Silk Roads, Hew Locke or Picasso at British Museum

Tonight, we are back to the British Museum to see an exhibition of your choice. 

(1) Silk Roads, Tickets £22,  National Art Pass £11.

The Silk Roads exhibition unravels how the journeys of people, objects and ideas that formed the Silk Roads shaped cultures and histories. 

To book, please click here,  Book the 6pm slot.  

(2) Hew Locke,  What Have We Here,  Tickets £12, National Art Pass £6

Join the renowned Guyanese-British artist Hew Locke as he turns his lens on the British Museum collection in a collaborative exhibition exploring histories of British imperial power.

To book, please click here.  Book the 6pm slot

(3) Picasso, Printmaker,  Tickets £9, National Art Pass £4.5

In addition to Picasso's many paintings, sculptures and drawings, the Málaga-born artist made over 2,400 prints during his career. This exhibition offers insights into Picasso's life through his art, including his complex relationships with women and his partnerships with printers, publishers and other artists. Spanning his entire career, it follows his engagement with different printmaking techniques and his changing approaches to making art.

To book, please click here.   Book the 6pm slot

'Meet and greet' briefly at the British Museum Main Foyer (near the information desk) at 5:50pm before heading to the exhibition of your choice.  Then meet afterwards at All Bar One at 8pm (details below) for F&B.

Post exhibition F&B will be at All Bar One at 8pm - 58 Kingsway, Holborn, WC2 B6DX.  A table for 10 has been booked.  If you wish to reserve a seat at this table,  please email swcsocialATgmailDOTcom.  First come First Served. 

A Whatsapp group will be set up for this event to help communications on the day.  If you wish to be on it, please email your mobile number to swcsocialATgmailDOTcom.

Evening Walk - Harrow-on-the-Hill

This has worked well 'in the dark' before, has a fine pub en route and a welcoming restaurant at the end, so why not try again? It's forecast to be a dry day but the grassy parts will be muddy, no doubt... 

 

Length: 5.0 km (3.1 mi)

Ascent: 160m

Net Walking Time: 1 ½ hour 

 

Meet at Northwick Park (Metropolitan Line, Zone 4) at 18.40. (18.17 or 18.22 Metropolitan Line from Baker Street). 

Alternatively, start from South Kenton station (Zone 4) at the same time, the routes converge after a few minutes. For that, either take the 18.14 Watford Junction train from Euston (calling, amongst others, at South Hampstead, Queens Park, Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Wembley Central), arriving South Kenton at 18.40, or the Bakerloo Line (takes 35 minutes from Oxford Circus, for example).

Return trains from Harrow (Zone 5): frequent and fast trains and tubes (Chiltern Trains services to Marylebone in about 15 minutes; Met Line to Baker Street in about 17 minutes, then on to Aldgate).

This is a short excursion in Northwest London through a park and then the playing fields of Harrow School, one of the country's leading ‘public’ (i.e.: fee-paying independent) schools, up onto the hill that is dominated by the school buildings, its chapel and Harrow’s church. You walk down from the hill through the hanging cemetery and skirt around the hill to re-ascend through residential streets to the High Street, lined by historic school buildings and tea options. The walk finishes with a descent along a wood and across a grassy open space down to ‘modern’ Harrow and its busy station.

Tea: plenty of options en-route in Harrow (we often stop at The Castle pub, in a Grade II-listed building, featured in the Good Beer Guide 2025 and ***-rated on the CAMRA Register for historic interiors) plus The Indian Gastro Kitchen for dinner near the station.

For walk directions, map, height profile, and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.40

Wednesday Walk - Tring to Berkhamsted via Tom's Hill

Length 15.5 km (9.6 miles) 4/10

I hope nobody notices that I keep borrowing Mr Tiger's storm-affected walks: although this has been posted recently on a Sunday with unknown attendance, I thought we could give it a whirl on Wednesday having read of other options in the neighbourhood having flooded sections. It's an attractive spin on a classic Chilterns walk. The Golden Valley after Little Gaddesden is nice, the finish in Berkhamsted has good refreshment options, and this route avoids possible gloop around the Bridgewater Monument.

Travel: 1009 from Euston (Harrow & Wealdstone 1021) arriving at Tring 1051. There are 4 return trains an hour from Berkhamsted but they are not evenly spaced - approx 19, 25, 49, 55. Get a return to Tring.

Lunch: the Bridgewater Arms (tel 01442 842408) in the village of Little Gaddesden usually goes down well; it is open seven days a week and and food is served all day weekdays from 12 noon until 9 pm. It has comfortable internal dining areas and a very pleasant beer garden.

Near the pub is a village store, where provisions can be purchased for picnickers. A good picnic spot is the churchyard of the church in Little Gaddesden, some 400 metres or so from the pub.

Tea: Just before the railway station you come to the Crystal Palace pub on the canal, which reopened in 2021 following refurbishment after a lengthy period of closure. Heading south-east along the canal towpath you come to the The Boat (nice outdor veranda) and Rising Sun canalside pubs. In the centre of Berkhamsted there are further pubs and a number of tea shops.

Finally, the Berkhamsted Railway Station Cafe, in addition to serving hot drinks, doubles up as a wine shop.

Longer walk option: you could start by heading out to Ivinghoe Beacon following walk 2.5 and pick up today's route from Little Gaddesden, making a Tring greatest hits walk of about 19 km/12 miles.

T=swc.366

Sunday Walk – Oxted Circular (short walk)

Extra Walk 63b – Oxted Circular (short walk)

Length: 11½ km (7.2 miles). Toughness: 3/10

10:21 East Grinstead train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:28, East Croydon 10:39), arriving Oxted at 11:00. See below for a late start option.

Trains back from Oxted are at xx:29 & xx:59.

This walk is essentially a slightly longer version of the Hurst Green to Oxted walk in Volume 2 of the Time Out walks, considered too short nowadays to merit a posting. It's a mix of open and wooded sections going up and over the Greensand Hills, returning via the Carpenters Arms on Limpsfield Chart. You'll probably need to book a table if you want a pub lunch there, but if they can't oblige it's not much further back to Limpsfield and Oxted, where you'll find some other pubs and coffee shops for refreshment.

* Late Starters: Anyone taking the train half an hour later should be able to catch up the main group at the Carpenters Arms by doing the ‘morning short cut’ (§C instead of §M, making a 10 km walk).

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.63.b page. If you're printing them from this page, clicking 'Short' on the Walk Options line will include both Short Walk options and save 4 or 5 sheets of paper.

Sunday Walk - Canalside paths and woods: Tring to Wendover

Length: 20.5 km (12.7 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 227/218m 

Net Walking Time: 4 ¾ hours 

Toughness: 4 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.25 Northampton train from Euston (Harrow & W’stone 09.37, Bushey 09.42, Watford J 09.45), arrives Tring at 10.02. 

Returns from Wendover: xx.27 and xx.57 (into Marylebone).

The stations are on different lines and the lines are run by different train companies. 

Buy a Zone 1-6 Travelcard plus singles from/to Boundary Zone 6 to Tring and from Wendover.

 

“This walk has plenty of variety - completely flat the first half of the day, starting along the quiet tree-lined banks of the Grand Union Canal, then past 'twitchers with bins' (aka birdwatchers with binoculars) beside nature reserves-cum-reservoirs. In the afternoon the public footpath passes alongside a MOD airfield with gliders pulled by tugs or whipped into the air by a whirling wheel on a stationary lorry. For the last 3 km the land changes completely, as you make your way up into a popular part of Wendover Woods, with its "Go Ape" adventure centre, and exercise areas, nearly to the highest point in the Chilterns, and then descend steeply into Wendover.”  This is a stile-free walk.

 

Shorter Walks:

In the morning you can follow the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal either at its junction with the Grand Union just before Marmsworth Top Lock, or - and better - after Tringford Reservoir. The latter avoids the walk around the third reservoir (Wilstone Reservoir) and reduces the walk by 1 km. 

After lunch at the Oak, Aston Clinton, you could get bus 501 from the centre of the village either to Aylesbury Station (at xx.09) or to the centre of Tring (from where you can walk about 3 km [or take a bus or taxi] to the station) at xx.45 (bus continues to Hemel Hempstead and Watford J stations). 

In the afternoon, to avoid the hills up into Wendover Woods, you can take the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal and follow it all the way into Wendover. This reduces the walk by approximately 2 km.

 

Lunch: The Oak, Aston Clinton (11.5 km into the walk, food served to 16.00, table booked for 12.30).  

Tea: too numerous to list here, check details on another Wendover walk’s page, here.

 

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=1.11

Saturday Walk - Inner Southeast London Parks and Hills: Blackheath to Deptford (mud-free) --- from as little as 6.5 km...

Length : 22.2 km (13.8 mi) [much shorter walks possible, see below] 

Ascent /Descent: 213/228m 

Net Walking Time : 5 hours

Toughness : 4 out of 10 

Take the 09.55 Dartford via Bexleyheath train from Charing Cross (Waterloo East 09.58, London Bridge 10.04, Lewisham 10.13), arrives Blackheath (Zone 3) at 10.16. 

Returns from Deptford (Zone 2): xx.02 (Cannon Street via LBG) xx.20 (Thameslink via St. Pancras), xx.32 (Cannon Street via LBG), xx.50 (Thameslink via St. Pancras).

 

This is an urban route almost entirely in the London Borough of Lewisham, stringing together some genteel residential areas and streets, a large heathland with views, many well-kept parks (some with rivers running through them), a large Victorian cemetery and plenty of hills-with-views to either Crystal Palace and the North Downs, Canary Wharf, the City of London and/or the West End and Nine Elms.

 

You start with a long loop through the acclaimed Blackheath Cator Estate, a Victorian and Georgian private estate with some impressive large houses and tree-lined wide and quiet streets, but also sprinkled with award-winning modernist houses. From there, traverse the upland heath and descend into Lee, also with streets full of attractive residences, some almshouses, a Manor House with a fine park, and the River Quaggy. On through Hither Green to a hill-park-with-views and down across the Ravensbourne Valley. The Brockley Three Peaks await next, with Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery walked through in-between. The final stretch leads over Telegraph Hill into Hatcham (New Cross) and on to Deptford.

 

All the route is on hard surfaces and mud-free. Alternative earth or gravel paths are shown on the map where appropriate.

 

Shorter Walks:  

· An Early Shortcut , straight from the station, cuts out the loop through Blackheath Park and across the Heath. It cuts 2.9 km and 20m ascent

· A Late Shortcut through Camberwell New Cemetery (shown on the route map) cuts out One Tree Hill (cut 600m and 50m ascent)

· Many bus stops are passed on the route

· Bailouts at intermittent mainline and overground stations: Hither Green (6.5 km), Ladywell (10.3 km, a little off route), Catford and Catford Bridge (11.8 km, a little off route), Honor Oak Park (13.2 km), Crofton Park (15.2 km), Brockley (18.6 km), Nunhead (19.8 km, a little off route), New Cross Gate (20.9 km)

 

Food & Drink : Leading through fully gentrified parts of Inner London, a plethora of good refreshment options are passed. See page 2 of the pdf for details. Recommended from the last outing is The Chandos, Brockley Rise (very good pizze and a pretty decent beer selection).

 

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here . T=swc.421

Saturday Walk - Haslemere Circular - - Marley Common and Black Down

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 and the Temple of the Winds.

 Trains: 9.55 from London Waterloo (Clapham Junction 10.05), (Woking 10.52) arriving Haslemere 11.20.

Return trains from Haslemere to London: xx.00 change at Woking;  xx.32 direct; xx.37 direct

Lunch: The Red Lion in Fernhurst (good idea to phone ahead to book) or picnic on the green.

If the pub is full, The Fern at the cricket pavillion in Fernhurst (a 2 minute walk from the pub) has a range of hot and cold snacks and cakes.

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

 T=1.22

 

Saturday Walk - Hassocks to Lewes (Rail Sale)

Length: 18km (11.2 miles), 5 hours 30 minutes. T=1.29

"This is an exhilarating walk along the South Downs Way, a ridge of South Downs chalk grassland with panoramic views inland and out to the sea by Brighton. On the way up to the ridge, the route passes Butcher's Wood and visits a church in Clayton and a still-working Clayton Windmill. The friends of Jack and Jill windmill sometimes serve tea on weekends.

On the South Downs Way you pass medieval dew ponds and an Iron Age fort at Ditchling Beacon. After lunch, down below in Plumpton, you climb back up onto the downs, before a final walk into Lewes along the River Ouse, then up to the Norman castle and through its gateway into the ancient High Street. "

Trains: Get the 0946 Southern train from Victoria (Clapham 0953, East Croydon 1004) arriving 1043.

Return trains xx25 and xx55. Buy a Lewes return.

Rail Sale fares, available to the 20th January, are £3.50 each way. These have to be booked as advance singles and are only available on Southern. 

A note on return trains: if you check the history of this walk, and plan a picnic, you would probably get the 1625, with a drink, the 1655. Lewes is a nice place so perhaps relax and get the 1725? Feedback on these timings is welcome!

Lunch: The suggested lunchtime pub is the Half Moon (tel 01273 890 253) in Plumpton, some 9.3 km into the walk, which welcomes walkers and serves food from midday to 3 pm. "Groups of 4 or more people should phone to book and booking for all at weekends is recommended." The pub has pleasant internal and outside dining areas. 

Tea: Lots of choice, so worth arranging during the walk, but for me, The Landsdown Arms near the station.

Evening Walk -- Canary Wharf Winter Lights are Back!

Annual Canary Wharf Winter Lights Circuit

Meet:  18:30 Jubilee Line exit (on the DLR side). 

Difficulty:  Easy -- flat well-lit pavements. The routes about 1.5-2 hours.

The popular Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival is back for its 9th edition! As in years' past, please assemble just outside the DLR-side of the Jubilee Line. From here, head along Eden dock to find installation 1 at the far end and follow the route as outlined on the map.

"For its ninth edition, the trail will take you on a journey through 12 spectacular temporary installations, as well as ever-popular permanent light artworks. Showcasing some of the most innovative light artists across the globe, the 2025 festival explores the transformative and otherworldly qualities of art and light, featuring portals, black holes and mirages."

During and post walk refreshments can be had at a variety of places, but one good option for the end is the Market Halls located at 25 North Colonnade, near the Elizabeth Line. It has a variety of good food options and a large bar -- the Banana Leaf at Gopal's Corner is particularly recommended!

Have fun!

Wednesday walk - Ockley to Warnham

A beautiful walk through an unspoilt countryside of fields, woods and gentle hills, with a choice of two homely country pubs for lunch.

Length: 16.5 km (10.3 miles)

Toughness: 3 out of 10

Trains: London Victoria: 09-41 hrs Southern service to Horsham CJ 09-48; Balham 9.53; Sutton 10-13; Epsom 10-24 hrs. Arrive Ockley: 10-51 hrs

Return: Warnham to Victoria: xx:19 and xx:57. Change at Horsham if taking the latter.

Rail ticket : Buy a day return to Warnham.

Lunch: The Scarlett Arms pub (tel. 01306-627243) in Walliswood, is 7.2 km into the walk.

An alternative is the Punchbowl pub (tel. 01306-627249) in Okewood Hill. The pub is reached via a detour beginning in the woods in Walliswood; the main walk can then be rejoined at point [5A].

Tea: The Sussex Oak pub (tel.01403-265028) in Warnham. The bar is open in the afternoon but no food is served between 2.30 and 6pm. The village shop in Warnham is open until 6pm. Warnham station is approximately 20 minutes walk from the village.

Directions, map and GPS here

T=1.47

Sunday Walk: Chorleywood to Chesham

With shortcut , 14.2 km (8.9 miles)

Difficulty  5 out of 10

The Chess Valley, one of the most beautiful and tranquil parts of the Chiltern Hills has a number of fine panoramic views. We're taking the short cut (option a) to Chenies. This avoids sections of lane that can be flooded after heavy rain. (Not that we get much rain in winter). And cos it gets dark early.

After a fairly early lunch in  the village of Chenies, there's a pleasant walk along the valley rim on a permissive path.  Then, just when you think it’s all over, there’s another hill and a descent into Chesham for tea. Should be do-able in daylight but wouldn’t hurt to bring a torch.

Trains: Get the 09:30 Metropolitan line to Chorleywood from Baker Street -  Arrive at 10:19

Return from Chesham at xx:28 and xx:58 

Chesham, the furthest station, is in LT zone 9. Chorleywood in 8. Freedom passes valid.

Lunch: 

We usually stop at the Red Lion (01923 282 722) a smart, friendly pub with a somewhat gastro menu. 

A little further on, the Bedford Arms (01923 283 301) larger than the Red Lion, has reopened after a lengthy refurb and serves food in a table service restaurant 12-4pm Sunday, with a more limited menu in its bar area. 

Tea: The Drawing Room Frances Yard, Chesham (01494 791 691) is an SWC favourite, Follow your feet further towards Market Square, and you'll find a Mad Squirrel micro pub. Chesham also boasts  a Caffe Nero, a Costa’s and at least one other pub, the Queen’s Head 

Directions here t=swc.81.a  

Sunday Walk - The North Downs - Long, Normal or Short: Wye Circular

Stargazer is away

 

Length: 22.9 km (14.2 mi) or 17.8 km (11.0 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 423m or 396m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ¾ hours or ca. 4 ½ hours 

Toughness: 7 out of 10 or 5 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.04 Ramsgate train from St. Pancras I’nal (Stratford I’nal 09.12, Ebbsfleet I’nal 09.23), change at Ashford I’nal (09.42/09.56) onto the 08.22 Ramsgate train from Victoria, arrives Wye 10.02. 

Return trains: xx.22 (56 mins to St. Pancras [change at Ashford], 81 mins to Victoria).

 

The normal length walk goes high up onto the North Downs and turns north along the Crundale Downs (“crun” in Old English meant chalk, and ‘dala’ meant dell or valley), with breath-taking views and continues to an isolated Norman church at Crundale, then on to a former gastro-pub, now quirkiest pub by a country mile: The Timber Batts at The Compasses Inn. The walk then passes Crundale House and the manor of Olantigh, crosses the River Great Stour and returns to Wye through its churchyard, for tea at a pub or a teashop on Church Street or at a pub next to the railway station.

 

Long Walk: this stays atop the North Downs for longer and passes the best beer pub in the area en route to the The Timber Batts.

Short Walk: You can cut the 17.8 km version of the walk by 2.0 km by cutting the out-and-back to the lunch pub, or even by 3.2 km if taking the shortcut from the church in Crundale (i.e. cutting out the ascent to Sole Street). Picnic Lunch!

Lunch Long Walk : The Bowl Inn in Hastingleigh (7.0 km/4.4 mi, multi-awarded by CAMRA, food from 12.00): simple food choices, excellent beer choices. Or The Timber Batts at The Compasses Inn (14.0 km/8.7 mi) in Sole Street: Pizze, Burgers and Cajun & Creole food. In an ex gourmet pub. Think quirky. Think very quirky. 

Lunch Normal Walk: The Timber Batts at The Compasses Inn (as above, but after 8.6 km/5.3 mi).

 

Tea: The King's Head has been sold by Sheps but not yet reopened (I think), Wye Coffee Shop & Kitchen (but closes at 15.00), No 4 Wine Bar and Tapas (closes at 17.00, run by the ex-manager of The King’s Head), The Tickled Trout (open to 20.00, food to 17.00, pizze to 19.00).

 

For walk directions, maps, height profiles, photos and gpx/kml files click here . T=1.53