Evening Walk - Bluebells in the Evening: Beckenham Place Park [Amended Train Times]

Length: 4.9 km (3.0 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 70/82m

Net Walking Time: ca. 1 ¼ hours

Toughness: 1 out of 10  

Take the 18.46 Thameslink stopping service from London Blackfriars to Sevenoaks (calls Elephant, Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye 19.01, Nunhead, …, Catford 19.10, …, arrives Ravensbourne 19.17. 

[From LBG: 18.46 Hayes (Kent) train (fast to Ladywell 18.55) to Catford Bridge (18.57), walk across to Catford.  

From Victoria: 18.42 Gillingham train, change at Denmark Hill (18.51/18.58).] 

Take the 18.16 Thameslink stopping service from London Blackfriars to Sevenoaks (calls Elephant, Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye 18.31, Nunhead, …, Catford 18.40, …, arrives Ravensbourne 18.47. [From LBG: 18.16 Hayes (Kent) train (fast to Ladywell 18.25) to Catford Bridge (18.27), walk across to Catford.]  

 

Return trains from Beckenham Hill: xx.00 and xx.30 (to Blackfriars), but not on 20.30. Both stations are in Zone 4.

 

This partly undulating route winds its way through an attractive park in South East London, partly on grounds formerly used for a public golf course. The park is bounded to the east by the Ravensbourne River and the route initially follows parts of the well-waymarked Waterlink Way along it through open meadows. You then cross the railway line into the more undulating westerly part of the park, famous for its bluebell displays in season. Recent major investments in the landscaping of the park have spawned some interesting new features: A Mounded Garden, a Wet Woodland, a Wild Swimming Lake and the replanted Ornamental Garden with its beautiful café in the former homestead of the mansion.

Please keep to the main paths in the woods unless where stated.

Tea: There are the Mansion Café in the Palladian Beckenham Place Mansion (which may still be open) and the Homestead Café (which may still be open).

For walk directions, maps, height profiles, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=short.46

Wednesday Walk Knebworth to Hitchin - Knebworth Park and a series of bluebell woods on your way to Hitchin [inaugural walk posting]

Knebworth to Hitchin (a variation of Knebworth Circular Walk) 

Length: 18.7 km (11.6 miles)

Toughness: 4 out of 10

London Kings Cross:  09-58 hrs   Thameslink service to Royston   Finsbury Park 10-04 hrs (for connections with LT Piccadilly and Victoria lines) 

Arrive Knebworth:  10-34 hrs

Return

Hitchin to Kings Cross: 04 and 34 mins past the hour  Thameslink services to Kings X

Hitchin to St Pancras International: 11, 26 and 56 mins past the hour  Thameslink services to Horsham or Brighton 

Rail ticket:  buy a day return to Hitchin

This is the inaugural posting of this bluebell walk - a variation of Elsa's Knebworth Circular walk, which Wednesday walkers went on this February (clockwise) and Saturday walkers gave a spin last September. (anti-clockwise).  The start of the walk is the same as the Circular walk (in anti-clockwise direction) as far as St Paul's Walden. From here we do not drop down to the village of Whitwell but instead we continue in a general northerly direction through a series of woods, namely - in turn, Reynolds, Hitch, Lady Grove and Wain Woods where hopefully we will find some good bluebell displays.  

After some 2.75 hours of enjoyable walking we should reach the village of Preston, where those seeking a pub lunch should stop at the community-owned pub - the Red Lion. The pub is well supported by its owning locals and I will reserve a table for six in case the pub is busy. It also has a good sized pub garden for those who prefer to dine outdoors (weather permitting). The Village Green opposite the pub is a good spot for our picnickers. 

After lunch we walk through the village and head for Wain Wood, after which  the walk continues along field edges towards the outskirts of Hitchin. We say hello to some enormous porkers in a pig farm before heading up and over Hitchin Hill, to soon commence a walk down to, then through, the historic town of Hitchin, passing some wonky buildings along the way.  

I am hoping the walk's author will be with us to correct any mistakes I have made in the walk directions which I have written up for her. Her gpx route is good, though.

Enjoy - should be very nice  ! 

T=swc.353

First draft of Walk Directions to Hitchin are here: L=swc.353

(please use the + - toggle to close down the sections of the Circular walk you will not be needing today - otherwise you will be printing off reams)

Bank Holiday walk – Norbiton to Hammersmith

Extra Walk 261 – Norbiton to Hammersmith

Length: 16¾ km (10.4 miles), with longer and shorter options. Toughness: 2/10

10:12 Shepperton train from Waterloo (Vauxhall 10:16, Clapham Jct 10:21, etc), arriving Norbiton (in TfL Zone 5) at 10:38.

Return from Hammersmith is via underground (or bus). The walk document lists several mainline stations as earlier and later finishing points, but there are fewer services than usual this weekend. If you carry on past Hammersmith head for the mainline station at Putney (trains at xx:04, xx:29, xx:34 & xx:59) as there's no District line service from Putney Bridge. If you want to finish the walk earlier there's a replacement bus every half hour from Chiswick & Barnes Bridge to Barnes, connecting with trains via Putney to Waterloo.

The first part of this walk is through Richmond Park, and at this time of year it should be worth putting up with the Bank Holiday crowds in the Isabella Plantation to admire the Kurume Azaleas. It's quite a bit further to the suggested lunch pub – Sun Inn by the village pond on Barnes Green – but you could break for mid-morning refreshment (or a picnic lunch) at the park café near Roehampton Gate.

Unless you drop out at Barnes the afternoon leg is along the north bank of the Thames, with a short diversion inland to visit Chiswick House & Gardens (free entry to the gardens, but £12.50 if you want to visit the house and aren't a member of English Heritage or have a National Art Pass). There's another drop-out option of diverting to Chiswick or Turnham Green, but the full walk continues along the Thames Path to Hammersmith and (optionally) onwards to Putney. There's a café in Chiswick House and plenty of other refreshment places wherever you choose to finish.

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.261 . A fair proportion of the walk is on firm surfaces, so choose comfortable footwear.

Silent walk

Wendover Circular walk T=2.1

Sunday Walk: Pangbourne Circular via Goring

Length 16.0 km (10.0 mi) (Shorter and longer options available). Difficulty 3/10
After crossing the river, the route ascends through Whitchurch to follow a  ridge above the Thames Valley. There are occasional splendid views of the valley and the Goring Gap Then it's down through a wildflower nature reserve and along the valley bottom to Goring for lunch.  
In the afternoon you return along the Thames Path, mainly through meadows, then up through Hartslock Wood, and back down through Whitchurch and Pangbourne with their many tea options.
The walk is based on a hand drawn map devised by YHA Streatley and, if preferred, you could follow that instead (anticlockwise).
An optional extension in the afternoon climbs through Hartslock Nature Reserve (famous for its wildflowers, especially orchids).This adds either 300m or 1.4 km to the length..
Trains
Get a return to Pangbourne (a ticket one stop further to Goring & Streatley would give you the option of dropping out there).
Simplest journey: Get the 09:28 Didcot Parkway train from Paddington (Ealing Broadway 9:37) arriving Pangbourne 10:34.
Fastest journey: Get the 9:42 Hereford train and change onto the same Didcot Parkway train at Reading (arrive Reading 10:10 platform 9, depart 10:26 platform 13).
Freedom Pass holders: A Freedom Pass is valid as far as Reading on the even slower Tfl service (Paddington 9:15, Ealing Broadway 9:23). Arrive Reading 10:14 and, get the same 10:26 Didcot Parkway train. You need a ticket for the rest of the journey.
Return direct from Pangbourne at xx:04 (Goring xx:00). Change at Reading for Tfl services.
Lunch: Take your pick. There are 3 pubs in Goring, one in nearby Streatley, and 2 cafes.
The upmarket Swan at Streatley High Street, Streatley on Thames, (01491 878 800).  
The John Barleycorn Manor Road, Goring, (01491 871813).
The Catherine Wheel Station Road, Goring (01491 872 379)..
 The Miller of Mansfield High Street, Goring (01491 872 829).
Pierreponts Café 1 High Street, Goring 01491 874 464).
The Chocolate Café 9 The Arcade, High Street, Goring (01491 874 264)./
Tea
You got The Greyhound and The Ferryboat in Whitchurch (allow 30 min to the station) and the George Hotel, The Elephant, and the Cross Keys in Pangbourne.
Directions and intro  here. The main walk is on the "download walk" button and the map walk on the "YHA.." button.
t=swc.170

Sunday Walk: Sandling to Wye

20.5 km (12.8 miles) Difficulty 6/10
A lovely walk following one of the best sections of the North Downs Way with fine views for nearly the whole walk.
A short detour before Wye Down’s Memorial Crown, would take you to Collyershill Wood where, at this time of year, there should be a magnificent display of flowering wild garlic.
Trains
The cheapest option is the 9:16 Ramsgate train from Victoria, direct to Sandling, arriving 10:41.
For a faster but dearer journey, take the 09:37 Dover Priory High Speed from St Pancras (Stratford International 09:44) changing at Ashford International onto the same Ramsgate train (10:30  platform 5).
Sandling and Wye are on different Southeastern lines out of Ashford. A return to Sandling, the dearer destination, is suggested. In practice this is usually accepted to return from Wye. But.....today, the short stretch from Wye to Ashford is a bus replacement so it may be prudent to also buy a single from Wye to Ashford.
Bus leaves Wye station xx::05, arrives Ashford xx:17 to connect with either….
- the xx:27 to Victoria (platform 1). Overall journey time from Wye 2hrs or
- the pricier xx:43 High Speed to St Pancras (platform 8). Overall journey time 1hr:16.
Lunch
The Tiger Inn (01303 862130) in Stowting has reopened. Possibly more upmarket than before. 9.2km (5.7 miles) into the walk. Open all day from noon.
Alternatively 2.2km (1.4 miles) further up the road you have the Five Bells Inn (01303 813334 in Brabourne.  (This requires a detour, adding 800 metres (0.5 miles) to the walk length).
Tea
The Tickled Trout (01233 812227) in Wye is a popular pub stop, with a garden beside the River Stour. It is just across the bridge from Wye station. Other options include the Kings Head in Church Street (no garden), or the New Flying Horse, in Upper Bridge Street (has a garden).
Walk Directions here
The detour to Collyershill Wood starts about 750m into the 1 km stretch described in point 70. Go through a metal kissing gate on your right, (with a yellow circular walk sign) and across a field to reach the wood (this is on the route of SWC’s Wye Circular at point 18). Afterwards, retrace your steps to the main route.

That wild garlic (previous year)

T=swc.24

Saturday Walk: Lewes to Saltdean

9.6 miles / 15.5km

Add an extra 4 miles to continue on from Saltdean to Brighton.

This walk heads up over the South Downs to Rodmell for lunch, and then on to the coast at Saltdean.  From here there are frequent buses to Brighton.  You can also walk along the seafront all the way to Brighton, or pick up a bus somewhere along the route.

Trains:  09:55 London Bridge, (10:12 East Croydon), 10:57 Lewes.  

Return trains from Brighton 4 per hour, but no trains to London Victoria today.  A return ticket to Lewes is valid for return from Brighton.

Lunch: Abergavenny Arms, Rodmell, now serving food all day.   Inside tables (only) can be booked, but expect to have to pay a deposit for a group of 6+.  Tel 01273 472 416.

Full walk details here

T=2.24

Saturday Walk - Sevenoaks to Westerham

Length: 18/6km (11. 6 miles)

9.45 train from Charing Cross (9.48 Waterloo East, 9.54 London Bridge) to Sevenoaks, arriving 10.19. (*** Notice the change to train time from the one I posted earlier in the week: this is the fast train...)

Buy a day return (or single: see ** below) to Sevenoaks T=swc.20

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

This walk was posted back in the autumn sometime, when it poured with rain and only six people turned up, the poster (who had planned to check the directions) not being one of them because he had the lurgie (honest...).

So I thought I would give it another go at what is the best time of year to do it - bluebell season. This walk has a number of very nice bluebell woods on the climb up to the Greensand ridge and around Ide Hill. One caveat: I had alarming reports that they were at their absolute best ten days ago, so hopefully they will still be looking good now....

Otherwise this is a lovely Wealden walk with gorgeous views and some hills to put the glow in your cheeks. The afternoon is a very familiar hill and woods walk into Westerham.

For a pub lunch one option is the quite small and rather cute Windmill in Sevenoaks Weald, 4.8 miles into the walk and requiring a 1km diversion off the walk route. It might be an idea to ring this pub before diverting to eat there, just to be sure it has room. Otherwise you are dependent on the Cock Inn in Ide Hill, 8 miles into the walk - a popular place which we usually manage to squeeze into somehow. It used to serve food all afternoon, which made life easier, but now only does so until 3pm.

Ide Hill also has a nice community shop, with some tables, which makes a tea or light lunch stop, and just 1.1 miles after Ide Hill you come to the National Trust-run Emmetts Garden, which has a cafe open till 4.30pm. At the end of the walk in Westerham there are lots of refreshment options - cafes, pubs, shops.

To get back from Westerham you get the 246 bus, which leaves at 22 and 52 past until 18.22 and then hourly (22, 23 or 24 past) till late. This gets to Hayes station in 30 minutes and Bromley South station 15 minutes later. It is a TFL bus, so you can use Oyster/contactless and you pay the standard £1.65 TFL bus fare. For holders of 60+ cards or season tickets extending to zone three it is free (** and for them there is there is therefore no need to get a return to Sevenoaks: you can just get a single, not that it makes much difference price-wise)

Saturday Walk - Varied Woods, Bluebells, the Dun, Wallop Brook & Test Valleys and Broughton Down: Dean to Mottisfont & Dunbridge [Swimming Walk]

DAC is away...

 

Length: 27.7 km (17.2 mi) [shorter option: 22.6 km/14.1 mi, splits post-lunch] 

Ascent/Descent: 438/453 m

Net Walking Time: ca. 6 ½ hours [short walk: 326/341m, 5 hrs] 

Toughness: 7 out of 10 [short walk: 5 out of 10]

 

09.20 Exeter St. David’s train from Waterloo (09.27 CJ), changing at Salisbury for Chandler’s Ford (arrives 10.42, usually platform 4; departs 10.56, usually platform 6), arrives Dean 11.08. 

Return from Mottisfont & Dunbridge at xx.56 via Salisbury (from 113 mins journey time) or at xx.14 via Southampton Central (125 mins journey time). Buy a Mottisfont Return.

 

Or make it a weekend: stay at The Mill Arms Inn in Dunbridge and explore Mottisfont Abbey & Gardens and/or walk all or part of SWC 58 (Dunbridge to Romsey) on Sunday. 

 

This walk explores woods and rolling chalk hills in the Dun, Wallop Brook and Test Valleys of remote West Hampshire. Rising out of the Dun Valley through varied woods and along field boundaries and farm tracks (some tarmacked), the walk takes on a very different aspect upon approaching the steep sided chalk downs near Broughton, with splendid views north east across the Wallop Brook valley. After lunch in Broughton you follow the rim of the wide valley south easterly to cross the meadows of the Test River, Hampshire's longest and finest chalk stream. The Test is a prominent feature of the afternoon, as its several arms are crossed twice. 

In between you climb again, up to the hills along the easterly side of the Test valley, walk through some quiet woods and past scenic side valleys to then steeply descend back to the Test Meadows. The finish is through the NT-owned Mottisfont Estate, past Mottisfont Abbey, a historical priory, and its grounds, as well as the 12^th century St. Andrews church, one of the few Grade I-listed churches (on a short diversion).

The River Test offers a great wild swimming opportunity mid-afternoon. 

Lunch: The Greyhound, in Broughton (11.4 km/7.1 mi, food to 14.30), as well as an earlier option and a couple of later options (on the full walk only) [see page 2 of the pdf for details]. 

Tea: The Mill Arms Inn in Dunbridge, metres from the station, or one of the options at Mottisfont Gardens, if walking the short walk. 

 

For summary, map, height profile, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.265