Saunderton circular via Bledlow

Length 17.3 km (10.7 miles), 6/10

This walk worked well this time last year and there might be snowdrops. It's in a quiet, lesser visited part of the Chilterns, over rolling hills with a couple of deep valleys, and a rustic pub for lunch. Most train companies seem to be running a restricted service this week because of the ASLEF overtime ban; there looks to be an hourly service to/from Saunderton but I'll check nearer the time and if necessary amend the walk.

Travel: 1006 from Marylebone, arriving 1047. Return trains at 46 until 1646, then a gap till 1818.

Lunch: the the Lions (tel 01844 343345), Church End, Bledlow, 7km from the start of the walk. Picnic tables stretch out onto a green in front of the pub.

Tea: round the corner from Saunderton station is the Golden Cross (tel 01494 565974), which offers tea and coffee as well as stronger stuff if you have to wait for the train home (the Boot at Bledlow Ridge is closed from 3 to 5.30).

Short walk option: if you've had enough by lunch time, Princes Risborough is just under 4km from the Lions. This shortens the walk to 10.5 km (about six and a half miles). Directions here

For walk directions, map and GPX click here

T=2.2

PS I'll be away for my two February slots (14th and 28th) so any requests for those dates would be most welcome - please post on the walk requests page here by 7 Feb.

 

 

Sunday Walk – Eynsford Circular, via Farningham

Extra Walk 419a – Eynsford Circular, via Farningham (Short Walk 1)

Length: 14 km (8.7 miles). Toughness: 3/10

10:13 Sevenoaks train from Blackfriars, calling at almost every station in south London and arriving Eynsford at 11:06. Buy a return to Eynsford (from St Mary Cray if you've also got a Zones 1-6 Travelcard; from Swanley if you've got a Freedom Pass).

If it's more convenient you can take the 10:12 Rochester train from Victoria and change onto the Sevenoaks train at Bromley South or Swanley, but there's a 15-minute wait so it's no quicker.

Trains back from Eynsford to Blackfriars are half-hourly at xx:11 & xx:41. Change at Bromley South if you want to return to Victoria.

This is notionally a ‘new’ walk in the Darent valley, but regulars will soon twig that it's a reworking of parts of the Farningham Road to Eynsford walk. It has rather too many tarmac stretches on the return leg but that might be no bad thing in winter. I'm also proposing the option which omits the potentially muddy woods in Lullingstone Park. Towards the end the walk goes through Eynsford village (bypassed on other SWC walks) where you might be able to explore the ruins of Eynsford Castle (free entry, if open).

I heard some grumbling about the lack of cider and chips when I recently posted a Sunday walk without a pub at the lunch stop. In order to atone for this deplorable faux pas there are three possible lunch pubs on this walk (one of which you go past twice), plus two or three more at the end in Eynsford.

You might find it hard to resist the temptation to stop at the first pub since the route goes right through the riverside beer garden of the Lion Hotel in Farningham, but the one closest to the walk's midpoint is the Fighting Cocks in Horton Kirby. As always, it's advisable to book if you want to be sure of something more than a bowl of chips. Both have picnic areas nearby if you prefer to bring your own provisions.

At the end of the walk there are three pubs in Eynsford, although sadly the Riverside Tea Room seems to have permanently closed.

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.419.a page. If you're printing them from this page you can save a couple of sheets of paper by first clicking ‘Short Walk 1’ in Walk Options.

Sunday Walk - Reworked, rerouted and now with written directions: Epping Forest Centenary Walk (half-length options available)

Length: 24.2 km (15.0 mi) [shorter options available; see below]

Ascent/Descent: 266/193m

Net Walking Time: 5 ½ hours

Toughness: 5 out of 10

 

Take the 09.48 Crossrail train (aka the Elizabeth Line) from Liverpool Street (Whitechapel 09.50, Stratford 09.53), arrives Manor Park 10.03.

[A Shenfield train from Heathrow Terminal 5, via Paddington and all Central London stations.] 

Return:

Central Line from Buckhurst Hill and Epping: frequent (with journey times of 24 mins or 37 mins respectively, to Liv Street). 

Overground from Chingford: every 15 mins on xx.10 etc, with 27 mins journey time to Liv Street.All possible start and end points are within Travelcard Zones 1-6.

 

Epping Forest stretches for 19 km from Manor Park in East London north to Epping, with the main body of the Forest being north of Chingford. It is never more than 4 kilometres wide, but is London's largest Open Space at 2,400 hectares. It lies on a low ridge between the Lea and Roding Valleys and is an area of ancient woodland which has been protected since the 12^th century as a Royal Hunting Forest, though more recently it has been managed by The City of London after the passing of the Epping Forest Act of 1878.

The Epping Forest Centenary Walk runs the length of Epping Forest and it is the 100^th anniversary of the Epping Forest Act that the Centenary Walk was devised to celebrate. An annual organised walk along the route - in September - keeps attracting well over 100 people, though many of those only join for parts of the route from alternative start points along. The Centenary Walk has never been waymarked but its (approximate) line has been shown on OS maps.
The Centenary Walk (now: the Big Walk) in the southern parts crosses some commons and public parks and travels along a few residential roads as well as going through woodland, but north of Chingford goes mostly through ancient woodland. The woods in the southern half of the route are well frequented and the paths here will be very muddy after prolonged wet weather, but the northern part of the walk is mainly on well-made gravel forest trails which despite some heavy usage by cyclists do not tend to get exceptionally muddy.

Due to the annual Centenary Walk/Big Walk attracting a very large group, it often choses wide gravel or tarmac tracks over more interesting lesser paths nearby and for the same reason choses to pass cafés and pubs with facilities even if that requires some road walking. These considerations are not that relevant for the SWC, so our route differs in places from both the Centenary Walk and the Big Walk. The route of the Big Walk is shown on our route map though and also available as a gpx (note: it finishes at a bus stop on the very busy High Street and away from any tea options).

Shorter walk: Walks of about half the length can be obtained by finishing or starting at either Chingford Overground (500m off route along a road) or Buckhurst Hill Underground (2.5 km off route, map-led). See the webpage and the route map for details.

Lunch & Tea: Lots of choice for elevenses, lunch, late lunch and tea, on or just off the route in cafés, bistros, a seafood bar and even a gastro pub, and a normal pub and more on a diversion into Epping. Check the webpage for details and the route map for their locations.

For walk directions, a map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.259

Tring to Berkhamsted via Tom's Hill

There is plenty of interest on this walk such as the Grand Union Canal, Ashridge Estate, Berkhamsted Common, World War One trenches and not forgetting the delightful Golden Valley. 

 Length: 9.6 miles

 Effort: 4/10

 Trains:  10.09 train from Euston.  Arrives Tring 10.51

Return trains are xx.58; xx.20; xx.28; xx.50

 Ticket type: Return to Tring

 Lunch: the Bridgewater Arms (tel 01442 842408) in the village of Little Gaddesden

 Tea:  Lots of places in Berkhamstead for tea or something stronger.  Just before the railway station you come to the Crystal Palace pub on the canal and if you are running out of time there is a kiosk in Berkhamstead station next to the ticket office selling tea/coffee/alcoholic beverages.

 Full details of the walk and directions can be found here: L=swc.366

 

 

Saturday Walk - Balcombe Circular via Ardingly (winter option)

Length: 16.2km (10 miles) 4 out of 10 T=swc.22

"Balcombe is a great place to walk - the one stop on the Brighton line that feels truly remote and rural. The moment you leave the station you are in a Wealden wonderland of hills, woods, pasture and hidden farms. These walks also feature Ardingly Reservoir, romantically set between steep hills.

This route is suggested for winter because it has a shorter afternoon and includes quite a bit of walking on quiet lanes and dry tracks, so avoiding most of the mud (though not all of it by any means). Ardingly Reservoir is also particularly beautiful in low winter sunlight."

I suggest taking a different route after the Gardeners arms, which was tried last year. Cross the road and hear for the right-hand corner of the open space. Follow the track until an open field going downhill on the left. Cross a footbridge and climb up through the woods, reaching a lane. Turn right to join the summer return route or left for the winter return along the reservoir. 

Trains: Get the 1005 Thameslink, Brighton train from London Bridge (East Croydon 1019) to Balcome 1046. Return trains xx25 xx55.

Lunch: The Gardeners Arms (01444 892328), is the lunch option 8.9km (5.5 miles) into the Winter Walk. Booking recommended. 

Tea: The Half Moon Inn in Balcombe, an excellent community run pub. The Tea Rooms are closed.

Saturday Walk - Coastal Walk (map-led) with its first ever outing: Littlehampton to Shoreham-by-Sea

For some unfathomable reason, this seems to have never been posted before! Well, here it is. Looks like a good winter walk to me… Posted here in reverse, starting in Littlehampton! 

Why in reverse? The prevailing wind comes from the west, i.e. is in the back (this may not be the case on the day of course) and the optional extension then comes at the end when time and energy levels can be better judged. Also, this gets the longer train journey out of the way in the morning.

 

Length: 22.4 km (13.9 mi) [any number of shorter options available, plus one extension; see below]

Ascent/Descent: negligible

Net Walking Time: 4 ½ hours

Toughness: 2/10

 

Take the 09.16 Littlehampton train from Victoria (09.23 CJ, 09.34 EC), arrives Littlehampton 11.01. 

Return trains from Shoreham-by-Sea: xx.13 and xx.43 (journey time 75 mins). Buy a Littlehampton return.

 

Varied coastal walk past quiet shingle beaches and the busier south coast resorts of Littlehampton and Worthing. Make your way along the Arun River to the coast and turn left along it, i.e. with the prevailing wind in the back. Mainly easy going on hard paths - a mix of pavement, grassy paths, and 1 km of shingle. 

 

If the tide is not on your side (i.e. should it be high), then a private estate in West Kingston will force you to walk around it along roads, and on the stretch between Worthing and Lancing, you have to walk along an A road for 2 km (safe but noisy) instead of the sandy beach. 

 

Shorter walk: the trainline with its many stops never runs much more than 1 km inland from the walk route. 

Extension in Shoreham: out-and-back detour to the east, along a beach boardwalk, to Shoreham Fort (free), a fine viewpoint.

 

Lunch: Lots of choice, check the webpage for details. 

Tea: Lots of choice in Shoreham.

 

For more details, a map, height profile and gpx/kml files click here.

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Elgin Marbles at British Museum at 6pm

When was the last time you visited Elgin Marbles?  Years ago?  Perhaps it is time that you are reaquainted with these magnificent sculptures before they are shipped away in a permanent exchange with Greece.  

There are other permanent collections for you to see in the museum or you can visit the special exhibition 'Burma to Myanmar'.  The choice is yours.  

Meet at Elgin Marbles at 6pm.  

Post museum F&B will be at The Swan, 7 Cosmo Place,  London, WC1N 3AP.  It is a Greene King pub. For menu,  please click here.   

I plan to book a table for us.  If you wish to be included in the booking, please email to the address below by the end of 19th Jan latest.  

There will be a Whatsapp group setup for this event.  If you wish to be a member,  please email with your mobile number to swcsocialATgmailDOTcom.  The group will be deleted post the event.

Evening Walk: Exploring the Hampstead Garden Suburb in the dark (East Finchley to Hampstead)

SWC 257:  East Finchley to Hampstead (omitting the loop through the Heath) t=swc.257

First off, apologies for the late post....with the full moon on Thursday was hoping to post a full moon extravaganza.....but alas, it looks a bit iffy.....so a more local outing....

Start: 6:30 PM -- exit of the East Finchley Tube Station (Northern Line)

Distance:  Approx. 5ish miles/8ishkm -- omitting the loop through the Heath (2hrs)

Difficulty:  Relatively easy. Should be mostly lit pavements with a few short sections of parkland, unless opting to continue on the Heath loop.....

This is a snippet of the longer full day walk from Highgate to Hampstead. It covers a short section from East Finchley to Hampstead, through the Hampstead Garden Suburb, but omitting the loop through Hampstead Heath. I have never been in this area after dark -- but thought it might make for a good evening walk in the winter -- though, unfortunately, some of the highlights, like the Pergola will be closed.

Plenty of post walk refreshment opportunity in the village of Hampstead.

More information and a map or instructions can be found here. 

Wednesday walk - Milford to Godalming

 T=1.20

The Greensand Way & Winkworth Arboretum

 Length: 17.9km (11.1 miles)

Toughness: 6 out of 10

Trains: 9.45 from London Waterloo (9.52 Clapham Junction, 10.13 Woking) arriving Milford 10.38.

Return trains: 15.10/25/45,  16.12/25/40/51, 17.12/25/42/51

Buy a return to Milford.

Lunch: The main, suggested lunchtime stop is the White Horse pub (tel 01483 208 258) in Hascombe, some 8.1 km into the walk, which serves good food from midday to 9.30pm,

For a non-pub lunch, the cafe by the entrance to Winkworth Arboretum , some 10.9 km into the walk, serves a limited selection of hot dishes and a range of sandwiches.

Tea: various options in Godalming.

for more information click L=1.40

 

 

Sunday Walk: Henley Circular via Hambleden

Difficulty 3/10   13.1km (8.1 miles) -with shortcut.

This walk starts along the Thames, passing picturesque Temple Island. Then it crosses a ridge covered in fine beech woods. After lunch you contour along the side of the valley, to cross the Thames at Hambleden Mill and walk across the watermeadows to an easy finish, over the lower part of Remenham Hill, into Henley for tea.
A shortcut to the lunch pub (indicated in the walk directions) shaves 1.8km (1.1 miles) off the main walk, giving a total walk of 13.1km (8.1 miles)
Trains: The 10:05 Bristol Parkway train from Paddington arrives Twyford 10:40 where you change for the 10:45 to Henley (platform 5), arriving 10:57. Trains return from Henley at xx:00, changing again at Twyford. Get a return to Henley-on-Thames.
Freedom Pass holders can travel free as far as Twyford on the Elizabeth Line. A return from Twyford to Henley would still be required. They would need to get  the 9:50 from Paddington, (Ealing Broadway 9:58) arriving Twyford:10:36. Connections to the Elizabeth Line are a bit slower coming back, with a 20m wait at Twyford. for the xx:33
Lunch: The Stag and Huntsman (01491 571227) in Hambleden, 7.7km (4.8 miles) into the walk, is a cosy, atmospheric old pub. 
Hambleden Village Stores, 7.6km (4.7 miles) into the walk, is a possible lunch stop. It is open to 4pm.
Note that the Flower Pot in Aston is closed today.
The churchyard in Hambleden is a fine picnic spot. WH Smith, founder of the newsagents, is buried there..
Tea:    
A Saturday Walkers favourite is the The Chocolate Cafe in Thames Side, (the waterfront) open until 5.30pm.
For those in need of something stronger. The Angel is nearest the café. There’s also a Wetherspoons on the High Street.
Directions:  L=2.7 T=2.7 

Rolling Oxfordshire Countryside and a Wetlands Nature Reserve -- Islip Circular -- Take Two

Rolling Oxfordshire Countryside and a Wetlands Nature Reserve

SWC 292: Islip Circular (in reverse) t=swc.292

Distance: 10.8 miles or 17.4 km for those more metrically minded with shorter options available – see walk instructions

Difficulty: 3 out of 10

Train: Take the 9:42 AM Chilterns rail train from London Marylebone, arriving Islip 10:57. Return trains are at 16:51, 16:58; 18:51, 18:58, 20:51 and 20:58. Buy a day return to Islip.

This is a second attempt at posting this walk after a line closure made the transportation a  bit suspect. Also, the water levels in the area have dropped reducing the risk of flooded paths...but nonetheless an extra pair of socks may be handy!

In addition to gently rolling landscapes and picturesque villages, one of the real highlights of this walk is the Otmoor Nature Reserve, a favorite haunt for various birds of different sizes and shapes. In fact, the main reason for doing the walk in reverse is to have some time towards the end of the walk to explore the reserve without feeling the need to rush on to lunch. So bring your binoculars and a flask (hip or thermos) and enjoy the action…..before the final stretch back Islip (which takes about 45 minutes)—but do watch the clock, as the trains back to London are not super frequent....The last two years we have been treated to great spectacles of wheeling starlings coming in to roost at dusk....but you must be patient and wait until sunset for the action.

You can find more information about the walk and download the walk instructions here. As we will be going in reverse, a print-out of the map or download of the GPX will be helpful.

The recommended lunch pub on the main walk is the Abingdon Arms in Beckley (01865 655667) a popular community-based pub, serving excellent food (a booking for 5 at 1pm has been made).

Back in Islip, tea and other bevies can be had at the Red Lion on the High Street. Fortunately, the Red Lion looks to be open in the evening…..

Enjoy the walk and the birds!

Hurst Green to Riddlesdown - with possible moonlight variation

Length:     17.3km (10.7 miles) if you take a bus from Warlingham Green
                  19km (11.8 miles) if ending at Upper Warlingham

                  21.6km (13.4 miles) for the full walk to Riddlesdown T=swc.367

9.55 (East Grinstead-bound) train from London Bridge (10.10 East Croydon) to Hurst Green 10.34

If you just miss this, there is a 10.07 (Uckfield-bound) train from London Bridge (10.22 East Croydon), getting in at 10.38

Buy a day return to Hurst Green, though if extending from zone 6 you only need a single, as both the return stations are in zone six. Incidentally I am told that London Bridge ticket machines have now been converted to do zone six extension tickets - yay if true...

This fairly new walk had an outing in August when for whatever reason attendance was quite low, and the walk report recommended it get another posting. It is basically a walk across Limpsfield Common and a climb up over the North Downs.

Lunch is at the Old Ship in Tatsfield after 5.4 miles, described as walker-friendly, reasonably priced and unpretentious on earlier outings. After 10.7 miles you then end up in Warlingham Green, which has two pubs for tea. Also two cafes but one closes at 3pm and the other at 4.30pm.

From Warlingham Green there are 403 buses every fifteen minutes or so to Sanderstead station (12 minutes). These are TFL-operated, so passes or Oyster are allowed on them.

Otherwise, you can pop down to Upper Warlingham station in 1.1 miles or carry on for another 2.7 miles to end at Riddlesdown station. There are a couple of alcohol-only pubs near Upper Warlingham station, but nothing at Riddlesdown.

If the evening is clear, a few of us might do a moonlight walk from Warlingham Green (after a suitable sojourn to wait for darkness to fall). Others are welcome to join us at their own risk. My idea here is to head east (ie, into the moon) over hills and woods to New Addington, where one can get the tram to Croydon - a distance of about 3 miles. The moon will be 77% full and fairly high in the sky at dusk, so hopefully good enough to provide light for walking.

Trains back from Upper Warlingham are at 03 and 33 past, calling at Riddlesdown at 07 and 37 and Sanderstead at 10 and 40.

Hever to Tonbridge

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Length: 16.5km (10.3m)
Toughness: 2 / 10
Transport: Take the 10:07 from London Bridge to Hever, arriving at 10:49. Return trains from Tonbridge at xx:07, xx:13, xx:37, xx:44. Buy an “Any Permitted” day return to Leigh, Kent (for any explanation see the walk notes)

A lovely walk to the historic village of Penshurst with the 13th century manor house of Penshurst Place for lunch at the Leicester Arms before following the Medway valley to Tonbridge. The construction works to enlarge the Leigh Flood Storage Area might still be going on and some paths might still be closed. There is an easily identifiable diversion around any path closures.

Saturday Walk - 300 listed buildings, Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum and the Blackwater Valley: Kelvedon Circular via Coggeshall

Length: 23.2 km (14.4 mi) [much shorter options available]

Ascent/Descent: 154m

Net Walking Time: 5 hours

Toughness: 4/10

 

Take the 09.36 Colchester train from Liverpool Street (09.43 Stratford), arrives Kelvedon 10.25. 

Return trains: xx.24 and xx.54.

 

This walk is centred on the gentle landscape of the Blackwater Valley, close to Constable Country, and includes some very tranquil and scenic stretches along the river itself, interspersed with long stretches along country lanes, green lanes or field boundaries with wide and extensive views across the rolling Essex countryside of fields and woods. 

A pre-lunch north westerly loop explores the valley cut by Robin’s Brook, leading to Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum, with its atmospheric early lunch stop in a converted barn. 

There are a several other recommended lunch stops in Coggeshall itself. 

Coggeshall is one of Britain’s most historic market towns. It has 300 listed buildings, amongst the ones passed on the walk are Britain’s oldest barn and one its finest medieval buildings, built on the remnants of a 12th century abbey, an impressive carved timber-framed Wool Merchant’s house as well as a couple of photogenic watermills and an outsized church.

 

Walk Options: 

A frequent bus service running through the lunch location of Coggeshall gets you to Chelmsford station (closer to London than Kelvedon and on the same line). 

Two shortcuts - cutting out all or parts of an outer loop just before lunch - reduce the length of the walk by 6.9 km and 84m ascent/descent or by 3.9 km and 49m ascent/descent respectively. They are rated 2/10 and 3/10 respectively. 

A scenic extension in Coggeshall leads west from Grange Barn along the Essex Way, across the Blackwater over the listed Nunn’s Bridge and back along the wooded valley, closely following the river. This adds 2.5 km/1.6 mi.

 

Lunch: Orchard Kitchen Café Bouchier's Barn, Marks Hall (11.1 km (6.9 mi) into the walk in a beautifully restored 15^th Century barn, which was moved to its current spot timber by timber from a site close by. Cooked food served 12.00-14.30. Plus plenty of options in Coggeshall (see webpage or pdf). 

Tea: The Bell Inn, The Sun Inn, The Tavern Kelvedon, or Kelvedon King Fish Bar.

 

For summary, map, height profile, photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here. t=swc.216