Sunday Walk: Hayes Circular

9.5km (6m) Toughness 1 out of 10 

Wakey wakey! Clocks go forward today. Don’t sleep in.

A woodland walk visiting 3 commons, the source of the Ravensbourne and 2 Iron Age forts.

Trains :

10:21 Hayes train from Charing Cross (Waterloo East 10:25 London Bridge 10:31) arriving Hayes 11:11

Trains back at xx:13 and xx:43. Hayes is in Zone 5

Lunch: In Keston, choose between the Fox Inn 01689 497898 (food said to be good but best to book in advance), The Greyhound 01689 856338 (dog-friendly), or the Triple Two Cafe 

Tea: Back in Hayes, The Real Ale way micropub opposite the station is recommended. tel:07446 897885 Open from 2pm. You also got the New Inn nearby. 

Directions: here t=swc.281

Sunday Walk: Goring Circular

17.5km (11.4 miles) or slightly shorter for the map walk. Difficulty 6/10

A walk in the downland above Goring. The last posting was thwarted by cancelled trains so you’re getting it again. Visits Aldworth for lunch. After a choice of two afternoon routes, there's a climb and descent into Streatley.

Trains

🕘🕗Clocks go forward today, Don’t sleep in.🕘🕘

Get the Didcot Parkway train from Paddington at 9:38 Platform 4, arriving Goring & Streatley station 10:37

For a slightly later start, get the 09:46 Hereford train from Paddington changing at Reading onto the Didcot train above, (platform 15 departing 10:25). Freedom Pass Holders can travel free as far as Reading on the Elizabeth Line. (Bond St .9:10, Paddington 9:15 Ealing Broadway.9:26  arrives Reading 10:10). Change onto the 10:25 Didcot train. 

Return trains leave xx:22, change again at Reading if required.

Lunch

Your lunch stop is the Bell in Aldworth   – a pub that has been in the same family for 250 years. Don’t expect nothing fancy – just rolls,  ploughmans and the like. It has won several CAMRA awards, so expect the beer to be good. The church there is home to the Aldworth giants. They’re a bit worse for wear since some  Roundheads had a pop at them, but still worth a look.

Tea

You pass two pubs in Streatley, the Bull, then the Swan at Streatley. There's a teashop just after the bridge but it closes early. Back in Goring, the Catherine Wheel  on Station Road is suggested. You’ve also got the Miller of Mansfield, on the High Street. 

Directions

Walk info here . The main SWC walk, on the "Download Walk" button, is suggested for the morning. 

In the afternoon, you could follow the hand-drawn map on the "YHA Goring via Aldworth" button.  This is  shorter, following quiet roads for most of the way and avoiding a potentially muddy part of the SWC route. (This option isn't described in the text. but is shown on the gps). The two routes converge for the climb back up to the downs. Revert to the SWC route for the station.    t=swc.17

Saturday Walk: Pulborough to Amberley

16.6km (10.3 miles)  A longer 12.1 mile walk is possible. Toughness 5 out of 10

Out from Pulborough onto gentle hills, with views of the downs. Then along the edge of the RSPB’s Pulborough Brooks. Later, the South Downs loom and a steep climb leads to a ridge walk to Amberley with views of the Arun valley. (The climb can be avoided with a spot of road walking). A longer finish along the River Arun is also possible, this being the 12.1 mile version.

Transport    

9:35 Bognor/Havant train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 9:42, East Croydon 9:53) arriving Pulborough 10:52.

Return from Amberley xx:18 and xx:48. Buy a day return to Amberley.

Lunch:    

The Rising Sun, Nutbourne (01798 812191), 3.4 miles into the walk, is the recommended lunch pub.  

The White Horse, Marehill, (01798 872189), is a possible alternative 0.9 miles further. 

The Visitors Centre, Pulborough Brooks, 5.8 miles into the walk, has a self-service tea room, serving light lunches from 12pm to 2.30pm. 

Tea:  

The Riverside Tea Rooms (07765 790 414) by Amberley station. A charming location for tea if you can get there before they close at 4:30.

Otherwise, there's the Bridge Inn (01798 831 619), also near Amberley station.

Directions: here   

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Saturday Walk - Aldermaston to Woolhampton via Frilsham: West Berkshire Downs - ancient woodlands, commons, pretty villages, historic pubs, chalk streams, water meadows, heathland, end via landscaped park or Kennet canal

DAC is away...

Length: 23.2 km (14.4 mi) [longer walk possible, see below] 

Ascent/Descent: 407/404m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ¼ hours

Toughness: 5 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.32 Cheltenham Spa train from Paddington, change at Reading (09.55/10.12, Newbury Train, usually departing from Platform 2), arriving Aldermaston at 10.25. 

Return trains from Woolhampton (Midgham Station): xx.23 (change Reading), or xx.27 (change Newbury, but takes longer). Buy a Midgham return.

 

This walk explores a surprisingly quiet part of the commuter area that is West Berkshire, less than an hour from Central London. It is an undulating landscape with some fine views over unspoilt countryside - the West Berkshire Downs, which are part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and consist of a mix of ancient woodlands, commons, fields and pretty villages with pleasant, historical pubs. The route passes through the chalk stream river valleys of the Kennet, the Bourne and the Pang, where you’ll also find some evidence of traditional water meadows. A long section of the walk leads through the elevated Bucklebury Common, one of the largest commons in Southern England. In the main this consists of a variety of woods, but you’ll also walk through one of Berkshire’s largest heathlands and see part of a famous Avenue of Oaks.

At the end there is a choice of finishes either through the landscaped Midgham Park or along the Kennet & Avon Canal. Carrying map and compass is recommended, as there are plenty of paths in the woods and on the heath.

A westerly extension leads through more fascinating, undulating woods and the large and impressive Neolithic hillfort site of Grimsbury Castle. This version of the walk (26.8 km/16.7 mi, more if you lunch in Hermitage) is rated 7/10.

Lunch: The Pot Kiln in Frilsham (9.7 km/6.0 mi, food to 14.30, a table has been booked for 13.00) or on the extended walk, The Fox Inn and The White Horse, in Hermitage, but they are off-route and add 2.3 km (more for the 2^nd pub), see the pdf for details. 

Tea: The Cottage Inn in Upper Bucklebury (17.2 km/10.7 mi), The Angel Inn or The Rowbarge Inn in Woolhampton (near Midgham Station).

 

For walk directions, map, photos, height profile, and gpx/kml files click here.t=swc.260

Saturday Walk - Wye to Chilham - a Kentish downland adventure

Length: 17.7km (11 miles) T=swc.138

9.34 train from Charing Cross (9.37 Waterloo East, 9.43 London Bridge) to Wye, arriving 11.03

OR

10.04 Southeastern Highspeed train from St Pancras International to Ashford, arriving 10.42, to connect with the above train, departing 10.57

Buy a day return to Chilham.

A combination of the morning of the Wye Circular walk (for directions and GPX see here) and the afternoon of the Chilham Circular (directions and GPX here), combining the best bits of either walk.

You start with a fine climb up onto the North Down escarpment above Wye, with extensive views. Then you are walking high along the sides of an idyllic part-wooded valley, with potentially varied spring flowers.

Lunch is at the quirky Timber Batts @ The Compasses, which offers a feelgood menu of creative burgers, ribs, vegetable chilli etc amidst inventive decor.

In the afternoon, you cross another downland section before descending to Godmersham, the country estate of Jane Austin's wealthy brother. You walk across its estate and on into the pretty village of Chilham, with its "castle" (a stately home), a tea room that shuts too early (4pm) and a nice pub by the church.

Trains back are at 15 past the hour, taking 1hr 36 mins to Charing Cross or 1hr 3 minutes to St Pancras for Highspeed ticket holders via a change at Ashford.

Evening Walk - Some heights in Northwest London: Harrow-on-the-Hill

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. (i.e. 18.17 or 18.22 Metropolitan Line from Baker Street). 

Alternatively, start from South Kenton (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: Knebworth Circular

19.9km (12.4 miles) 4/10

I was going to post this walk in snowdrop season but got put off by the weather, so let's do it now. Knebworth Hall and park are interesting and you may hear reminiscences from any rock fans in the group. There may also be deer.

Travel: 1006 from Kings Cross (Finsbury Park 1012) arriving at Knebworth 1046. Return trains at 12 and 42.

Lunch: Emily's tea shop (tel 01438 871929) is the best option in Whitwell – the Bull pub is closed. For a pub lunch you could try the Strathmore Arms in St Paul's Walden just before you get to Whitwell, although the food offer looks basic. The main walk webpage has suggestions for later stopping places.

Tea: various recommendations in Knebworth on the walk webpage. I seem to remember the Station pub is a good as well as convenient end point.

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Sunday Walk – Epsom to Ewell or Cheam

SWC Walk 352a – Epsom to Ewell or Cheam

Length: About 20 km (12¼ miles) for the full route to Cheam (see below for shorter options). Toughness: 2/10

10:10 Dorking train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:17), arriving Epsom (TfL Zone 9) at 10:53. You can use Oyster PAYG / contactless at Epsom, but note that Freedom Passes are not valid: you'd need a one-stop extension from Ewell East.

Trains back from Cheam (Zone 5) to Victoria are half-hourly at xx:18 & xx:48.

The main version of this walk starts from Chessington South, but there's a replacement bus service on this line. This extended version loops through Epsom Common and has a longer stretch through Horton Country Park where it joins the main route to Ewell. The final leg is a serpentine route through the historically interesting Nonsuch Park to Cheam.

As it's around 13 km to the usual lunch places in Ewell I suggest a pub stop at the William Bourne on the outskirts of Chessington, after 8 km. The walk document lists plenty of places in Ewell, Nonsuch Park and Cheam for further refreshment stops.

Shorter Options: You could finish the walk in Ewell, but unless you want to chance the replacement bus at Ewell West you'd have to walk along roads for 1 km to Ewell East (Zone 6; trains to Victoria at xx:15 & xx:45). A nicer way of shortening the walk would be to take the suggested afternoon short cut across Nonsuch Park, saving around 3 km.

Please bring the directions from the L=swc.352.a page.

Sunday Walk - Great Missenden to Wendover via Swan Bottom and The Lee (with short option) [SWC 140a in reverse]

With the closure of The Old Swan in Swan Bottom, which came halfway through this walk, we are left with The Cock and Rabbit, which comes inconveniently early. So, let’s walk it backwards. Always opens new perspectives anyway…

Length: 21.6 km (13.4 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 296m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 hours 

Toughness: 5 out of 10

 

or 

Length: 16.4 km (10.2 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 230m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 4 hours 

Toughness: 3 out of 10

 

Take the 09.57 train from Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway (Harrow-on-the-Hill 10.09), arrives Great Missenden 10.40. 

Return trains: xx.27 and xx.57. Buy a Wendover Return ticket.

 

This walk combines some of the finest elements of the Chiltern Hills, while having very little overlap with other walks in the area. After leaving Wendover in a south easterly direction on the Ridgeway the walk rises into woods. It then passes along fields to get to the picturesque green in The Lee, a conservation area village. From there it continues through woodland and the beautiful Lee Common to a 16^th century lunch pub at Swan Bottom. The afternoon offers constantly changing scenery. It completely avoids settlements and roads, mostly following grassy fields, while still passing through a variety of varied and characterful woods. Several beautiful valleys are crossed in between and the finish is a scenic descent into Great Missenden.

Lunch: The Cock and Rabbit Inn (14.3 km, food to 14.30) in Lee Green. Picnic lunch on the short walk!

Tea: Plenty of options in Wendover, incl. several pubs (some with decent food), cafés, a chocolatery, a tapas and wine bar, restaurants…

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.140.a