Sunday Walk – Theydon Bois to Epping

Extra Walk 409 – Theydon Bois to Epping

Length: 15.8 km (9.8 miles). Toughness 3/10

Take a Central line tube (towards Epping) to arrive at Theydon Bois by 11:15. It's about a 45-minute journey from central London. Theydon Bois and Epping are both in TfL Zone 6.

This Essex walk got a good turnout on its début last year, with several making the detour into Epping Forest Woodland Burial Ground to pay their respects to one of our long-standing members, Bridie.

The introduction to this walk says it is “GPS-led” but in fact some reasonably detailed directions have materialised in the PDF document. From its description I see that transport buffs are particularly well catered for: heritage buses and trains on the Epping Ongar Railway at North Weald, an airfield and no fewer than three motorway crossings.

The notes don't recommend a specific lunch pub but there are at least three along the route, plus a café at the heritage railway station and more refreshment places on Epping High Street.

The notes point put that you could finish the walk at North Weald (after 9 km) and take a bus to Epping station, either the 420 from the High Street or one of the regular heritage buses from the station. Another option for a shorter walk would be to cut out the 2.5 km loop through North Weald by turning left onto the Essex Way in Ongar Park Wood.

As usual there's no leader, so please download the GPS file and/or the directions from the L=swc.409 page.

Sunday walk - Haslemere circular

Marley Common and Black Down T=1.22

Length: 14km (8.7 miles)

Toughness: 5 out of 10 (7 out of 10 if you climb Black Down).

This walk goes through very beautiful countryside. It is mainly National Trust land - mixed woods and heathlands with fine views from Black Down.

Trains:10.00 from London Waterloo (Clapham Junction 10.09, Woking 10,25) arriving Haslemere 11.06.

Return trains from Haslemere run at xx.17 and xx.42.

Lunch: The Red Lion in Fernhurst or picnic on the green.

If the pub is full, The Fern at the cricket pavillion in Fernhurst has a range of snacks and cakes.

Tea: Hemingways and other options in Haslemere described in the walk directions L=1.22

Benfleet Circular via Leigh-on-Sea

Benfleet Circular via Leigh-on-Sea (with optional extension to One Tree Island)

Length: 15.2 km (9.5 miles) or 18.6 km (11.6 miles) including One Tree Island. 4/10

10:15 c2c service from London Liverpool Street to Shoeburyness. 10:23 Stratford, arrives Benfleet 11:00

There are 6 return trains an hour from Benfleet to London (click on the link for times).

Buy a return to Benfleet, or a return to Leigh-on-Sea, if you decide to do finish there (see short walk option, below).

The Leigh-on-Sea folk festival is not on this year but this nonetheless makes a nice summer walk, with the opportunity for a swim at Leigh-on-Sea. The morning section takes you through the hilly woodland of the Benfleet Downs to Hadleigh Country Park and Hadleigh Castle (English Heritage), then it's down to Leigh-on-Sea for lunch. There's a small sandy beach, a nice swimming spot, just a little further on from the village's small high street. In any case, it's worth strolling through the village and taking a look inside the Leigh Heritage Centre. After lunch, the route stays low along Benfleet Creek, passing One Tree Island (a possible interesting out-and-back circuit) and Barge Gladys for tea.

Lunch: various places in Leigh-on-Sea; the Crooked Billet (01702 480289) is very popular. Opposite the Crooked Billet is Osborne Bros café (01702 477233) which specialises in traditional sea foods like cockles and smoked eels. For a picnic, Hadleigh Castle is a fine picnic spot, as are the benches near the sea in Leigh.

Tea: Barge Gladys is about 400m before Benfleet Station. This is a converted barge with a pub garden, moored on the north side of Benfleet Yacht Club. It is popular with walkers, cyclists and boating people. I'm not sure, but they might only take cash.

There are other refreshment opportunities in the High Street beyond Benfleet station. The Hoy and Helmet (01268 792307) has received good reviews.

Short walk option: You could just walk the morning section of the walk to Leigh-on-Sea (8.9km, 5.6m), have lunch there and then spend the afternoon exploring Leigh-on-Sea or going to the small beach which is about 1 km beyond the station. You will need a return to Leigh-on-Sea.

As these walks don't have a leader, you'll need to download walk directionsfrom the L=swc.268 page

Saturday Walk - Wadhurst Circular

Length: 19.0km (11.8miles), 5 hours 50 minutes walking, 4 out of 10.

L=2.18

The prime attraction of this walk is the pleasure of walking through the unspoiled countryside of the High Weald through a region classed as an area of outstanding natural beauty. The route at the outset follows the Sussex Border Path, but soon diverts south to Tidebrook, and continues south to the pub in Mayfield. It is worth spending some time in Mayfield as it has many attractive old buildings and the 15th century church is now a grade I listed building. The route after lunch heads north east before continuing north to Wadhurst village for tea. The long walk takes you past Bewl Water, which lies just north east of Wadhurst. Bewl Water is the largest area of open water in south east England and host to a huge variety of wildlife; it is one of the region's most popular attractions.

Trains: Take the 0945 London Charing Cross (London Bridge 0954) arriving 1050. Return trains are 1551, 1624, 1651, xx29, xx01. Buy a return to Wadhurst. 

From Wadhurst, it's about 2.3 km down the main road to the station (with a pavement), but the walk directions offer a much nicer amble along back lanes which is only 1 km longer.

Lunch: The lunchtime stop is The Rose & Crown Inn (tel 01435 872200), Mayfield 8km from the start of the walk, "which serves inventive food" from 12pm to 2.30pm daily. Restaurant and bar snacks. (Alternatively The Middle House 400m east up Fletching Street into the village.)

Tea: The suggested tea place is the Wealden Wholefoods Gallery Café, Wadhurst. It is open 9am - 4.45pm. The alternate tea place is The White Hart, Wadhurst which offers tea and coffee. 

A Cotswold Traverse from Moreton in Marsh to Broadway

SWC 288: Moreton-in-Marsh to Broadway via the Escarpment T=SWC.288

Distance: 21.5 miles or 34.6 km for those more metrically minded – with options to shorten – see suggestions below and walk instructions for ideas.

Difficulty: 11 out of 10 (8 out of 10 for the Shorter Circular Walk and taxi-assist options)

Train: Take the 8:52 AM Great Western train from London Paddington, arriving at Moreton-in-Marsh at 10:18 AM. Return trains from Moreton-in-Marsh are at 19:56; 20:54 and 22:01. Buy a day return to Moreton-in-Marsh. For those wishing a later start/shorter walk, you could take the 9:50 and catch a taxi to Longborough or Ford (see details below -- booking the taxi ahead of time is strongly recommended). The return trip will require a taxi from Broadway (roughly 6 pounds per person), I will make some arrangements for an 20:15 pick-up which should be sufficient for catching the 20:54 train.

Since a number of people will still have some of their Scottish fitness, I thought this long challenging walk would be a good option during the long days of the lavender season (there is a large lavender farm near Snowshill). The walk provides great value per step in terms of train ticket cost…..and begins gently crossing fields to Longborough where the tempo increases with the first gentle climbs and descents to reveal stunning views far and wide. After lunch, our adventure takes us out to the Cotswold escarpment with even more grand views and passes through three classically bucolic Cotswold villages – Stanway (with Stanway Manor), Stanton and Snowshill. More information and the walk instructions can be found here.

A great option for a shorter more relaxed outing, would be to take a taxi to Longborough (ask to be dropped at the pub and pick-up the instructions at point 13.a or ask to be dropped at the top of the hill past the pub and pick up at the “small triangular green” reference in the same instruction point). This would give a total walk of 18 miles/28.9 km and includes all of the highlights of the walk. Alternatively, you could take a taxi to the the Plough in Ford (the recommended lunch pub on the main walk) and start from there, making for an 11.5 mile walk -- however, although the Mount Inn is open, it does not appear to be serving food this weekend unfortunately -- so you would need to bring a picnic and enjoy a drink in its lovely setting!

For something even more relaxed, the Shorter Circular Walk via Longborough is 12.5 miles/20.11 km and is also very nice – but does miss the excitement of the escarpment. You should take a later train for this option (9:50 or 10:52 am).

The recommended lunch pub is the Plough Inn (01488 668 326) in Ford (10 miles/16.09 km into the walk), a 16th century inn serving traditional home-cooked food. I have made a booking for 13:45. For any doing the Shorter Circular Walk, you should plan to eat at the Coach and Horses in Longborough.

If arriving in Snowshill before 17:00 with enough energy for a 500-meter (there and back) diversion, tea can be had at the tea room at Snowshill Manor (entrance to the tea room requires either NT membership or the purchase of a garden ticket). If arriving at Snowshill at 18:00 – you could make a brief stop at the Snowshill Arms before continuing on your way. Do keep an eye on the clock as you will need to leave Snowshill by 18:30ish to catch the organized taxi in Broadway at 20:15!

Enjoy the walk!

Evening Walk - Chingford Circular: commons, ancient woods, wildflower meadows. Fantastic views of London Skyline and Lea Valley. Undulating. [New Walk]

Length: 7.6 km (4.7 mi)

Ascent: 109m

Net Walking Time: 1 ¾ hours 

Take the 18.18 Chingford train from Liverpool Street (all stations via Bethnal Green, Hackney Downs and Walthamstow Central), arrives Chingford at 18.47. 

Return trains are every 15 minutes on xx.10 etc.

 

A varied and undulating route through commons, ancient woods and wildflower meadows, with plenty of fascinating trees as well as fantastic views to Central London and across the Lea Valley.

You leave Chingford into the Chingford Plain, heading for the main body of Epping Forest, where you cross Cuckoo Brook, the main tributary of the River Ching and then the Ching itself, before rounding most of the artificial lake of Connaught Water. Follow a meandering route along forest paths, tracks and rides through the very interesting ancient treescape, dominated by ancient, often pollarded oak and hornbeam, including stretches along the Upper Ching River and through the valley of the meandering Cuckoo Brook.
You bypass Sewardstonebury and the Hawk Wood to walk up the sloping, south facing Yates’ Meadow, from where fine far views open out to the close-by wooded hills and into the Lea Valley with its large reservoirs, across it to North London’s higher ground and also providing for panoramic views of the London Skyline.
Descend from Yates’ Meadow and rise again along Daisy Plain into Hawk Wood and then initially skirt the wooded Pole Hill along the edge of the Chingford Plain, before turning up to Pole Hill’s summit obelisk and trig point. From nearby, a residential road takes you back to the station and some tea options, while a longer alternative leads past some more tea options, including the only pub in this end of town.

Walk Options: various shortcuts and extensions, see the webpage or the pdf for details.

Tea Options: several options near the station, plus a pub and a wine bar on a loop through town. See the webpage or the pdf walk directions for details. T=short.58

Wednesday walk - Balcombe circular via Ardingly and Wakehurst Place - summer version

This walk takes in Ardingly Reservoir, the Ouse Valley Viaduct, and fine Weald territory.

T=swc.22 Length: 19.5km (12.1 miles) or, if you go via The Gardener's Arms and take the shortcut from there to Wakehurst Place, 16.7km (10.4 miles).

Toughness: 7 out of 10.

Trains: London Bridge 10.05 (East Croydon 10.19) arrives Balcombe 10.36.

Return trains from Balcombe xx:25 and xx:55

Lunch: The Ardingly Inn (01444 892 214), 10.1km (6.3 miles) into the walk

Next door is the Ardingly Cafe (01444 891 113), which serves sandwiches, salads, soups and light meals until 3pm Monday to Saturday.

The Gardeners Arms (01444 892328), is an alternative lunch option 10.2km (6.4 miles) into the Summer Walk.

Picnic spots: There are many benches around Ardingly Reservoir.

Tea: Wakehurst Place (01444 894066), has a self-service cafe, the Seed Cafe, which is the recommended tea stop for that walk. It is open until 5.30.

Further details L=swc.22