South Western service to Salisbury    CJ 09-57; Woking 10-16 hrs

Arrive Whitchurch: 10-51 hrs

Return

Andover to Waterloo: South Western services at 06 & 38 mins past the hour 

Whitchurch to Waterloo: South Western services at 14 mins past the hour up to and including 19-14, then 19-50 and 20-53 hrs

Rail ticket: main walk - buy a day return to Andover

You have a choice of walks today. Both share the lovely morning leg through open countryside, at times beside the River Test, where those in the know can tickle trout. You head for the village of Longparish, where you stop for lunch at one of its two pubs. The Cricketers Inn has a nice beer garden if the weather permits, and the recently reopened community-owned Plough Inn at the other end of the village has an interesting menu and should be worth a try.  

It's decision time now. Some walkers are "sniffy" over the afternoon leg of the main walk, which takes you through a pig farm on forest tracks. Others enjoy this contrast to the morning leg of the walk. The latter should follow the main walk directions all the way to Andover. The sniffy folk should plot a route back to Whitchurch via the pretty village of St Mary Bourne. For this at least one of you should bring along OS Explorer map 144 - Basingstoke, Alton & Whitchurch. 

Whichever walk you choose today - enjoy !

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Walk Directions - for the main walk are here:  L=1.48

A Wander around Welcoming Wendover

Book 2; Walk 1: Wendover Circular via Coombe Hill t=2.1

Distance:  12 miles or 19.5 km for those more metrically minded with shorter options available – see walk instructions

Difficulty: 6 out of 10

Train:  Take the 9:27 AM Aylesbury-bound Chilterns Railway train from London Marylebone, arriving at Wendover at 10:15.  Return trains are at 25 and 55 past the hour until 19:25 when they become hourly. Buy a day return to Wendover.   

This is a classic Chilterns walk which should hopefully be showing some nice autumnal color. It is an undulating route with some nice vantage points and an Iron Age fort. You can find more information about the walk and download the walk instructions here.

The recommended lunch pub is the Red Lion in Whiteleaf (01844 344476), about 6 miles/10 km into the walk. Back in Wendover, tea and other bevies can be had a variety of establishments – chocolate shop, cheese shop and pub!

Enjoy the walk!

Evening Walk - A walk in the dark: Waterlink Way (Lower Sydenham to Catford, Ladywell, Lewisham or Greenwich)

This worked quite well last year as a long-ish ‘Walk in the Dark’, so let’s do it again…

Length: up to 9.7 km (6.0 mi) [several dropout points en route]

Ascent/Descent: negligible 

Net Walking Time: up to ca. 2 ¼ hours

 

Take the 18.07 Hayes (Kent) train from Charing X (18.10 W’loo East, 18.16 London Bridge, 18.25 Ladywell), arrives Lower Sydenham at 18.31. 

From locations further south, take the 18.15 train from Hayes to Cannon Street (calls Clock House and New Beckenham), arrives Lower Sydenham also at 18.31

Finish is at one of: Ladywell Rail, either of the Catford Stations, Lewisham Rail/DLR, Cutty Sark DLR or Greenwich Rail/DLR. 

Return trains from these stations go to either London Bridge, then Cannon Street or Charing Cross, or to Blackfriars via Peckham Rye and Elephant. 

 

The route connects a number of attractive parks and green spaces in South East London, while following the Pool and Ravensbourne Rivers. It follows parts of the well-waymarked Waterlink Way, the London-part of the National Cycle Network Route connecting Eastbourne to the Thames. Large stretches of those rivers have in recent years been re-naturalised or at least sympathetically embedded in landscaped linear parks such as Ladywell Fields and Brookmill Park, and as such the route makes for a pleasant outing in a densely populated part of London, even though some formerly highly industrialised areas such as Deptford as well as some densely built-up areas such as Catford and Lewisham are passed through.

 

Walk Options: The walk route runs past a few railway and DLR stations (Catford/Catford Bridge, Ladywell, Lewisham, Elverson Road and Deptford Bridge), enabling an earlier finish or later start. 

 

Refreshments en route: the Catford Bridge Tavern and the Bottle Bar & Shop in Catford, The Ladywell Tavern in Ladywell, The Brookmill in St. John’s and The Birds Nest in Deptford. 

Plus plenty options in Greenwich.

 

For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.36