Sunday Walk: Chilham Circular

#2026-11-08T09:34 

15.4 km (9.6 miles) Difficulty 5/10

An energetic morning, up through downland and upland fields and woods to the hamlet of Sole Street. The afternoon is easier, along a downland escarpment with panoramic views, then descending to pass through the attractive estate of Godmersham Park (as featured on the £10 note). Finally, the village of Chilham, dominated by Chilham Castle. 

Trains:  take your pick 

Cheapest: Get the 9:34 Dover Priory Ramsgate train from Charing Cross, arriving Chilham 11:11

Fastest: The 10:07 Ramsgate train from St Pancras platform 12, changing onto the above train at Ashford International (10:57 platform 5). Costs more.

Return at xx:15 from Chilham to Charing Cross. If your ticket covers, you can change at Ashford to platform 5 for St Pancras.

Lunch: Timber Batts @ The Compasses, Sole Street (01227 531898),

Tea: The Church Mouse tearoom is open to 4pm. Otherwise, the White Horse (01227 730 355) has a convenient location in the main square next to the church.   

It is 1.1km (0.7 miles) from the centre of the village to Chilham station, so allow 20 minutes.

Directions : here  t=swc.138

Sunday Walk: Great Missenden to Amersham

#2026-11-08T09:57 

16.3 km 10.1 miles Difficulty 5/10

A Chilterns walk, including a large beech wood noted for autumn colour, interesting churches and the village of Little Missenden. After tea in Old Amersham, you reach the station via a climb and 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

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. 

Met line trains leave for Baker Street at xx:18 and xx:48, faster Chiltern trains for Marylebone at 08 and 38

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 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 direct your poor aching feet past Amersham station, up Hill Ave, then right along Sycamore Road you would find a Mad Squirrel micropub after the shops (about 15 mins)

Walk Directions:  here  t=1.5 

Saturday Walk: Shiplake to Henley

 #2026-11-07T10:08 

4 out of 10.  17.7km (11.1 miles), or 13.7km (8.5 miles). Riverside, woods,  views  and a bit of history thrown in. The full walk passes Greys Court in the afternoon.

Trains: 

09:37 Didcot Parkway train from Paddington changing at Twyford for the 10:15 Henley train (platform 5) arriving Shiplake 10:22 

or...the Reading-bound Elizabeth line (Bond Street 9:13, Paddington 09:17, Ealing Broadway 9 26) changing to the same Henley train at Twyford

Return from Henley at xx:00  and xx:30 changing at Twyford again 

Get a return to Henley on Thames. Freedom passers can travel free on the Elizabeth line and would only need a Twyford to Henley return 

Lunch Two possibilities.  First up - perhaps a little too early but more room - .is the Bottle & Glass in Binfield Heath (tel  01491 412625).  They have an adjoining barn that serves lighter meals.

The suggested pub is the Maltsters Arms (tel 07540 420 476), 4km later in Rotherfield Greys. The nearby church is home to the Knollys tomb, a relic from Tudor times - worth a look. 

Tea  

Viv's cafe (tel  01491 411 412) on Thameside (the street facing the river) open to 6pm. The station is 5 minutes walk away. Henley has more than its fair share of pubs for those in need of a stronger restorative. The Angel is nearest the café, there’s also a 'Spoons on the High Street. 

Directions here  T=cw1.9

• From  Rotherfield Greys, you can choose to complete the full walk past Greys Court or take a shorter route down into Henley..

  

Farningham Road to Sole Street

SWC Walk 207 - Farningham Road to Sole Street 

Length: 17.2 km (10.7 miles). Toughness: 3/10 

Catch the 09:42 from London Victoria arrives Farningham Road station 10:20. 

Buy a day return to Sole Street. Return trains from Sole Street xx:32. 

 T=swc.207 #2026-11-07T09:42 

Wednesday walk: The Pilgrim's Way and Surrey slopes: Dorking circular via Friday Street

Length: 11.5 miles (18.5 km) 6/10

This walk has worked really well at this time of year with good paths, autumn colour and mushrooms. Friday Street makes a satisfying high point even without the sadly departed Stephan Langton pub.

Travel: 1011 from Victoria (Clapham Junction 1018, Epsom 1052), arriving Dorking Main station at 1107. You could get the 1023 from Waterloo (arr 1116) and catch us up. The 0951 from London Bridge to Redhill involves a long wait before the 1040 to Dorking Deepdene arriving 1052, but this would give you time to intercept the group on the road from Dorking Main station. Returns at 17 and 43 past the hour to Victoria, 30 to Waterloo and around 54-59 from Dorking Deepdene to London Bridge via Redhill.

Lunch: The Wotton Hatch (01306-887694) on the A25 at Wotton after 7½ km, serves food all day and has a large beer garden with views of the North Downs, although it inevitably has some traffic noise from the main road.

Just before the pub, we pass the church of St John the Evangelist which is a suitable picnic spot.

Tea: quite a few options in Dorking, see the main walk page.

Shortening the walk: the short walk on the walk page takes a lower route from Wotton to Westcott avoiding the ascent through woods to Friday Street, to make a walk of 10 miles/16 km (4/10). Those with local knowledge may also be able to show you how to avoid the steep ascent of the Nower on the way in to Dorking towards the end of the walk.

L=SWC.274

 #2026-11-04T10:00

Saturday Walk - Otford Circular

Length: 14 km (8.7 miles) Toughness: 5 / 10

This walk includes a good mix of woodland and open countryside, with fine views from the steep-sided hills overlooking the Darent valley. 

The walk starts with a stiff climb to the top of Otford Mount and then leaves the Walk 1–43 route to go through the secluded valley of Magpie Bottom, one of several small nature reserves in the area managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust. A steep descent through the wooded White Hill brings you to the attractive village of Shoreham and lunch.

The afternoon section starts with a climb up the other side of the valley into a fine bluebell wood. After a close encounter with a motorway the walk descends via another small nature reserve, Polhill Bank, then an easy stretch along the Darent Valley Path into Otford, another attractive village with many interesting old buildings.

Note: the walk directions make reference to Book1 walk 43. This is to the original version of that walk, but the current version on the website has some significant changes.

Trains: Get the 0955 Southeastern Ashford train from London Victoria arriving 1032. There are a number of return trains, taking berween 35 minutes (going out to Seveenoaks and changing for a London Bridge train) and 1 hour (to Blackfriars). The fares seem to be different, with a return now being double the single fare. The cheapest from the zone 6 boundary is from Swanley.

Lunch: Various pubs in Shoreham. The first place you come to is The Samuel Palmer (01959-525442), a pub / restaurant, conveniant for the picnic spot in the churchyard.

Tea: The Hospices of Hope charity shop; and Sally's Cake Emporium. Also the Bull pub.

#2026-10-31T09:55

T=swc.290

Sunday Walk - West Wiltshire Downs: Chalk Figures, Scenic Rolling Landscapes - Tisbury Circular via Dinton and Fovant

Sunset is at 16.42, so good light for walking until 17.15 or somesuch.

Length: 24.1 km (15.0 mi) [shorter or longer walks possible, see below] 

Ascent/Descent: 431m

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours

Toughness: 6 out of 10

Take the 09.15 Yeovil Junction train from Waterloo (Clapham J. 09.25), arrives Tisbury at 11.01. You have to be in the front three coaches of the train. 

Return trains: xx.55 (basically).

 “This walk explores the Nadder Valley east of Tisbury, part of the West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is spectacular walking country with some breath-taking open vistas in a varied landscape. Without scaling any ridges or steep ascents, the route meanders through the beautiful undulating and peaceful countryside with a few grassy U-shaped valleys, pretty views out to some distant coombes, and scenic Dinton Park with its grand mansion (Philipps House).
A couple of picturesque former corn mills on the Nadder River are walked past, while the afternoon route also offers views from a wood’s fringe across a valley to the Fovant Badges, regimental badges cut into the chalk, and the largest group of hill side figures in Europe, before leading through a couple of quiet villages followed by a gentle descent across fields back into Tisbury, a remarkably unspoilt village. The route features several good bluebell woods and wild garlic-lined paths, and it also goes through plenty of meadows and pastures rich in wildflowers, especially buttercups.”

Walk Options: 

A Shortcut before lunch reduces the walk by 1.4 km (0.8 mi) and the ascent/descent by 25m. 

Bus Line 25 (Salisbury – Tisbury or Zeals), with 5 buses a day Mon-Fri and 4 on Sat, has convenient stops in Teffont Magna (after 7.9 km, at 14.26) and in Dinton (11.8 km, just after the lunch pub, at 14.30). 

A Shortcut right after lunch reduces the walk by 1.9 km (1.2 mi) and the ascent/descent by 21m. Taking both Shortcuts makes this a 5/10 walk.

An Extension to and through the Fovant Badges and up to Fovant Down and the Chiselbury Iron Age hill fort site adds 5.1 km and 150m ascent/descent (8/10).

Lunch: The Wyndham Arms in Dinton (11.7 km/7.3 mi, food served although often booked up). 

Tea: One pub en route (see the webpage or the pdf) and plenty options in Tisbury.

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. #2026-11-01T09:15 T=swc.249

 

Saturday Walk - The Chilterns in the Fall: Wendover Circular via The Lee and Swan Bottom

Sunset is at 16.37, so good light for walking until 17.15 or somesuch.

Length: 20.1 km (12.5 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 401m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ¾ hours 

Toughness: 5 out of 10  

 

Take the 09.27 train from Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway (Harrow-on-the-Hill 09.39), arrives Wendover 10.16. Return trains: xx.54 to 17.54, then xx.24.

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, which are rich in Bluebells in springtime. 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 16th century lunch pub at Swan Bottom. After crossing some more fields, the afternoon section then leads entirely through woods right up to the outskirts of Wendover: it re-joins the Ridgeway for a while and then descends steeply off the escarpment down an ancient Holloway. Only to rise again, on forest tracks with some magnificent panoramic views, until getting to the highest point of the walk in the middle of Wendover Woods. From there the route to Wendover meanders through the woods, passing a wildlife hide and an ancient hill-fort site, before descending steeply to the plains.

Shortcuts:

-      Shortcut I cuts 5.1 km, 68m ascent/descent;

-      Shortcut II cuts 1.1 km and 55m descent/re-ascent; 

-      Shortcut III cuts 0.7 km and 25m descent/re-ascent.

Lunch: The The Cock and Rabbit Inn (7.3 km, food to 14.30) in Lee Green is passed too early, so it’s a Picnic lunch!

Tea: Plenty of options, incl. several pubs (some with decent food), cafés, a chocolatery, a tapas and wine bar, restaurants… Check the walk directions pdf for details.

 

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

#2026-10-31T09:27 T=swc.140