Wednesday Walk Otford to Eynsford - River Darent, two castles and a Roman villa

Book 1, Walk 23 - Otford to Eynsford

Length: 14.1 km (8.8 miles)

Toughness: 5 plus out of 10     One steep ascent before lunch, then several ups and downs to keep you awake

London Victoria:  10-25 hrs   Southeastern service to Ramsgate    Bromley South: 10-42 hrs

Arrive Otford:  11-01 hrs

Return

Thameslink services from Sevenoaks to Welwyn Garden City via London Blackfriars

Eynsford: 05 & 35 mins past the hour   Change at Bromley South for return to Victoria  

Rail ticket:  buy a day return to Otford

This is a delightful little walk which packs a punch much greater than its distance suggests, being full of variety with interesting sights. 

Setting out from Otford station you walk down through the town before crossing a number of fields and through a farm before you have a steep - but short - climb up to woodland above Shoreham. You then drop down to this village for lunch at one of its pubs (at last count three are open and one is permanently closed ). The popular Kings Arms pub in the heart of the village has now reopened after a major fire earlier in the year. Picnickers usually find a spot on the banks of the River Darent.  

After lunch you have the first of two pleasant walks today bedside the river before you head for a wood which comes out on to a golf course. Up, over, down, up again then down through the golf course and you arrive at Lullingstone Park Visitor Centre.  Another pleasant leg beside the river takes you to Lullingstone Castle. From here the route is along an access road to Lullingstone Roman Villa then on under a famous viaduct and into Eynsford. For tea option in this village please refer to the directions.

This walk seldom disappoints.

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Walk Directions are here: L=1.23

Ho, ho ho! Holiday Party at the Rugby Tavern

Holiday Party Returns!!!!!

After a 2 year hiatus, the SWC is pleased to announce the return of its annual Holiday Party!  So come and mingle with friends and kick-off the holiday season on Monday 28 November with the SWC from 6:30 PM!

We are trying a new venue this year, the Rugby Tavern, centrally located in Bloomsbury (Great James Street London WC1N 3ES). It has a large nicely appointed upstairs events room which should provide plenty of space for us and avoid the over-crowding in years past. Tasty Thai food will be available to order from the pub.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Knockholt Circular

SWC 7:  Knockholt Circular t=swc.7

Distance:  11.8 Miles or 18.5 km for those more metrically minded

Difficulty:  5 out of 10

Train:  Take the 9:46 AM Sevenoaks service from London Charing Cross (stopping at Waterloo East 9:49; London Bridge 9:55), arriving at Knockholt at 10:34.  Return trains from Knockholt are at 12 and 42 past the hour…. Buy a day return to Knockholt.   

This is a charming little walk on the doorstep of London’s southeast suburbs. Notwithstanding its start point being in zone 6, it is a completely rural walk, and the route covers very pretty and undulating terrain. There are several wooded sections which may have some final foliage clinging the branches of the trees. You can find more information about the walk and download the walk instructions here.

There are two pubs to choose from for lunch in Downe – The Queen’s Head (suggested) and the George and Dragon (8 km into the walk). Also, a little further on is the Blacksmiths Arms in Cudham (10 km) into the walk. Tea is traditionally had at Arthur’s Coffee Shop and Restaurant located in Coolings Nurseries (2.6 km from the end of the walk). For those looking for stronger stuff, there are two pubs in Halstead (2 km from the end of the walk), the Cock Inn and the Rose and Crown.

Enjoy the walk!

 

Sunday Walk: Henley Circular via Middle Assendon

 14 km 8.9 miles, Difficulty 7 out of 10 
This Chilterns walk, a shortened version of the Stonor circular, still has dramatic views.
Trains: Get the 09:43 Reading bound Elizabeth Line from Paddington (Ealing Broadway 9:51 ). Change at Twyford for the Henley train (arr 10:32 platform 3, dep 10:45 platform 5) arrive Henley 10:57.  
Trains return at xx:00 and xx:30, changing again at Twyford, (the 00 is the better connection for the GWR train).  Get a return to Henley-on-Thames. (Freedom Pass holders can travel free to Twyford and back- on the Elizabeth Line only - but will need a return ticket from there to Henley)
Lunch: The Rainbow in Middle Assendon (01491-574879).
Tea: The Chocolate Café (tel  01491 411 412) on Thameside (Henley’s waterfront) open weekends to 5pm. 5 minutes from the station.
Henley has more than its fair share of pubs for those in need of a restorative. The Angel is near the café.There's also a Wetherspoons
Walk Directions: available here. We are doing the shorter version that heads left for Bix Bottom after the Rainbow (paragraph 22).
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Haslemere Circular

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Length: 14km / 8m
Toughness: 5 / 10
Transport: Take the 10:00 train from London Waterloo arriving in Haslemere at 10:54. Return trains at xx:14, xx:30 and xx:52.

A woodland walk with the last colours of autumn with an optional challenge to climb up to the temple of the winds after lunch.

Saturday Walk - Earlswood to Oxted - a very different section of the Greensand Way to last week's

Length: 16.9km (10.5 miles) T=swc.148

9.51 (Thameslink train to Gatwick Airport) from London Bridge (9.35 St Pancras Thameslink, 10.02 Norwood Junction, 10.07 East Croydon) to Earlswood, arriving 10.27

Buy a day return to Edenbridge Stations (a bit weird this, but it works for all but the one stop from Redhill to Earlswood, and should be accepted on that too if you explain you are on a walk.)

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

This pleasant section of the Greensand Way is very different in character from the Holmwood to Shamley Green walk posted last week. In fact, the only thing the two walks have in common is...greensand, presumably. This section is a gentle mix of fields and woods, with some nice views at times. There will be plenty of opportunities to see whatever autumn colour is left to see.

For lunch the cosy and quite spacious Red Lion in Bletchingley after 3.8 miles has always been very accommodating. Whether the other lunch options mentioned in the village - Lammingtons tea room and the Whyte Hart Hotel - are still in business I am not sure. There is a later lunch option in the Barley Mow in Tandridge after 8.1 miles (ie fairly near the end of the walk), which seems to serve food all afternoon.

For tea Oxted has lots of options, though Papillons closed quite early on a recent walk, and the Oxted Inn, the Weatherspoons pub by the station, actually seemed to offer the best value, with bottomless hot drinks and large puddings...

Trains back from Oxted are at 23 and 53 past: the 20 past is also OK, but needs a change in East Croydon today, apparently.

Saturday Walk - Lewes Circular via Glynde and Southease: long and short options and train station dropout points

Length: 23.5 km (14.6 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 552m

Net Walking Time: ca. 6 hours

Toughness: 7 out of 10 

 

Dropouts: at Southease or Glynde stations; longer: via West Firle (29.7 km/18.4 mi)

 

Take the 08.56 Ore service from London Bridge [!] (EC 09.13), arrives Lewes 09.58. 

Return trains: xx.27 and xx.57. 

 

This walk is written up in either clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. I am posting the clockwise one, but you can of course do what you like… incl. walking a longer version via West Firle.  

Sunset is at 16.00 hours, so there’ll be well enough light for walking until 16.30 hours. 

 

“This is an energetic walk over three distinct downland ridges, with magnificent views throughout. One of the pleasures of the walk is that the entire route is in view for much of the walk, so you can look back at the terrain you have already done or ahead to the delights to come. Navigation is easy, the walking is over wide and distinct paths, and while there are three substantial climbs, most of the walk is flat, gently undulating or downhill.

As well as plenty of grand downland walking, the route includes a start and finish in historic Lewes, quaint corners of which you see both at the start and end of the walk, an optional detour to Mount Caburn (Iron Age fort) with its dramatic viewpoint of the whole circuit, and the pleasant small village of Glynde.

You also pass the remote station of Southease, with its YHA cafe nearby. The walk passes 2 train stations on the way between the 3 hills, so if you want to drop out, it’s quite easy.”

 

Lunch: The Ram Inn in West Firle on the long clockwise walk (lunch served to 15.00, then the bar menu) or the… 

Abergavenny Arms in Rodmell on any anti-clockwise route (9.0 km/5.6 mi, food all day) or even on the normal clockwise route. 

Tea: A tea room in Glynde and the YHA Café in Southease, then plenty of options in Lewes. For details see the webpage or the pdf. T=swc.47 

 

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

Friday Special: Rotherhithe, Finnish Christmas Fair and Beermondsey

Friday Afternoon/Evening Walk: Rotherhithe Walk (in reverse) via Finnish Christmas Fair and Bermondsey Beer Mile

Distance:      Approximately 4.5 miles or 7.3 km for those more metrically minded

Difficulty:    1 out of 10

Meet:           Exit of Bermondsey Tube Station (Jubilee Line) at 3:00pm sharp!

End:             Bermondsey Tube or London Bridge

This is a special combination outing to take advantage of the seasonal Finnish Church Christmas Fair in Rotherhithe. We will set off on the Rotherhithe walk in reverse which will soon bring us within a stone's throw of the Finnish Church where we will make a diversion and explore the Christmas fair. We will then continue following the walk route in reverse eventually coming to Southwark Park -- hopefully before 5pm when it closes!  

In the southwest corner of the park, for those who wish, we will make another diversion to Fourpure located near the South Bermondsey Rail station. This coincidently is the start/end of the Bermondsey Beer Mile and we will spend the evening exploring craft ales....

For anyone unable to join us in the afternoon on the walk, please meet us at Fourpure. We will aim to stay there until about 18:15 before moving on to another venue on the beer mile route.

More information about the walk route can be found here.  

Enjoy the walk and the beer...am already getting thirsty just thinking about it!

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Wednesday Walk Liphook to Haslemere - through woods to Shulbrede Priory, Fernhurst and Valewood Park

 Book 1, Walk 6 - Liphook to Haslemere

Length: 15 km (9.3 miles)

Toughness: 5 out of 10    Some ups and downs but nothing too steep

Either

London Waterloo:  09-45 hrs    Southwestern service to Portsmouth & Southsea  CJ 09-52;  Woking 10-13;  Haslemere : 10-49 hrs

Arrive Liphook:  11-01 hrs

Or

London Waterloo:  10-00 hrs   Southwestern service to Haslemere  does NOT stop at CJ

Arrive Haslemere: 10-52 hrs    Change trains 

Leave Haslemere:  10-56 hrs   South-western service to Portsmouth & Southsea (as above)

Arrive Liphook:  11-01 hrs

Return

Haslemere to Waterloo: 4 fast trains an hour at approx  00, 15,  25 & 37 mins past the hour

Rail ticket: buy a day return to Liphook

If you like woods, this is the walk for you. Apart from Valewood Park in the afternoon, today's walk is almost entirely through mixed woodland of oak, beech and chestnut trees. We might be lucky and catch some autumn leaf colour before leaves finally fall.

Lunch is taken in the village of Fernhurst at the popular - and usually good - Red Lion pub. It is under new management so let's hope the previous managers high standards are maintained. The picnic spot for our sandwichers is just down the road in the recreation ground.

After lunch we have to negotiate some uphill bridleways which can be notoriously muddy if it has rained persistently during earlier weeks. Once through them we have a pleasant leg through Valewood Park in the open before one final uphill section on a sunken, woodland bridleway takes us into Haslemere. Tea is usually taken at Darnleys or Hemingways, opposite one another in the High Street. 

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Walk directions are here : L=1.6

Sunday Walk – Rainham to Purfleet via RSPB reserve

Extra Walk 172 – Rainham to Purfleet via RSPB reserve

Length: 8.4 km (5.2 miles), plus around 4 km (2.5 miles) if you do a circuit of the reserve. Toughness: 1/10

11:05 Shoeburyness train from Fenchurch Street (Limehouse 11:09, West Ham 11:14, Barking 11:20), arriving Rainham (in TfL Zone 6) at 11:28. There are several ways to connect with this train en route, eg. Jubilee or District line at West Ham.

Trains back from Purfleet to Fenchurch Street are at xx:28 & xx:58. You could buy a Zones 1-6 Travelcard plus a single from Purfleet to Rainham on the way back, or simply use Oyster PAYG/contactless for both journeys as Purfleet (the next station down the line) is in the extended Oyster fare zone.

This walk along the “evocative and atmospheric” Thames Path is pitched by its author as a ‘preamble’ before visiting the RSPB's Rainham Marshes nature reserve, but non-birdwatchers should also find enough to hold their interest. After ninety minutes of mud-free walking you'll be able to admire a panoramic view over the reserve from the café inside its visitor centre, which is open to non-visitors. If you choose to enter the site, it's free to RSPB members and residents of Havering or Thurrock, otherwise £6.

From the visitor centre Purfleet station is about 1 km away, with the Royal Hotel en route if you want further refreshment. The newly-revised walk document also includes a dotted line on the map showing a slightly different route back to Rainham station, if you want to try that instead; it's 5 km from the south-western exit gate on the reserve. The trains call there five minutes after Purfleet.

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.172

Sunday walk - Dorking to Reigate

Length 12.5km (7.8 miles)

Difficulty: 3 out of 10

 

This mainly level walk follows the river Mole upstream from the foot of Box Hill through the picturesque villages of Brockham, Betchworth and Skimmington, ending in the grounds of Reigate Priory. 

Trains: Catch the 10.02 Dorking train from London Waterloo arriving Dorking Mainline station at 10.56 or, the 10.06 from London Bridge arrives Dorking Main at 11.07. The Waterloo travellers could wait for the LB arrivals.

 

Return trains from Reigate are at xx:06, xx:27 and xx:59. Change at Redhill for trains to  London Bridge (xx:15, xx:24, xx:45 xx:53). Change again at East Croydon and Clapham Junction if you want to get back to Waterloo. There are no Southern service trains to Victoria on Sunday.

 

A day return to Dorking via all routes will cover both legs of the journey.

Lunch: The Dolphin Inn, Betchworth, tel 01737 842288. Best to ring and book if you'd like to eat there. Otherwise, bring a packed lunch which can be eaten in the churchyard which is close to the pub..

Tea: There are numerous cafes in Reigate

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Silent walk

Otford Circular walk T=1.43

Saturday Walk - Tring to Berkhamsted via Tom's Hill walk, A canal, Ashridge estate, Berkhamsted Common and World War One trenches

Length: 15.5 km (9.6 miles) 4 out of 10

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This walk takes a completely different route to the Book 2 Classic Tring to Berkhamsted. The start follows the Grand Union Canal, then you walk through ancient woodland and commons, passing chimneyed lodges and an impressive college building. You enjoy extensive Chiltern views, pass some trenches dug by World War I soldiers, to finish in Berkhamsted at a waterside pub.

This walk should have plenty of leaf colour from the beech trees in the Ashridge Estate.

Trains: Get the 1022 Northampton train from Euston (Watford Junction 1039) arriving Tring at 1057. Return trains are frequent at varying times.

Lunch:  The Bridgewater Arms (tel 01442 842408) in the village of Little Gaddesden. The pub serves good value food from a varied menu (Greene King),  inside dining areas and a very pleasant beer garden. 

A good picnic spot is the churchyard of the church in Little Gaddesden, some 400 metres or so from the pub, or if you're not visiting the pub, carry on the route to the start of The Golden Valley.

Tea: Just before the railway station you come to the Crystal Palace pub on the canal, which has reopened (December 2021) following refurbishment after a lengthy period of closure. Various other options on the High Street.

The The Platform Wine Shop at the rear station entrance- perfect for SWC walkers who like to purchase "supplies" to enjoy on their train journey home.

Saturday Walk Ockley to Warnham - woods and rural delights in a sleepy corner on the Surrey-Sussex border

Book 1, Walk 47 - Ockley to Warnham 

Length: 16.5 km (10.3 miles)

Toughness: 3 out of 10

London Victoria: 09-41 hrs   Southern service to Horsham    CJ  09-48;  Sutton  10-13;  Epsom  10-24 hrs

Arrive Ockley: 10-51 hrs  (a slow, stopping service today, so bring a book with you for the train journey)

Return 

Warnham to Victoria:  direct Southern services at 22 mins past the hour, and services via Horsham at 57 mins past the hour.  Last trains today before Sunday are 18-22 hrs and 18-57 hrs respectively.

Rail ticket :  Buy a day return to Warnham. This should work even if you decide to return to London via Horsham. 

I like to post this lovely walk during bluebell season and in late autumn for leaf colour in the oak and beech woods en route today.  You walk through unspoilt countryside and through farmland, with the only noise to disturb the tranquility coming from above on days when you are under the Gatwick Airport flight path. 

Having passed a church in the middle of nowhere you come to the Scarlett Arms pub in the hamlet of Walliswood.  This makes for a good lunch stop. The alternative lunch pub on the walk today is via a detour in the woods before the remote church - The Punch Bowl in Oakwood Hill. 

After lunch the walk continues along a road then through a farm and over fields to head down a quiet lane which leads to more farms. Down a woodland track in a shallow cutting and then over farmland before the walk heads down tracks and over a road (the A29) before more woodland tracks take you to open fields above Warnham. Once over these fields you are in the outskirts of the town - and now in West Sussex. Your tea stop is the Sussex Oak pub which is usually open at weekends in the afternoon. Allow at least 20 minutes to walk from the pub to the railway station.

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Walk Directions are here: L=1.47

Autumn Color Along the Greensand Ridge (Holmwood to Shamley Green, Shalford or Guildford)

SWC 287:  Holmwood to Shamley Green, Shalford or Guildford t=swc.287

Distance:  11.6 miles (18.7 km), 14.5ish (23ish km) or 17.4 miles (28 km), respectively

Difficulty:  8 out of 10

Train:  Take the 9:41 AM Horsham-bound train from London Victoria arriving in Holmwood at 10:47. Unless walking on to Shalford or Guilford, the return journey requires a bus from Shamley Green to Guildford (bus number 53 or 63), each bus runs hourly and takes about 10 minutes, the 53 at 12 past the hour and the 63 at 42 past the hour with the bus stop located conveniently opposite the pub!  For those walking on to Shalford, trains run hourly at 31 past the hour (additionally the 53 and 63 buses both stop near the station). Buy a “any permitted” day return to Gomshall.

This walk provides a great late autumn outing with some invigorating hills to climb….Hopefully, there will also be some good flashes of color from the beech trees along the route….This is a largely map-led outing with a GPX file available for guidance. If you decide to walk to Shalford, you will need to consult the map and deviate from the GPX…it is a short diversion….With the short days upon us, the walk into Guildford would likely be in the dark, though it may be possible to make it to Shalford before darkness falls. You can find more information about the walk and download the walk instructions here.

The recommended lunch stop is the Royal Oak in Holmbury St. Mary (about 5 miles/9 km into the walk). Tea or afternoon refreshments can be enjoyed at the Red Lion in Shamley Green while waiting for the bus or at the Queen Victoria in Shalford also while waiting for the bus or train.

Enjoy the walk!

Evening Walk: London train terminus stations walk via the Southbank (Charing Cross to Liverpool Street)

Thursday Evening:  London train terminus stations walk via the Southbank (Charing Cross to Liverpool Street)

Distance:          Approximately 5.3 miles or 8.6 km for those more metrically minded

Difficulty:         1 out of 10

Meet:                In the forecourt in front of Charing Cross Station at 18:30

End:             Liverpool Street

As the Southbank is becoming festive, I thought it would be a good time to do the segment of the London train terminus walk that follows the Southbank. From its start at Charing Cross Station, the route crosses the Thames, goes along the Southbank and then crosses and recrosses the river, past many interesting sights and into the heart of the City of London.

More information about the route can be found here.  Please bring a print out of the instructions (not just the GPX) as there is a lot of background information within the walk notes.

Enjoy the walk!

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Wednesday Walk Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard - woods, the Greensand Ridge, River Ouzel and Grand Union Canal

I've swapped walks for Wednesdays 09 and 16 November on account of the recent posting of the nearby Bedfordshire walk, Woburn Sands to Ridgmont. 

Book 1, Walk 41 - Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard 

Length: 14.7 km (9.1 miles)

Toughness: 2 out of 10   

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

Arrive Bletchley: 10-49 hrs    Change trains

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

Arrive Bow Brickhill:  11-08 hrs

Return

Leighton Buzzard to Euston: 15-54 (fast), 16-07, 16-34, 16-34, 16-54 (fast), 17-07, 17-36, 17-55(fast), 18-10, 18-34, 18-54 (fast), 19-08 and so on  

Rail ticket:  buy a day return to Bow Brickhill

This makes for a lovely autumn walk, with some good leaf colour in the afternoon as you walk through Rushmere Country Park.

Leaving Bow Brickhill you soon find yourselves in Back Wood where it is easy to go astray. Paths through the wood can be muddy after rain so please take care and follow the directions carefully. You exit the wood to next walk through another wood before you have to cross the at-times busy A5 road.  Be patient and you will cross over safely. You next walk through Duncombe wood as you keep ahead through a stud farm to reach the outskirts of Great Brickhill. Head down the road to find the Old Red Lion pub, your suggested lunch stop today. 

After lunch, you cross the road and head down a lane to soon find yourselves in Rushmere Country Park, with its oak and beech trees. There is also a good cafe in the park which serves as a late lunch option. You continue on the Greensand Ridge path through woodland to walk above the River Ouzel on a broad track. You next cross water meadows to come out on to the tow path to the Grand Union Canal. Just down the path you find The Globe Inn, your suggested tea stop (there being sweet nothing in  Leighton Buzzard). After tea you have a relaxing leg along the tow path into Leighton Buzzard: the leg through this dull town is tedious but it doesn't last long before you come to the railway station for your journey home.

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Walk Directions are here: L=1.41

Sunday Walk: Saunderton to Princes Risborough

13km (8.1 miles) Toughness: 3 /10
This variation on a classic Chilterns walk follows the eastern side of the 'Saunderton'' valley to a possible lunch stop in Lacey Green. It then crosses over to join the main walk and visit Bledlow, another possible stop. Then off we trot to Princes Risborough. Largely gentle but at least one steep bit.
Trains: Get the 9:53 Aylesbury train from Marylebone arriving Saunderton 10:51.
3 trains an hour from Princes Risborough at xx:11 xx:22, and a slower train at xx:51.
Get a return to Princes Risborough.
Lunch: You got a choice between an early pub, the Whip Inn, Lacey Green  01844 344 060 (may require dawdling) or a late pub, the Lions of Bledlow 01844 343 345 Might be worth phoning.
Bledlow's Lyde Garden is worth a quick visit and is a possible picnic place. The entrance is near the church. 
Tea: As you near the end of the walk,  following the option “into Princes Risborough” would bring you to the Bird in Hand pub 01844 345602  on the other side of the station.
Directions: . General info here
The walk is included in the main "Download walk"directions. Both start and finish are described in option b "Alternative ending at Princes Risborough". You have to refer back to the main walk for the middle stretch so, if you're using a printout, best bring the whole doc.
By way of illustration, on the online map, we start along the red dotted line till it meets the main walk (green line), then follow that to Bledlow where we change onto the blue line. Got that? Simples.
If there are any hard-nuts with see-in-the-dark glasses intending to finish back in Saunderton, trains return from there at xx:57. T=2.2.b

Sunday walk: Sevenoaks Circular

Main walk: 16.3km (10.1 miles) Difficulty 4/10
An old favourite taking in the Greensand Way, the Kent Downs,  Knole Park, and  historic Ightham Mote.
(The building itself is closed for most of November, but its cafe is still open).
Trains: Get the 9:25 Hastings train from Charing Cross arriving Sevenoaks at 10:00
There are frequent trains back from Sevenoaks. The fastest, for Charing Cross, are at xx:01 and xx:3l. Slower trains depart at xx:04 and 34 for Charing Cross and xx:28 and 58 for Blackfriars.
Directions here 
Lunch: the National Trust Café at Ightham Mote open till 4, accessible without entry fee. 
The 11.5 mile option, diverting to the Chaser Inn in Shipbourne (01732 810360) might be a bit long for the time of year. 
Tea: 
The Brewhouse tea-room at Knole House open till 4. Otherwise, Sevenoaks has several cafes including a Starbucks open until 5pm. The Chequers is one of its many pubs. T=swc.21

Saturday walk - Maidenhead to Marlow - Through running on the Liz Line

Length: 14.2km (8.8 miles), extendable along the river path back to Bourne End (19.1km/11.9 miles) or Cookham (21.1km/13.1 miles) T=swc.56

Catch the 9.57 Great Western train from Paddington (10.05 Ealing Broadway) to Maidenhead, arriving 10.28.

OR

Catch the Elizabeth Line at 9.30 from Farringdon (9.33 Tottenham Court Road, 9.35 Bond Street, 9.40 Paddington, 9.49 Ealing Broadway) to Maidenhead, arriving 10.18. Please wait for the Paddington train to arrive before starting the walk....

OR

As a "hybrid" option, catch the 9.35 (Heathrow Terminal 4-bound) Elizabeth Line train from Farringdon (9.38 Tottenham Court Road, 9.40 Bond Street, 9.44 Paddington) to Ealing Broadway, arriving 9.57, to connect with the above train from Paddington, departing 10.05. (One advantage of doing this is that the GWR trains have loos...)

Buy a day return to Marlow (or Bourne End or Cookham, if you definitely plan to finish there).

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

I thought it would be fun to try out the Elizabeth Line now it is through-running from Central London to the Thames Valley. (We have only waited 16 years for this moment...). This walk is a pleasant little outing along the Thames which can have fine autumn colour (particularly on the Cliveden reach in the morning, and on Winter Hill in the afternoon). The morning is a fairly simple, though very scenic, river path walk once you have walked a mile or so through urban Maidenhead. In the afternoon there is a steep climb up and descent from Winter Hill, with fine views on the top. 

Lunch is at one of three pubs in Cookham - the Kings Arms is often favoured - and tea options in Marlow are myriad. 

After tea you can walk back along the river path to Bourne End (another 3.1 miles) or Cookham 1.2 miles beyond that: but note that this can be slithery or even flooded in very wet weather.

Trains back from Marlow are at 01 past the hour, calling at Bourne End at 12 past and Cookham at 15 past, changing at Maidenhead for trains to London. The shortest connection here is to the GWR train to Paddington, though there is a Liz Line train a few minutes later. If you want to head into Central London on the Liz Line, it saves 10 minutes if you take the GWR train and change at Ealing Broadway.

Saturday Walk: Westhumble Circular

7.7 miles / 12.4 km

A walk through the Surrey Hills, including the Polesden Lacey estate and Denbies Vineyard.

Trains:  10:24 London Waterloo (10:33 Clapham Junction), arrives at Box Hill & Westhumble at 11:11.  Return trains at xx:33 for London Waterloo, xx:46 for London Victoria.  Buy a return to Box Hill & Westhumble - or for the same price you can get a return to Dorking, another possible return point with more trains.

Lunch: National Trust cafe at Polesden Lacey.

Tea:  Denbies Vineyard, and/or the Stepping Stones pub near the station.

Walk directions and full details are here - this route is option B of the Main Walk

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Saturday Walk - A Haslemere Extravaganza - The Outer Orbital Path, with short and long options

DAC is away...

 

Length: HOOP Route – from 10.3 km to 26.8 km

Ascent/Descent: from 215/169m to 563m

Net Walking Time: from ca. 2 ½ hours to ca. 6 ½ hours

Toughness: 8 out of 10 (full route)

 

Longer versions possible by walking to and/or from the Orbital Route along one of the spoke routes (see below). 

Walk only parts of the HOOP and take a bus back to Haslemere or walk back along one of the spoke routes (see below for more details).  

A later start (09.30 train/10.30 bus) would be enough to beat darkness on the shorter walks). 

 

Take the 08.30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (08.55 Woking), arrives Haslemere at 09.20. 

Then take Bus 70, hourly from opposite the station (direction Midhurst) at 09.30, arrives Kiln Meadow, Kingsley Green 09.41. 

Return buses: xx.19 to 17.19, then 18.24 and 19.29. Return trains: xx.02, xx.14, xx.30. 

 

This is an interesting circular route orbiting around Haslemere, covering plenty of areas and sights familiar from other SWC walks, but also lots of new ground, for example Bramshott Common, the Waggoner’s Wells ponds, Whitmore Vale, Grayswood, Ansteadbrook and the woods west of Black Down. The Haslemere Outer Orbital Path (HOOP) was originally conceived by Neil Hook and is featured – with written directions – on his website. 

The route starts at a bus stop in Kingsley Green served by an hourly service (Mon-Sat), 3 km outside of Haslemere, but additional start or finish points can usefully be accessed either by other bus lines or on foot, along spoke routes from Haslemere Station, using some of the existing SWC walks. For details see below. Fully written directions for the spoke routes are available in the walk directions pdf linked on the SWC webpage. 

 

Walk Options: four bus lines and six fully written up spoke routes enable you to:

- walk just parts of the HOOP,

- avoid the bus journeys at start or finish by walking from/to Haslemere Station. 

For details see the webpage and study the route map.

 

Lunch and Tea: The Prince of Wales, Hammer Vale, 4.6 km into the route; Molly’s Cottage Artisan Bakery, Grayshott (pre-order for pickup from a box on the route), 9.2 km into the route; The Fox & Pelican, Grayshott, 10.3 km into the route; Café Twenty5, Hindhead, 12.6 km into the route; The Devil’s Punch Bowl, Hindhead, 12.8 km into the route; The National Trust Café, Hindhead, 12.8 km into the route; The Wheatsheaf Inn, Grayswood, 16.7 km into the route (currently closed); Harper’s Steakhouse & Bar, Haslemere Station. 

 

For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.377