Sunday Walk: Snakes on a Pew!! Biggleswade to Sandy

Length 19.5km (11.6 m) Difficulty 4/10  

This stile-free walk reversed direction a year or two ago, and now starts from Biggleswade. The route skirts Old Warden Aerodrome (home to the Shuttleworth Collection of historic planes), then continues through the wooded Warden Warren to the suggested lunch pub in the picturesque village of Old Warden. Later, you pass the richly decorated Abbey Church of St Leonards and join the Greensand Ridge walk which you follow towards the River Ivel and the town of Sandy, passing through another attractive village, Northill on the way.

Trains: Get the Thameslink from London Kings Cross (platform 8 at 10:13 (Finsbury Park 10:19) arriving Biggleswade 1056.

Trains return from Sandy at xx:15. Get a return to Sandy.

Lunch: the Hare and Hounds, Old Warden (01767 627225).  Booking advised.

About 400m after Old Warden, St Leonards churchyard is recommended as a picnic stop

Tea: The Bell, Sandy. (You also pass near the Crown in Northill (01767 627337) - a little too early for tea, but it’s never too early for beer).

Directions: here.We are doing Biggleswade to Sandy, option M. t=swc.264 

Sunday Walk: Petersfield to Liss

10.3 miles Toughness 5/10

This walk takes you along the Hangers Way through unspoilt Hampshire countryside. There is a steep climb up Shoulder of Mutton Hill - with good views back - but you can take a longer, gentler, route up if you prefer. Later, there are good views down the other side. 

Trains:  Get the 09:30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (Clapham Jct. 09:39 arriving Petersfield 10:40

Trains return from Liss at xx:29. Get a return to Petersfield. 

Lunch: The walker-friendly Hawkley Inn in Hawkley (01730 827205)  Phoning advised. 

Tea: 

The Whistlestop pub, just past the station, will be open. 

Before Liss, you pass near the Spreadeagle  01730 892088 on the Farnham Road.

Directions:  here. t=2.11

The walk can be shortened to 7 miles by following the short cut described in 'walk options' on the intro  page.

Saturday Walk - Robertsbridge Circular - tea at Bodiam Castle

Length: 18.5km (11.5 miles) T=2.20

9.45 train from Charing Cross (9.48 Waterloo East, 9.54 London Bridge) to Robertsbridge, arriving 11.17

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

This gentle Wealden walk - as opposed to its variant ending in Battle - has not had a summer outing for years as far as I can see. Part of its appeal at this time of year is that it has a gorgeous mid-afternoon tea stop at the National Trust-owned Bodiam Castle (romantically approached over a hillside), where you also might see a steam train chugging past (eg at or before 3.35pm and 4.45pm). More dissolute types can go to the Castle Inn across the road. Later Salehurst, a couple of miles from the end, also has a rural pub - the Salehurst Halt.

The point is that at this time of year you can enjoy all these delights without worrying about finishing the walk before sunset - a pleasure which will all too soon be denied to us.

Lunch is at the Waterside Cafe at the Hawkhurst Fish Farm, 5 miles into the walk, which is fully licensed and has a hot food menu of burgers, paninis and fish and chips (which is about what you get in most pubs these days…). 

At the end of the walk Robertsbridge has late-opening convenience stores and a pub or two, most notably the quirky Ostrich opposite the station.

Trains back are at 14 past the hour. 

Saturday Walk - Seaford to Glynde (a Book1 walk in reverse)

Length: 22.9 km (14.2 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 403/397m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours 

Toughness: 6 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.24 Eastbourne train from Victoria (09.31 CJ, 09.40 EC), change Lewes (10.26/10.30), arrives Seaford 10.48. 

Return trains are on xx.15 (change Lewes) and xx.19 (change Polegate, much longer).  
Buy a Seaford return (this should be accepted for the Glynde to Lewes leg). 

 

Everyone's favourite walk in Book 1 apparently, as per the webpage, but only rarely posted… Now in reverse to finish at the re-opened Trevor Arms or at Steamworks on the platform in Glynde

 

Options:

-      Finish at Exceat for frequent buses to Seaford or Eastbourne (a very short walk indeed); 

-      Follow the road into Glynde, involving a (safe) crossing of the dual carriageway, cuts 800m; 

-      Finish in Lewes (adds 6 km and one ascent).

 

Here is the route description the ‘right way round’:

It starts with a South Downs Ridge walk. Lunch is in the picturesque village of Alfriston. After lunch there is Cuckmere Haven (a pretty river valley), and a coastal cliff walk into Seaford.

Near the start, the route goes through Firle Park and then follows the South Downs Way for much of the day, with marvellous views across the lush valleys to the north and down to the sea. There are three lovely villages to enjoy during the course of the day, all with open churches: West Firle, West Dean, and (the suggested lunch stop) the old smuggling village of Alfriston, which likes to call its church a cathedral. From Alfriston the route follows the riverbank through the Cuckmere Valley and through Friston Forest down to Exceat (pronounced Ex-Seat), an extinct village on the edge of the Seven Sisters Country Park, where there is a Visitors’ Centre and a tea room and a pub and a bus stop.

The Vanguard Way then leads through the Seaford Head Nature Reserve – hoopoe, bluethroat and wryneck have been seen here – to the beach at Cuckmere Haven. This is a good place to enjoy a front-stalls view of the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters. You follow the coastal path to Seaford, a seaside town with a long esplanade and reconstructed shingle beach.

 

Lunch: The George Inn, Poco restaurant & wine bar, The Star Inn, The Smugglers, Wingrove House in Alfriston (11.6 km/7.2 mi). Or The Plough & Harrow in Litlington a little earlier. 

Tea: The Trevor Arms and Steamworks in Glynde, plus a couple of cafés in Lewes Station when changing trains.

 

For walk directions, map, height profile, some photos, a video and gpx/kml files click here. T=1.31

Saturday Walk - Dormans to Hever

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Length: 17km (11m)
Toughness: 4 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:20 train from London Victoria, arriving at Dormans at 10:14. Returns trains from Hever at xx:05. Buy a day return to Dormans. You might need to buy a single from Hever to Hurst Green on your way back.

This is a delightful walk from Surrey into Kent passing an iron age hill fort and the charming village of Cowden with its cozy pub for lunch. Note that this is the reverse of walk SWC.362. I highly recommend a variation to the end of the walk which leads you to the King Henry VIII pub in Hever from where it is a 25mins walk to Hever station. The GPX for this variation is here.

Evening Walk - Woods, Horniman Gardens and Dulwich Park & Village: Sydenham Hill to West Dulwich

Length: 6.6 km (4.1 mi) 

Ascent: 80m 

Net Walking Time: 1 ½ hrs

 

Meet: Sydenham Hill Station/College Road exit (Zone 3) at 18.45 (i.e.: take the 18.27 Orpington train from Victoria (Brixton 18.34, Herne Hill 18.37), arrives Sydenham Hill at 18.42).

Return: from West Dulwich (one stop closer to London), every 15 minutes on xx.05

This walk takes you through Dulwich Wood & Sydenham Hill Wood (together the largest extant part of the ancient Great North Wood in the Borough of Southwark), the splendid Horniman Gardens (with fine views of the City of London) and Dulwich Park, finishing in Dulwich Village for refreshments. If you get disorientated in Dulwich Wood or Sydenham Hill Wood, do not worry too much, as wandering around, you will in time come across the car wide metal bridge, from which you may resume the directions.

Tea: Crown & Greyhound pub, Rocca Italian restaurant and various other bars and restaurants in Dulwich Village, and Belair House Bar & Restaurant on the way to the station.

For walk directions , map, photos, and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.9

Wednesday walk: Gunpowder works, quirky pubs, a marshland nature reserve and historic Faversham: Faversham circular

19.5 km (12.1 miles) 2/10 for the main walk, with several options to cut the walk short to as little as 9 ¼ km

Having started walks from Faversham before, I feel it would be good to finish one there, where there is lots to see and do . This walk was posted on a Sunday in June but I hope anyone who was there doesn't mind doing it again.

Trains: 1010 from Victoria (Bromley 1026) arrives Faversham 1125. Two return trains an hour to Victoria at 05 and 35. There are also two trains an hour to St Pancras (high speed supplement needed), approximately around the hour and half hour, but the journey time is only about 5 minutes less.

Lunch: After only 5 ¼ km/3.3 miles, the remote, tumbledown, Shipwright's Arms (01795-590088) in Hollowshore. “Oldie worldie, like something out of Dickens, it has a limited menu (burgers, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, etc.) but it does have an interesting range of real ales and the like. It doesn’t take bookings, being purely walk-in.” Aficionados including the walk author feel it's worth supporting.

Twenty minutes further, in the village of Oare, there’s the Castle (01795-533674) a traditional pub, and the more upmarket Three Mariners (01795-533633). There’s also The Cafe by the Creek (01795-537985). Advisable to book for any of these.

The Oare Gunpowder Works Country Park is recommended for a picnic.

Tea: numerous options in Faversham, see walk web page

Short walk options: this walk is a figure of eight; the loop nearest Faversham is 9.2 km. There are various other possible short cuts giving walks of between 13 and 17.5 km.

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Prom - Sibelius Symphony No.2 and more

This year, we will be doing three proms.  Here is the second in the series. 

The booking has just opened.  To book your ticket, please click here.  Alternatively, you can also get a promming ticket on the day. 

The concert starts at 7:30pm.   

Pre-concert F&B:   Meet at the steps of Albert Memorial from 6pm for picnic. 

A WhatsApp group will be set up near the time.  If you wish to be on it,  please email your moble number to swcsocialATgmailDOTcom.  The group will be deleted after the event. 

Programme

Arvo Pärt Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten 6’

Dvořák Violin Concerto in A minor 32’

Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in D major 46’

Hilary Hahn violin

Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra

Andris Nelsons conductor 

Bank Holiday Walk - Hastings to Rye

Length: 20.1 km (12.5 mi) [shorter walk possible, see below]

Ascent/Descent: 423/435m 

Net Walking Time: 5 hours

Toughness: 5 out of 10

Take the 09.15 Hastings train from Charing Cross (via Waterloo East and London Bridge 09.24), arrives Hastings 10.47. 

Return trains from Rye are on xx.48 to St. Pancras via Ashford (66 mins journey time). You can also travel to Charing X from Ashford to avoid the High Speed surcharge on HS2, but the journey will be almost an hour longer. 

Buy a Hastings Return, incl. the High Speed Surcharge .

This rewarding walk starts in the Cinque Ports town of Hastings with a fine clifftop coastal walk with steep climbs along the way. This section is the most strenuous part of the walk. From Pett Level, the terrain levels out, before leading up through the New Gate into Winchelsea for (late) lunch. Just east of the town, you reach The Look Out, offering panoramic views across the whole of Romney Marsh to Dungeness, and to the Kent Downs beyond. From there it is down and along to Ferry Bridge, following an easy flat route north east to Rye.

Short Walk: finish at Winchelsea Station for the return train on xx.43 to Ashford or xx.52 to Hastings, or even take Bus Line 100 from outside the New Inn in Winchelsea to Rye (leaves 14.39/16.39/18.39).

Lunch: The New Inn in Winchelsea (15.0 km/9.3 mi, food to 15.00). 

Tea: More than 20 decent options in Rye, mostly just a little off route in the interesting historic town centre.

 

For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, some photos and gpx/kml files click here . T=2.29

Sunday Walk – Sutton Valence to Pluckley

Extra Walk 151 – Sutton Valence to Pluckley

Length: 17.7 km (11 miles). Toughness: 3~4/10

Buy a day return to Pluckley and take the 10:04 Dover train from Charing Cross (Waterloo East 10:07, London Bridge 10:13, Sevenoaks 10:37, etc), arriving Headcorn at 11:09. Nip down the station approach road to the bus stop on this side of the main road for the Arriva 12 bus towards Maidstone at 11:19 (or perhaps share a taxi if it doesn't show up). After an 11-minute journey alight at the King's Head pub in Sutton Valence for the start of the walk.
If you'd prefer to avoid the bus connection you could instead take the 09:55 / 10:55 Ashford Int'l train from Victoria and do the walk's alternative start from Harrietsham (arr 11:13 / 12:13). The earlier train would get you to the lunch pub about 40 minutes before the main group; the later one about 20 minutes after. See the walk notes for ticket advice on this route.

Trains back from Pluckley to Charing Cross are hourly at xx:37. You could take a train in the other direction at xx:46 and change at Ashford for a High-Speed train to St Pancras, but you'd need to buy a fairly expensive ‘Plus High Speed’ supplement for this route.

This is a pleasant section of the Greensand Way through the ‘Garden of England’, with plenty of orchards and some fine old churches along the way (though not many pubs). The only convenient lunch place is the attractive Pepper Box Inn, which the Sutton Valence starters should reach at around 12:45–1pm. It has plenty of outdoor seating but as usual book a table if you want to be sure of Sunday lunch.

A mid-afternoon tea stop looks unlikely as the George in Egerton is reportedly closed. The choice for refreshment is between diverting to the Rose & Crown in Mundy Bois (open all day) or carrying on to Pluckley village for the Black Horse (open to 6pm). In both cases allow plenty of time to reach Pluckley station as the Dering Arms closes early on Sundays and there's nothing else nearby.

Please bring the directions from the L=swc.151 page.

Sunday walk - Balcombe circular via Ardingly

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 

Or, you could do the winter version of the walk 15.4km (9.6 miles)  with same shortcut to Wakehurst, Toughness: 4 out of 10.

Trains: London Bridge 10.09 (East Croydon 10.23) arrives Balcombe 10.50.

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. The Half Moon Inn in Balcombe is another possibility.

Further details L=swc.22

Saturday Walk - Westhumble Circular

Westhumble Circular

Length: Length: 13.3 km (8.2 miles). Toughness: ~4/10

10:41 Dorking train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:48, Balham 10:53 etc ...), arriving Box Hill and Westhumble at 11:37.

If London Bridge is easier, you could instead take the 10.25 Epsom service and change at Epsom (arrive 10.53, depart 11.13 and arriving Box Hill and Westhumble at 11:37

Buy a return to Box Hill and Westhumble, or Dorking Stations (same price) if you want the option to finish there.

Return trains from Boxhill are xx:46 to Victoria (leaving Dorking Main at xx.43 and xx.17). Change at Epsom for London Bridge.

A walk in the Surrey Hills, featuring the Polesden Lacey estate. This walk was last done on a very cold and wet New Year's Day so here's a chance to enjoy it in dry and warm conditions. Today it's option b, starting and finishing at "Box Hill and Westhumble" station.

For lunch, The National Trust Granary Cafe in Polesden Lacey has plenty of inside and outside space and should be able to accommodate a group of walkers.

End of walk refreshments are available at Denbies, which has both a cafe and The Surrey Hills Brewery, or there's the The Stepping Stones pub, near Boxhill and Westhumble train station.

Please remember that these walks don't have a leader so you'll need to download your copy of the route from the L=2.14.b page.

Saturday Walk - Etchingham to Wadhurst

Length: 17.3km (10.7 miles), 5 out of 10 T=swc.208

After a fairly flat start across the valley of the River Rother, this is a classic Wealden walk - a hilly mix of pasture and woodland, fine panoramic views across valleys, a succession of converted oast houses, a cobnut orchard, and the typical Wealden villages of Ticehurst and Wadhurst. The route also passes very close to the shore of the beautiful Bewl Water reservoir and there are optional extra loops after lunch, adding 3.5km (2.2 miles) or 1.4km (0.9 miles) which takes you down to hidden places on its shoreline. Note that the directions were updated in November 24, modifying the extra loops. 

The walk also has a longer option starting in Robertsbridge, for which you catch the 0845 and buy a Robertsbridge return. You should meet the Etchingham walkers at the station.

Trains: Get the 0945 Hastings from Charing Cross (0954 London Bridge) arriving Etchingham at 1101. Return trains from Wadhurst 1651, 1730, xx00, xx30. Buy an Etchingham return.

Lunch: There is a choice of two pubs in Ticehurst for lunch, and a churchyard for picnics. The Bell in the village itself is the first you come to after 6.4km (4 miles) but the Bull in Three Legged Cross, another 1km (0.6 miles) further on, is very much the recommended option.

Tea: In Wadhurst, Artful Grocers, a food store with a cafe attached, which is open till 5pm. The Greyhound  is the first pub, or the White Hart. 

After tea the 3.2km (2 mile) walk down the back lanes is highly recommended. A shorter 2.2 km/1.4 mile but much less attractive option is to follow the main road (pavement all the way).

Saturday Walk - Haslemere Circular with Heather Galore!

SWC Walk 144/B1 Walk 27: Haslemere Circular Variant

Distance: Approximately 15.5 miles or 25 km for those more metrically minded

Difficulty: 7 out of 10

Train: Take the 9:30 AM Portsmouth Harbour train from London Waterloo to arrive at Haslemere at 10:20. The faster return trains from Haslemere are on the hour and at 32 past. Buy a day return to Haslemere.

I had planned to post the Haslemere to Farnham walk in its standard format because it comes into its true glory during the height of heather season with vast stretches of the purple stuff!  However, engineering works scuppered that plan -- BUT, I had a dim memory of once years ago creating a circular route that take in most of the heather of SWC 144 -- but then takes you back to Haslemere following the route of Book1/Walk 27 (Milford to Haslemere) which takes a different route to the outbound route of SWC 144. Apologies to the Wednesday walkers who recently did this route....

The idea is to follow the “main route” of SWC 144 from Haslemere to Thursley via Gibbet Hill. After lunch, continue along the main route to Thursley Common and explore the extension and “extension within the extension” which should -- at this time of year -- be ablaze in purple heather. Shortly after rejoining the main route at the end of the extension, it is possible to pick-up and reverse walk a shortcut back to Thursley. From Thursley, you can then pick up the route and instructions for the Book 1/Walk 27 Milford to Haslemere.  You can find more information about both walks and download the walk instructions here and here.

The recommended lunch spot is the lovely community-owned Three Horseshoes (01252 703 268) in Thursley (6.5 miles/10.5 km into the walk) which serves food until 2:30pm. Please call ahead to make a booking! Post walk libations can be had at a number of hostelries in Haslemere.

Enjoy the heather!

T=swc.144

Evening Walk - Sunset Drinks with City Views: Nunhead, Honor Oak and Peckham Rye

Length: 8.0 km (5.0 mi)

Ascent: 170m

Net Walking Time: 2 hours

 

Meet at Nunhead station by the exit down from the platforms at 18.35.

 

From Central London, either take the 18.03 Dartford train from Victoria (18.13 Denmark Hill, 18.16 Peckham Rye), arriving Nunhead at 18.19, or the Thameslink service from Kentish Town to Orpington (18.07 St. Pancras via all stations to Blackfriars (18.16) then Elephant & Castle, Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye), arriving 18.33. [The 18.12 from Victoria connects at Denmark Hill to the Thameslink train. 

From Outer London: take either the 18.02 London Blackfriars train from Orpington (arrives 18.31) or the 18.01 Victoria train from Dartford (arrives 18.38).

 

Return trains from Peckham Rye: plenty in every direction (Victoria, LBG, Thameslink, Clapham J, Overground to Canada Water and all places North…).

 

This south east London route links up several noteworthy green open spaces. It starts by meandering through the atmospheric Nunhead Cemetery, one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of Victorian London and now, after having been resurrected from decades of neglect, a Local Nature Reserve. You then walk along residential streets to Camberwell New Cemetery and the Honor Oak Crematorium in Honor Oak, and on up to One Tree Hill, the most northerly part of what was the Great North Wood and is now a wooded Local Nature Reserve with a magnificent viewpoint.

Walk through the linear Brenchley Gardens Park and past Camberwell Old Cemetery and on to the large green spaces of Peckham Rye Park and Common. From there it is just a short walk past a cluster of cafés and modish restaurants and then along Rye Lane, one of the most aesthetically varied, culturally mixed and unique streets in London, to Peckham Rye station, with a plethora of food and drink options nearby, some of them on roof tops of high buildings...

Tea Options: Plenty en route and near Peckham Rye station, see the webpage or the pdf walk directions for details. 

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

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Wednesday Walk - Kingham to Charlbury

T=swc.246

It’s been over 8 years since this pretty Oxfordshire walk has had a Wednesday outing. 

LENGTH 17.6km (11 miles)

TOUGHNESS 2/10

TRAINS. 09.52 from London PADDINGTON arriving at KINGHAM at 11.11

Return trains from CHARLBURY are at 15.12, 16.12, 17.12 then 18.08

Buy a return ticket to KINGHAM

LUNCH  https://lionhearth.co.uk/the-swan/

TEA.     https://www.thebellatcharlbury.com/  appears to have reopened 

             https://thebullcharlbury.com/  has had some recent celebrity visitors from the USA

In the afternoon you could divert off the route to the 

https://cafedelapost.com/ in the village of Chadlington. This out and back will add 2km to the walk. 

L=swc.246

Sunday Walk: Great Missenden to Amersham

16.3 km 10.1 miles Difficulty 5/10

A Chilterns walk including a large beech wood, four interesting churches and the village of Little Missenden. After tea in Old Amersham, you reach the station via another wood.

Trains:

Get the 09:57 Aylesbury Vale Parkway train from Marylebone arriving at Great Missenden at 10:40.

A rail return to Great Missenden will suffice. This limits you to Chiltern trains back from Amersham at xx:11 and xx:41

A Tfl zones 1-9 travelcard (or Freedom Pass) plus a rail single from Amersham to Great Missenden on the way out (see notes) would allow you to return by either tube or train. Tubes leave for Baker Street at xx:22 and xx:52

Lunch

The recommended pub is The Squirrel in Penn Street 01494 711291 

The nearby Hit or Miss is also suitable 01494 713109 

There are earlier - possibly too earlier - pubs in Little Missenden, The Red Lion 01494 862876 and The Crown 01494 862571

Tea:

Seasons Cafe Deli in Old Amersham  - recommended but limited seating.

Old Amersham also has pubs. The Crown Inn and the Kings Arms are two.

Were you to delve deeper into ‘new’ Amersham (up past the station), you would find a Mad Squirrel micropub on Sycamore Road.

Directions: here  

t=1.5 

Sunday walk: Winchelsea to Hastings

20.3km (12.6 miles) Difficulty 9/10

Said to be one of our hardest walks, but Mr Tiger’s done it a few times so it's not impossible. The start from Winchelsea is flat to begin with, but things don't stay that way. No sirree. The afternoon route takes you up, down, up, down, across 3 steep glens, eventually descending into quaint old Hastings. 

An unofficial diversion (at your own risk) would take you down to the naturist beach at Fairlight Glen.

Trains: 9:40 from St Pancras, (Platform 13) to Ashford, arriving10:18. Change to the 10:24, Platform 1, to arrive at Winchelsea 10:53.

Returning from Hastings 

xx:50 xx:30 to Charing Cross

There's an xx:19 to Victoria (slower)

Or the xx:25 and change at at Ashford for High Speed back to St Pancras 

Get a return to Hastings (any permitted). To travel to/from St Pancras, include the High Speed supplement.

Lunch: The 17th century Queens Head (tel 01424 814 552), Parsonage Lane, Icklesham

Or later in the village of Pett, The Royal Oak Inn (tel 01424 812 515) 

In Pett Level, there's the C-Side cafe (on the sea wall) and a little further on, the Cockles and Dreams 

Tea

An early tea stop is possible, inland from Firehills at the Coastguards. Open till 5.

No shortage of tea places in Hastings and at least a couple of pubs in the old town.

There's also the Old Seadog near the station, 32 Station Road.

Directions: here T=1.25

Saturday Walk: Saunderton Circular via Wheeler End

16.3km (10.1 miles).  Difficulty 4/10

A variant of the Saunderton/West Wycombe Circular 

You follow the standard walk as far as the Hellfire Caves (scary, huh?) and then branch off to Wheeler End. The return takes you through a small nature reserve before rejoining the main walk.

Transport 

9:52 Aylesbury train from Marylebone, arriving Saunderton 10:51

Return trains at xx:57. Get a return to Saunderton.

Lunch 

You could stop earlier at the Le De Spencers Arms or the cafe at the entrance to the Hellfire Caves, but the  suggested stop is the Chequers at Wheeler End 01494 972446, (the 07538 number on our page is obsolete). 

The Chequers' history has been  - er -  chequered, with periods of closure, but they have confirmed they are open. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to investigate further and report back. 𝅘𝅥𝅯 Dun durr de de, Dun durr de der, derweedle oo…𝅘𝅥𝅲

Tea: The Golden Cross is handy for Saunderton station. On the main road, just past the station turn-in.

Information here 

If you use written directions, you'll need two sets.

Main circular 

Wheeler End option (kicks in from point 8)

Both routes shown on the GPS track

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Saturday Walk - Forest Row Circular - Heather spectacular

Length: 17.7km (11 miles) T=swc.23

9.50 train from Victoria (9.57 Clapham Junction, 10.10 East Croydon) to East Grinstead, arriving 10.50. You then get bus number 270 from the stop in front of the station at 11.05 to Forest Row, arriving 11.20.

Buy a day return to East Grinstead. The bus fare will be a flat £3 in either direction. 

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

This walk up onto the heaths of Ashdown Forest does not get done as often as it might because it requires a short bus ride at the start and finish. That is a pity, as it covers surprisingly varied territory, albeit with generous dollops of heathland where the heather should hopefully be in full bloom now. 

Lunch is at the very nice Red Lion in Chelwood Gate (if we overlook it losing my meal order when I was last there: a rare aberration). It serves food all afternoon and has a very nice garden. (The same bus we get from East Grinstead stops at the Red Lion six minutes later, by the way, if you fancy a late start.) 

For tea Forest Row has various cafes, pubs and micro-breweries. An earlier tea option that people usually miss because they have their noses pressed to their GPS tracks is the Forest Row Visitor Centre, which at least in the past has offered hot drinks and snacks.

Buses back from Forest Row (270 and 291) are at 03 and 31 past till 18.34, then 18.58, 19.46 etc (check times yourself if coming back later!!).

If you still have energy at the end of the walk, you can also walk up the old railway line to East Grinstead, which is an extra 3.4 miles.

Trains back from East Grinstead are at 06 and 36 past till late. 

Saturday Walk - Bedford Circular - Along the meandering River Great Ouse with some fine vistas and with the Bunyan Trail through some quaint villages. [New Walk]

DAC is away 

Length: 25.6 km (15.9 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 135m 

Net Walking Time: about 5 ½ hours

Toughness: 3/10

Take the 09.15 Corby train from London St. Pancras’s East Midlands Railway platforms (calls Luton Airport Parkway 09.37), arrives Bedford 09.55. 

Alternatively, the 08.51 Thameslink train to Bedford gets you to Bedford for 09.52. 

Fast Return trains are on xx.10 and xx.41. Thameslink services to Brighton depart every 15 minutes. 

Boundary Zone 6 Tickets are not valid on the EMR trains!

An almost entirely flat walk which takes you North of Bedford, never far from the Great Ouse or the John Bunyan Trail. You follow the river out of Bedford, then pass through the interesting villages of Biddenham, Bromham and Stevington. This is followed by the best riverside section, leading to Pavenham. You visit the more modern developments of Oakley and Clapham, but the return to Bedford is largely through woods and parks and takes you past a wide selection of cafes in the pedestrianised town centre.

 

Walk Options: 

A shortcut is described from Stevington to Clapham (reducing the distance by 5.9 km), which starts well but once over the Great Ouse it is largely on road and also misses out the best parts of the main walk. 

Any number of buses offer dropouts in the 2^nd half of the walk. See the webpage, the pdf and the route map for details.

 

Elevenses: The Mill Coffee Shop, Bromham (6.9 km). Recommended.

Lunch: The Royal George, Stevington (11.1 km) or The Bedford Arms, Oakley (17.9 km, 600m off route). 

Tea: Many places in Bedford. See the webpage or the pdf for details.

For a summary, photos, height profile, gpx/kml files and the walk directions pdf click here. T=swc.426