Goring Circular via Hill Bottom - Maybe still some bluebells?

Length: 18km (11.3 miles), with a 7km (4.5 mile) extension possible to Pangbourne T=3.243

Toughness: 4 out of 10

9.57 train from Paddington (10.05 Ealing Broadway) to Goring, arriving 11.04

Note: this is a local service out of Paddington and so is not affected by the current disruption to long-distance Great Western services due to reported cracks in train bogies

Buy a day return to Goring & Streatley (not Goring-by-Sea!!)

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

This walk promises good bluebells and plenty of beech woods, which at present should be displaying gloriously bright green foliage ("eye-ache green", I call it). But it has to be said that a couple of past SWC attempts to catch the bluebells at their best have not been entirely successful. Will we be more lucky this time? I am banking on the fact that bluebells have been widely late this year, and Chilterns ones tend to be a bit later than those further south. Cross fingers, is all I can say.

The walk also has a slightly iffy history regarding lunch pubs. The Sun Inn has been both praised and slammed for unimaginative food in the past: the Red Lion was considered the best option on the last outing, but who knows if any of these pubs have survived the pandemic anyway? Bring a sandwich, says I. Hopefully Goring will be more reliable for takeaway tea or drinks (if it is not raining one can enjoy them by the Thames).

After tea/drinks, the optional 4.5 mile walk along the Thames Path into Pangbourne is always a pleasure. A GPX is provided for this but not walk directions, but the route is fairly obvious and well-waymarked anyway.

Trains back from Goring are at currently only hourly, at 48 past (52 past from Pangbourne)

This will hopefully be the last Saturday where we have to split into groups of six. It would be very useful if you could pre-register for this walk contact tracking purposes at www.lwug.co.uk: if not, please bring a piece of paper with your email written on it, which will be kept in an envelope and only used if a case of Covid arises on the walk. To let us know if a contract tracing requirement arises as a result of this walk, use covid@lwug.co.uk

Saturday Walk - Late bluebells, wild garlic, rape oil seed fields, lonely valleys, the South Downs ridge: Rowlands Castle Circular

COVID 19

Track-and-Trace: please provide email address (preferred) or mobile phone number at the start

Rule of Six: from start to finish please, and up to May 16 

 

Length: 25.5 km (15.9 mi) [longer and much shorter walks possible, see below]

Ascent/Descent: 488 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 6 hours

Toughness: 9 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.00 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (09.25 Woking), change at Petersfield (same platform, 10.04/10.13), arriving Rowlands Castle at 10.22. 

From Clapham J take the 08.52 stopping service to Portsmouth & Southsea, direct to Rowlands.

The 10.00 train would be sufficient for the short walk. 

Return trains: xx.45 (direct). 

 

This demanding West Sussex walk in the undulating western part of the South Downs is characterised initially by a mixture of park- and woodland, then steep lonely valleys and some far views to the main South Downs Ridge.It starts off towards Stansted House along a 1.5 km-long beech avenue – one of the best in England according to Pevsner, and then heads north along the easterly edge of Stansted Forest and across fields via the hamlets of West, Up and East Marden to a very remote pub in Hooksway, with particularly nice views on the route between the hamlets, including up to the northern escarpment of the South Downs.From lunch you climb back out of the secluded valley on a westerly route to Compton, from where another couple of hills need to be crossed to finish along the westerly edge of Stansted Forest back into Rowlands Castle, with its teashop and a choice of pubs.

The walk (especially the extended version) features several sustained, steep climbs and descents. 

 

Walk Options:

A shortcut around lunch cuts 9.4 km and 307m ascent/descent (rated 4/10).
An extension after lunch adds 3.4 km and 162m ascent/descent. It follows a lonely, narrow, wood-fringed valley to the main northerly escarpment of the South Downs and then follows one of the most undulating sections of the South Downs Way with unrivalled far views from Pen Hill and Beacon Hill, making this a real challenge. The extended walk is rated 10/10.
All three routes share the start, up to West Marden, and the end, from Compton.

Bus Service 54 (Petersfield – Chichester) serves West Marden (the early lunch stop) and Compton (the late lunch/early tea stop), about every two hours, to late afternoon (last at 16.37/16.39).

 

Lunch: The Victoria Inn in West Marden (6.3 km/3.9 mi) seems to have lost its publicans and is for sale, but there is a recent review on Trip, so they may still be open for biz; The Royal Oak in Hooksway (12.6 km/7.9 mi, food to 14.00, bookings only!), The Coach & Horses in Compton (8.7 km/5.4 mi on the short walk, food to 14.30). 

Tea: The Village Shop & Tea Room in Compton (7.4 km/4.6 mi from the end, open to 17.00), plus three pubs and a café in Rowlands Castle; check page 2 of the walk directions pdf. 

 

For summary, walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.68

Thursday Evening: London train terminus stations – Part 3 (Charing Cross to Liverpool Street or Moorgate)

Thursday Evening:  London train terminus stations – Part 3 (Charing Cross to Liverpool Street or Moorgate)

Distance:          Approximately 5.3 miles or 8.6 km for those more metrically minded (extension to Moorgate adds 0.4 mile or 0.7 km)

Difficulty:         1 out of 10

Meet:                In the forecourt in front of Charing Cross Station at 18:30

Return:             Liverpool Street or Moorgate Station

At last, the final installment of our journey around central London terminus stations. We will be picking up where we left off at Charing Cross Station and will hopefully manage to make it to Liverpool Street or Moorgate Station.

The route tonight will take us across the river Thames and back again, past many interesting sights and into the heart of the City of London. More information about the route can be found here.  Please bring a print out of the instructions (not just the GPX) as there is a lot of background information within the walk notes.

It is expected to walk in groups of six and provide contact details. To facilitate the collection of contact details, please pre-register for this walk on the "events" page at https://www.lwug.co.uk/. You will need to first sign-on and possibly register if you have not previously registered on the site.

If you test positive for COVID within a week of attending this walk, please contact me by emailing covid@lwug.co.uk.

Enjoy the walk!

T=swc.374

Wednesday Walk Bures to Sudbury - along the Stour Valley in Gainsborough Country

Book 1, Walk 8 - Bures to Sudbury

Length: 16 km (9.9 miles)

Toughness: 4 out of 10

London Liverpool Street:  10-02 hrs     Greater Anglia service to Ipswich     Stratford  10-25 10-09 hrs

Arrive Marks Tey:   10-57 hrs     Change trains

Leave Marks Tey:  11-01 hrs     Greater Anglia service to Sudbury

Arrive Bures:  11-13 hrs

[ Greater Anglia usually hold the connection to Sudbury at Marks Tey from the London train, but holders of senior railcards might prefer a more relaxing interchange, allowing for a coffee, by taking the 09-38 hrs service from Liverpool Street to Colchester Town, arriving Marks Tey at 10-33 hrs ]

Return

Sudbury to Liverpool Street via Marks Tey:  26 mins past the hour

Rail ticket       Buy a day return to Sudbury Suffolk

Covid-19 Compliance: please note the current guidance on this website and observe social distancing. You should all come prepared to exchange contact details for track and trace purpose. You can either pre-register for this walk (not essential ) by e-mailing me at swc-marcus@walkingclub.org.uk  or, if you prefer, please write your name, e-mail address and contact 'phone number on a small piece of paper for handing to me on the train or when we assemble at walk start. Thank you.  

This pleasant, undulating walk (but with no steep hills) takes you along the Stour Valley on the named Valley footpath and the St Edmund Way, in a northerly direction from Bures (which straddles the Essex and Suffolk borders) to Sudbury, Suffolk, home of the painter Thomas Gainsborough.

I suggest today we take the detour from Great Henny to the Henny Swan pub in Henny Street, with its attractive outdoor tables overlooking the River Stour (let's hope the weather is conducive for outdoor dining today).

After lunch we head for Sudbury, an hour away, where those wanting an early bath can take the direct route along the disused railway embankment to the railway station, leaving others to head in the other direction along the embankment to drop down across water meadows (we might be a little early for their  famed buttercups) to make for the delightful Mill Hotel, for an outdoor cream tea (recommended). Allow some 20 minutes from the hotel to the railway station for the hourly service back to London, again changing trains at Marks Tey.  

This walk seldom disappoints.

T=1.8

Walk Directions are here: L=1.8

Tuesday Evening: An Enchanting Epping Evening (Loughton to Epping)

Tuesday Evening:  An Enchanting Epping Evening (Loughton to Epping) T=swc.197

Distance:          Approximately 5 miles or 8 km for those more metrically minded

Difficulty:         3 out of 10

Meet:                At the entrance to the Loughton Underground Station (Central Line)

Time:                18:30 – but if you miss our departure, you can certainly catch us up along the way..

The plan for this evening is to do the short version of the Loughton to Epping walk by staying on The Centenary Walk (a wide forest track) heading northeasterly towards Epping and enjoying a meal or some drinks in Epping afterwards…. It should be quite a nice time of year for this evening walk through Epping forest with the beech trees recently leaving…

More information about the route can be found here. As there are no detailed instructions for the short walk, I would suggest printing out the map page from the OS Map tab which shows the short route with a dashed blue line. Once on The Centenary Walk, the route follows a clear wide track to Epping….so route finding should be straight forward…..

Return travel is via the Central Line which runs until “well after 23:00”.

It is expected to walk in groups of no more than six and provide contact details. To facilitate the collection of contact details, please pre-register for this walk on the "events" page at https://www.lwug.co.uk/. You will need to first sign-on and possibly register if you have not previously registered on the site.

If you test positive for COVID within a week of attending this walk, please contact me by emailing {remove the AAA} AAAcovid@lwug.co.uk, a private dedicated COVID reporting email address.

Enjoy the walk!

Sunday Walk Guildford to Gomshall

L=2.13

Guildford to Gomshall with options to extend or shorten the main walk

 

Length:  Main walk: 17.2km (10.7 miles)

              Short walk to Gomshall : 11km (6.8 miles)

              Longer route to Gomshall: 19.2km (11.9 miles)

              Ending at Boxhill station: 23.4km (14.5 miles)

 

Toughness: 5 out of 10

This walk explores the lovely ridges and valleys leading eastwards from Guildford - the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It starts with a short steep climb out of Guildford which leads straight to the dramatic viewpoint of Pewley Down. Then it joins the North Downs Way to climb to the hilltop church of St Martha-on-the-Hill. From there the route passes through follows the Pilgrims Way along the foot of the Downs to lunch in the pretty village of Shere. Climbing up onto the downland again and following first a wooded section and then a more open one, it finally descends to the valley again to Gomshall or stay up on the downs to continue to Dorking or Box Hill.

Trains: Catch the 9.30 train from London Waterloo (CJ 9.39, Woking 10.04), arriving Guildford 10.13).

Return from Gomshall: Trains every two hours  

                                      15.04, 17.04 and 19.04 to Waterloo via Guildford,

                                      14.44, 16.44, 18.44  to London Bridge via Redhill

Return from Dorking Deepdene: 15.19, 16.16, 16.52, 17.16 – change at Redhill for London Bridge

Return from Box Hill: replacement bus xx:10, to Epsom for train to Waterloo   

Buy a day return to Gomshall via any route to cover all of the above journeys.

Lunch: There are lots of options in Shere but it’s likely to be very busy so best to ring and book ahead if you want a pub lunch - details in the walk directions. Otherwise bring a packed lunch.

On arrival, set off in small groups (no more than six), allowing gaps between each departure. You must provide your email address for contact tracing purposes. Please email swc.wandererAAAgmail.com {substitute @ for AAA} or register for this walk on the "events" page at https://www.lwug.co.uk/

In the event that you develop COVID symptoms in the week following the walk, please email swc.wandererAAAgmail.com or covidAAAlwug.co.uk {substitute @ for AAA}

Saturday Walk Borough Green to Sevenoaks - Plaxtol, Igtham Mote and deer in Knole Park - plus apple blossom and bluebells

Book 1, Walk 36 - Borough Green to Sevenoaks 

Length: 15 km   (9.3 miles)

Toughness: 4 out of 10

London Victoria:   10-25 hrs   South-Eastern service to Ashford International    Bromley South: 10-42 hrs

Arrive Borough Green: 11-11 hrs

Return

Sevenoaks to Victoria:  19 & 49 mins past the hour, plus 05 & 35 mins past the hour (slow stopping service)

Sevenoaks to Charing Cross: 00 & 30 mins past the hour

Rail ticket   a day return to Borough Green usually works. If your return ticket is queried, use your sweet talking skills to get through the barriers at Sevenoaks 

Covid-19 Compliance: please note the current guidance on this website and observe social distancing. You should all come prepared to exchange contact details for track and trace purpose. You can either pre-register for this walk (not essential ) by e-mailing me at swc-marcus@walkingclub.org.uk  or, if you prefer, please write your name, e-mail address and contact 'phone number on a small piece of paper for handing to me on the train or when we assemble at walk start. Thank you.  

This is a pleasant, undemanding walk and modest in length which takes you through Kent countryside, a village with a Cromwellian church, parkland and by a moated Manor House before, in the afternoon, you walk through the vast Knole Park with its herds of deer. The apple orchards you walk though in the morning should be coming into apple blossom for a touch of colour, and the bluebells near Igtham Mote, the said moated Manor House, should be close to their best.

It's a picnic lunch today, although you can purchase hot (and cold) takeaway food from the cafe in Igthtam Mote if you wish. At the time of putting this walk up on our website,  the only pub on this walk, requiring a detour to Shipbourne - the Chaser Inn - is reporting no outdoor table availability at lunchtime today - so there is little point in taking the detour today.

The afternoon leg of the walk takes you initially uphill though woodland, then through a lavender farm before it's over fields and down a long woodland track to come out beside Sevenoaks Preparatory School. You now head down between pitches in the school's playing fields, along a track which passes through a stud farm then up to a deer protection gate where you enter the 1,000 acre Knole Park.  Having traversed the park you eventually exit the park through another deer protection gate to head up a path which takes you up into the heart of Sevenoaks. You should find somewhere open for outdoor refreshments or a takeaway. The downhill walk to the railway station is the only dull bit on today's lovely walk. 

T=1.36

Walk Directions are here: L=1.36