Saturday Third Walk

SWC Walk 150:  Greensand Way – Yalding to Sutton Valence along the Greensand Ridge

Distance:  9.4 miles (with option to extend by 5.2 miles by walking on to Harrietsham)

Difficulty:  3 out of 10

Train:  Take the 10:15 AM Hastings train from London Charing Cross (stopping at Waterloo East at 10:18 and Orpington at 10:39), arriving at Yalding at 11:19 (with a change at Tonbridge – arriving 10:57 and departing 11:04). If not planning on doing the extension, you will need to take a bus (9 minutes) from Sutton Valence to Headcorn (buses at 16:58; 18:05; 18:53; 20:16; and 21:46). Trains depart Headcorn at 18 and 48 past the hour until 22:48.  If carrying on to Harrietsham, the trains are at 55 past the hour until 20:55; then at 21:49. Buy a day return to Headcorn for the standard walk and to Yalding if walking to Harrietsham (you will then need to buy a single from Harrietsham to Maidstone). 

This walk largely follows the Greensand Ridge with nice views to the south.  Sadly, the weather forecast continues to be a bit suspect for a nice long outing along the South Downs – so, the thought was that this stretch of the Greensand Ridge may provide a pleasant alternative which is not too muddy once up on the ridge.  In the afternoon, the route passes a number of pretty old churches – which may well have nice displays of Snowdrops at this time of year.  Sutton Valence is a charming hilltop village which is well worth exploring.  If you decide to carry on to Harrietsham, please bring a print out of the OS map, as it does not appear there are any written instructions – the route is drawn on the map and looks fairly straight forward.  You can find more information about the walk and the instructions here. 

The recommended lunch spot is The Bull in Linton (01622 743 612) about 5.5 miles into the walk.  They serve food all afternoon.  Sutton Valence has several pubs from which to choose for post walk refreshies and the George and Dragon in Headcorn is a pleasant place for a drink and/or a bite to eat before the train.  Harrietsham also apparently has a pub near the train station.

Enjoy the walk!

Saturday Second Walk [New Walk] "...this mudflat rescued from the sea by Dutch engineers..."

SWC Walk 258 – Benfleet Circular (via Canvey Island)

Length: 23.2 km (14.5 mi) [shortcut possible, see below]

Ascent/Descent:  40 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ¾ hours

Toughness:  3 out of 10 

Varied walk around a unique island in the Thames Estuary: mudflats, creeks, river traffic, sandy beaches, seawall murals, grassy marshland and oil terminals & refineries

Take the 09.47 Shoeburyness train from  Fenchurch Street (5 mins walk from Tower Hill or Aldgate tubes, 10 mins from Bank or L'pool Street), arriving Benfleet at 10.31

On route the train calls: Limehouse at 09.51 (DLR), West Ham at 09.56 (DLR, Jubilee, H’smith & City and District Lines), Barking at 10.02  (Overground, H’smith & City and District Lines) and Upminster at 10.11 (District Line).

(Fast) Return trains: XX.00, XX.15, XX.30 and XX.45 hours (46 or 49 minutes journey time)

First posting of this new walk, we will take the opportunity to check the walk directions.

To quote the summary of the write-up:

“A flat walk, that starts and finishes with a busy road stretch, features a fair amount of hard surface paths and some A-road noise near the end, and passes – in succession – a golf course, a static caravan park, an ex-landfill site, housing estates, another caravan park, a sewage plant, an LNG terminal, an oil product terminal, an oil refinery, the site of a never-finished oil refinery, another oil terminal and another – larger – landfill site??????

And yet, and yet…
This is one not just for the Industrial Romantic, or for fans of the Pub Rock legends Dr. Feelgood, or for students of the lives of the ex-East End White Working Classes.

Without navigational challenges (as all you do is: walk to the seawall and follow it) you experience an ever-changing scenery of tidal creeks and mud flats, river marshes, salt marshes, flood barriers, sluices and sandbanks, get views of the Benfleet Downs, of Hadleigh Castle & Country Park, the Essex cliffs, Southend with its Pier, the North Sea and the busy river traffic, of ships big and small, boatyards, yacht clubs and marinas, pass sandy beaches and enclosed pools on the foreshore, jetties, extensive seawall murals telling Canvey Island stories and – post lunch – long tranquil stretches past grassy marshes with abundant birdlife. “

The recommended lunch options are the iconic Labworth Beach Bistro in its modernist building with panoramic views of the Thames Estuary (9.7 km/6.0 mi), or the legendary smugglers’ inn the Lobster Smack (13.2 km/8.2 mi).Tea options are aplenty just a few hundred meters beyond the train station.

A walk like no other?  Most certainly.

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

The directions include details of a shortcut to a bus stop, straight from the late lunch stop, it results in a 14.6 km/9.1 mi walk (rated 1/10).

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Saturday First Walk - Downland on London's southern margins

Book 2 walk 15c - Riddlesdown to Kingswood
Length: 15km (9.3 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

9.53 train from Victoria (9.59 Clapham Junction, 10.10 East Croydon) to Riddlesdown, arriving 10.18.

Trains back from Kingswood are at 25 and 55 past.

** Both stations are in zone 6: use Oyster

Walk directions: use the book or these online directions as far as lunch, then these directions for the afternoon route to Kingswood

The other walk posters seem to be plotting to send you thither and yon today, so here is a walk close to home for those of you feeling a bit less adventurous. (I realise a variant of this was posted just before Christmas, but it was a wet Sunday and only four turned up.)

To many of you it will need no introduction, but those who don't know it will be delighted to discover such unspoilt and lovely countryside right on London's southern doorsteps - downland for the most part, some woods, and just a couple of tiny bits of suburbia.

Lunch is at the capacious Fox. This pub always seems to be very busy but we generally manage to squeeze in somehow. Ringing at the start of the walk to try and book a table may be an idea, but I would suggest doing this in smaller groups rather than trying to get a table for 15 or whatever, which may spook them. I have timetabled this walk to get you to the pub comfortably at or shortly after midday, hopefully, which should give you a much better chance of getting a table and getting served promptly. An earlier option is the Wattenden Arms just after Kenley Common, but you will get to that too early (it serves food from noon).

Those with busy schedules might like to note that two LT bus routes link the Fox with Coulson South and Croydon stations.

After lunch, the alternative route to Kingswood is highly recommended: make sure you have printed out the special directions for this in addition to the main walk directions. There is a pub at Kingswood for tea.

However, if you want you can just do the main walk 15 afternoon to Coulsdon South - there is a longer version or a short cut option. Trains back from Coulsdon South are at 16, 26 and 56 past. See feedback for this walk for details of a cafe near the station.

Midweek day walk - Hever to Ashurst

Hever to Ashurst

A surprisingly remote part of the High Weald on the Kent/East Sussex border

Book 3* Walk 175   * online only

Length :  15½ km or 9½ miles

Toughness :  4 out of 10

Getting there :  Catch the 10:08 am train from London Bridge to Hever or

                           Catch the 9:54 am train from London Victoria (10:00 am Clapham Junction) and change at East Croydon, boarding the 10:23 train to Hever (advertised on platform 6 at the time of writing)

Meeting point :  Hever Station at 10:49 am

Tickets :  Buy a cheap day return to Ashurst

Brief Description

I'm proposing that Walkers do the Main Walk described in the walk details, However if the weather is inclement you could shorten the walk after lunch and end it at Cowden station.
You may find full details of this walk  here

Suggested Lunch stop

The Fountain at Cowden t: 01342 850528 

Suggested Tea stop

Perryhill Orchard Farm Shop & Tea Rooms t: 01892 770595  (Allow at least an hour to reach Ashurst station from here)

Maps

OS Explorer : 147 and 135

Return train times

Trains return from Ashurst at 55 minutes past the hour and travel to London Bridge.  As usual, change at East Croydon to travel to Clapham Junction and Victoria.

The Greensand Hills and the Low Weald

Book 3 Walk 135

Oxted to Lingfield

Length 17.5km (10.9m); toughness 3/10.

Trains: 09.53 London Victoria (Clapham Junction 10.00, East Croydon 10.09)

 arrives Oxted 10.31 

Return trains from Lingfield to London Victoria at xx:19 and xx:49.

Buy a day return to Lingfield.

A gentle, undulating walk with some fine views which goes through Stafford Wood a local nature reserve and a site of special scientific interest. In the afternoon you will visit the village of Crowhurst with its ancient churchyard yew tree – so large and old you can stand inside it.

The Royal Oak Inn on the edge of Stafford Wood  is your lunch-time pub.  See here for more details about the walk and full walk instructions. Click on M - the main walk 17.5km for the instructions for this walk. Below this link there are options to shorten the walk

Gentle amble in the Chilterns

Book 3 Walk 36

Amersham Circular

Length 13.5km (8.4m); toughness 3/10

Trains: it is recommended you use London Underground Metropolitan Line from Baker Street and take the tube nearest to 10am to Amersham. This walk can be done with an Oyster Card or a Zones 1-9 travel card.

A pleasant and undemanding Chilterns walk with a number of lunch options in Chalfont St Giles.  See here for more information about the walk and full walk instructions.

Saturday Third Walk - Aylesbury Vale Hills: Haddenham Circular (w/o Brill)

SWC Walk 191a – Haddenham Circular (omitting Brill)

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

Ascent/Descent:  300 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours

Toughness:  5 out of 10 

  

Take the 09.05 Oxford Parkway train from Marylebone, arriving Haddenham & Thame Parkway at 09.40

Return trains: XX.13 and XX.38 hours (53 and 40 minutes journey time respectively)

This is a walk through the pleasant rolling countryside of the north westerly parts of Aylesbury Vale, between the Chilterns and the Cotswolds, with some fine views. The walk first crosses the Thame Valley north of Haddenham and then passes through the area of the ancient Bernwood Royal Hunting Forest on a circular route to return south on a different route through the Thame Valley back to Haddenham. There are a few minor ascents throughout the walk at regular intervals, as the walk links some hilltop villages and crosses one other hill chain.

The lunch pub is the The Hundred of Ashendon (11.5 km/7.2 mi), which has just been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand 2016 for its cuisine. They also serve sandwiches and more traditional dishes from a Bar Snack Menu though. A table has been booked. For tea, the Little Italy Espresso Bar in Haddenham village is the café option (open until 16.30), while The Rising Sun en-route to the station is the pub option.

                                                                                                               

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

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Saturday Second Walk - Hampshire-Surrey borderlands

SWC Walk 184 - Bentley to Farnham
Length: 18.7km, (11.2 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

9.53 train from Waterloo (10.00 Clapham Junction) to Bentley, arriving 11.02

(If you miss this, get the 10.00 to Woking, changing there for the above train, arriving 10.24, departing 10.30)

Buy a day return to Bentley (Hants).

For walk directions click here and click here for details of lunch and tea places.

I have not done this walk and I am not even sure it has had a Saturday outing before. I was attracted to it by mention of heaths and sandy soils, hoping (possibly vainly) that these might be a bit less muddy.

The walk seems to offer a mix of woods, heaths and more normal terrain. The 11.7 mile version of it involves doing the short cut to Tilford and the standard ending: I would not recommend the longer options at this time of year.

It is a fair old walk (8 miles by my calculation) to the recommended lunch pub, the Barley Mow in Tilford (which serves food till 2.30pm, so at a reasonably brisk pace you should be able to make it) otherwise, earlier lunch possibilities (which may or may not be available or open) are mentioned in the walk details.

(If anyone fancies getting the train an hour earlier to be more sure of getting to the lunch pub, they could indicate in a comment. I agonised about this, but figured an 8.53 train would put people off).

The afternoon is short but hilly. Back in Farnham in addition to the listed tea places, walkers on the recently Farnham Circular recommended the Bush Hotel, which is a 3-400 metres down the main road into Farnham, on the left just past Sainsbury's (which is on the right).

Trains back are at 28 and 58 past

Leigh to Turnbridge Wells, omitting Smart's Hill

T=1.15.a Length: 14.9km (9.3m)
Toughness: 4/10
Transport: Take the 9:15 from London Charing Cross, change at Tonbridge to arrive at Leigh at 10:23
There are frequent trains back to London from Turnbridge Wells.

This is a pleasant walk through Kentish countryside entering the charming village of Penshurst through the grounds of Penshurst Palace. For this shorter version of the walk the recommended lunch stop is in Penshurst and not on top of Smart's Hill before the walk continues along the river Medway. Be aware that lunch is quite early and 2/3 of the walk are after lunch. There are various places for tea in the Pantiles in Turnbridge Wells.

Walk directions can be found here.

Update: It was pointed out to me that the walk before lunch is very short and arrival time in Penshurst will be about 11:15, too early for lunch. I would like to keep the train time, though and offer these options:

• Do the full walk up to Smart's Hill for lunch.
• Do the shortcut but have lunch in the George & Dragon in Speldhurst. A small detour along Barden Road is required for this.

Midweek day walk - Sunningdale to Windsor

Sunningdale to Windsor - a repeated Regal Romp in Royal Landscape

Virginia Water, Windsor Great Park, the Long Walk, and Windsor Castle

Book 1 Walk 18

Length :  16 km or 10 miles

Toughness :  2 out of 10

Getting there :  Catch the 10:20 am train from London Waterloo to Sunningdale.
Calling stations:

• Clapham Junction departs at 10:28
• Richmond departs at 10:36
• Twickenham departs 10:40

Meeting point :  Sunningdale station at 11:07

Suggested Tickets :  Buy a cheap day return to Windsor (all stations) and a single from Staines to Sunningdale

Brief Description

It'll probably be a bit of a squelch round Virginia Water, but there are quite a few firm paths which should make the walk a little easier underfoot.
You may find full details  here

Suggested Lunch stops

The Savill Garden Restaurant (cafeteria) t:  01784 485 402

Suggested Tea stops

Cinnamon Café t: 01753 857879 in Windsor and Eaton Central Station.  This is a suggestion by the poster.  However there are many other delightful eateries in the town centre. 

Map

OS Explorer : 160

Return train times

Trains return from Windsor and Eaton Central Station to Paddington ( Change at Slough ) at the following times ... 16:00 | 16:32 | 16:52 | 17:10 | 17:30 and may suit Ealing Broadites and small brown bears.

Trains return from Windsor and Eaton Riverside Station to Waterloo at 23 and 53 minutes past the hour and will suit Clapham Junctioneers

Second Sunday Walk - Essex woods and fields

Extra Walk 158a – Ingatestone to Wickford
Length: 18.8km (11.7 miles) Toughness: 3/10

10:02 Ipswich train from Liverpool Street (Stratford 10:09) arriving at Ingatestone at 10.36.

Return trains from Wickford to Liverpool Street are at xx:10 and xx:40 (journey time 49 mins). Buy an off-peak day return to Wickford, which should be valid for the outward journey too, though you might be asked to buy a single ticket for the one stop section from Shenfield to Ingatestone.

The full 25km version of this pleasant and rewarding Essex walk, goes from Ingatestone to Battlesbridge. This shortened version, finishing in Wickford, is more suited to a winter walk.. It is still moderately long, but not too testing, and the short journey time should ensure that you can comfortably complete it before dusk. The walk initially traverses the Wid valley before ascending to the lunch stop in Stock, later going through woods and fields to Wickford, in a reversal of the start of Walk 157 (Wickford to Battlesbridge). The diversion to Wickford occurs halfway through the afternoon, so continuing the main walk to Battlesbridge is an option at that point if you reckon you still have sufficient energy and daylight available.

The recommended lunchtime pub is The Bakers Arms in Stock (01277 841831) and there are also two other pubs in the village. These are all reached fairly early in the walk, but if you prefer to press on, a possible later lunch pub is the Beauvoir Arms (01268 711115) in Downham, close to where the afternoon routes diverge. This is not mentioned in the walk directions, but if you follow the Alternative Ending in Wickford directions, towards the end of the first paragraph turn left instead of right on the pavement to reach the pub in 350 metres Retrace your steps afterwards. From this pub there’s only another 5km to do, so you can afford to linger over lunch. There are several possible tea stops around the High Street in Wickford, but these have not yet been researched, so it would be helpful if someone could post a report on them on this walk’s Feedback page.

You will need to download the Walk Directions, and follow the Alternative Ending printed at the end of the main walk directions.

First Sunday Walk

Book 1 Walk 18 Sunningdale to Windsor
Length: 16km (9.9 miles) Toughness: 2/10

09:39 Reading train from Waterloo (Vauxhall 09:43, Clapham Junction 09:48) arriving at Sunningdale at 10:44. See the link below for ticket options, depending on your preferred return route.

Two options for return trains: a) from Windsor and Eton Central to Paddington, changing at Slough, at xx:02 and xx:22; b) slow stopping service from Windsor and Eton Riverside to Waterloo at 15:01, 16:01, 18:01.

The recommended lunch stop is a cafeteria in Windsor Great Park, the Savill Garden Restaurant.

You will need to take either Book 1 or the online Walk Directions.

Saturday Third Walk – Epping Forest

Extra Walk 241 – Leytonstone to Loughton
Length: 12.8 km (8 miles). Toughness: 1/10

Take a Central line tube to arrive at Leytonstone (TfL Zones 3/4) by 10:45. Turn left outside the station and meet on the pavement outside Le Parisien café.

Loughton (Zone 6) is also on the Central line. Buy a Zones 1-6 Travelcard or use your Oyster card.

From a cursory glance at the map you might assume that Epping Forest lies between Chingford and Epping, but a remnant of the original forest stretches much further south into London's urban sprawl, marked by the Epping Forest Centenary Walk. This walk picks up this waymarked route just north of Leytonstone tube station and follows its course through these green spaces to a lunch stop in Chingford. The shorter afternoon section goes through the more familiar part of Epping Forest before dropping down to Loughton. Although this is not exactly a country walk (with plenty of main roads to cross) there will doubtless be some muddy stretches, so wear appropriate footwear.

For lunch the walk author recommends Butlers Retreat, an up-market café, with the nearby Royal Forest for those preferring a traditional (Brewers Fayre) pub lunch. There are several pubs and coffee shops for tea in Loughton High Street.

You'll need to print the walk directions from the Extra Walk 241 page. T=swc.241

Saturday Second Walk

Extra Walk 57:  Guildford Circular – via Chantries Hill to Albury; returning via woods and the tranquil Wey navigation

Length:  12.8 miles (with options to shorten)

Difficulty:  4 out of 10

Train:  Take the 10:00 Portsmouth Harbour train from London Waterloo to Guildford, arriving at 10:40.  Return trains from Guildford are frequent, with regular faster services at 17 and 47 past the hour until 19:17 then 19:49; 20:17; 20:52; 21:17 and 21:49.  Buy a day return to Guildford. 

I was attracted to this walk by the following statement on the information page “While it is not mud-free, the sandy soils in the first two thirds of this walk means that it is drier underfoot in winter than many other walks” – so we shall see......  In more detail, this walk leaves Guildford along the river, then, heads up Chantries Hill with excellent views along the North Downs escarpment before dropping back into the valley for lunch.  After lunch, you encounter totally different terrain – the sandy heath lands around Blackheath with a final drop back down to the river to follow the Wey navigation back to Guildford.  Please note that this walk is totally different (opposite direction) from the Guildford walk done last Sunday.

Doing the full walk during daylight may be a push for some – so watch the clock at lunch – but the moon will effectively be full – so it might be nice to finish in moonlight..... Alternatively, the instructions include some short cut options and it would also be possible to finish in Shalford and take a train back to Guildford to cut off the last 2 miles or so (trains at 3 minutes past the hour) – if thinking of doing this option, please bring a print out of the OS map for guidance to get to the station.  More information and the instructions for the walk can be found here.

The recommended lunch stop is in Albury at the Drummond (01483 202 039), which serves food all day (with a slightly more limited menu after 2:30).   A reservation for 8 has been made at 1:00 PM, please call to update/cancel (as appropriate). Alternatively, if there are more people than the Drummond can accommodate, the Percy Arms (01483 561 765) in Chilworth is an option (however, note, that this requires a 0.9 mile diversion – so may necessitate some doing the shorter walk).       

There are a couple of pubs slightly off the route in Shalford for anyone requiring an afternoon refreshment; otherwise, Guildford has several tea options (including a self-service restaurant in Debenhams).

Enjoy the walk and watch out for werewolves!

Saturday First Walk Pangbourne Circular

TOCW1 Walk 4 Pangbourne Circular

This walk starts with a stretch of the Thames Path and then moves away from the river for an easy walk through Oxfordshire woods and fields. You will need the download instructions to get to the lunch pub, as the pub in the book is closed.

Length 8.5 miles (13.6km) 3 out of 10

Travel: Take the 0942 Oxford train from Paddington (0950 Ealing Broadway) for a direct train to Pangbourne (1101), or the 1003 Hereford train, changing at Reading for the 1053 Oxford train arriving Pangbourne at 1101.
Return trains are xx17 and xx47 with the option of changing at Reading for a faster journey to Paddington.

Lunch: is the Sun Inn at Hill Bottom. (Food 1200-2.30)

Tea: As well as the options in the instructions, the Ferryboat Inn has been recommended.

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Midweek day walk - A Chilly constitutional around Chilham

Chilham Circular

A climb into the Kentish Downs and a descent to two historic houses

Book 3* Walk 138  *Online only

Length :  16 km or 10 miles

Toughness :  3 out of 10

Getting there :  Catch the 10:08 am train from London St. Pancras International (10:15 am from Stratford International) to Chilham change at Ashford (platform 5 to 6)

Meeting point :  Chilham Station at 11:15

Tickets :  Buy a cheap day return to Chilham

Brief Description

With the slightly longer days, I thought this was a good time to post something a little bit more adventurous. I was also looking for a walk where the mud quotient might be more manageable. We'll see !
The only Lunch time Pub stop is the lovely family run Compasses Inn. As I understand it, there may have been some friction between some walkers and the owners in the past. So a little bit of tact and diplomacy may come in useful for folks to get fed.  I would suggest someone phones from Chilham before the group sets out to check all is well for a lunchtime meal.

You may find full details of this walk here and a printable PDF here

It may be prudent to bring a torch to cover all eventualities.

Suggested Lunch stop

The Compasses Inn at Crundale t: 01227 700 300

Suggested Tea stops

Shelley's Tea Room t: 01227 730 303 (Open to 4:00 pm on weekdays)

The White Horse t: 01227 730 355 (Might be closed)

The Woolpack Inn t: 01227 730 351

I'd suggest you allow 15 minutes to get from the tea stop to the station.

Map

OS Explorer : 137

Return train times

Trains return from Chilham at 14 minutes past the hour. Change at Ashford for the High Speed train to Stratford and St. Pancras International ( Total journey time 1 hour 9 minutes ) or stay on the train to go to London Victoria ( Total journey time 1 hour 53 minutes)