Saturday Walkers' Club
Click to buy The Time Out Book of Country Walks (book 1)

The Walks

The Time Out Book of Country Walks near London Volume 1 contains 53 walks - one for every week of the year, and one to spare. The walks:

  • start and finish at train stations in Southeast England, about an hour or so from central London.
  • stop at a country pub for lunch and at a tea room (or pub) for tea
  • are between 7 and 14 miles in length, and are graded for toughness
  • pass many gardens, churches, castles, and historical houses
  • contain a map and detailed walking instructions - no OS map required.
  • somw walks have options to shorten or lengthen the walk.

Before doing a walk, check for a revised version / updates, and feedback from other walkers. Afterwards, we welcome your feedback.

[Apr-10] Most of the walks have been fully revised. The walks have been updated to take account of changes in the 10 years since the book was written - closed lunchtime pubs, roads that are now too busy to cross, and, on a more positive note, some nicer alternative routes which have been discovered. The revised versions are available online to print. Sorry, the maps (and the walking instructions for the un-revised walks) aren't online - you'll need the book. There is currently no prospect of a new edition of volume 1 with the revised walks being published.

Region # Walk Warnings Downloads Description Travel
Thames Valley 1 Henley (round walk)
A short but pretty walk. Along the Thames in the morning, and back via the hills above Henley in the afternoon.
* * *
North Downs (Surrey) 2 Wanborough to Godalming
Over the North Downs to Watts Gallery, then a ramble to historic Goadalming
*
Hampshire 3 Netley to Botley
Update: This new walk replaces the No.3 walk in older editions.
Thames Valley 4 Pangbourne (round walk)
Pretty villages, a toll bridge, fine views of the river in the morning and a serene stroll through a rural idyll after lunch.
* * *
Chilterns 5 Great Missenden to Amersham
The Chilterns
* *
Surrey Hills 6 Liphook to Haslemere
Lovely walks through the Surrey Hills
Update: Many small changes - use the revised instructions
* *
Hertfordshire 7 Garston to St Albans
Update: Many changes - use the revised version
* *
Suffolk 8 Bures to Sudbury
* *
Thames Valley 9 Shiplake to Henley
Update: Some paths have been re-numbered.
* *
Chilterns 10 Beaconsfield (round walk)
Update: Old Jordans (Quaker Guest House that served tea) has closed.
* * *
Chilterns 11 Tring to Wendover
3 parts. A canal walk in the morning, then fields, and finally the Chilterns
Major Update: Detour to cross a new motorway
£
Surrey Hills 12 Farnham to Godalming
A long but pretty walk with gentle hills via a nice mixture of river valley, forest tracks, and many beautiful country houses.
*
Thames Valley 13 Oxford round walk
* * *
Surrey Hills 14 Gomshall to Guildford
* *
Greensand Hills 15 Leigh to Tunbridge Wells
*
The Weald (Kent) 16 Balcombe (round walk)
Major Update: Detour to avoid crossing a dangerous road (the A23). Use the website version.
* * *
Hertfordshire 17 Bow Brickhill to Woburn Sands
Update: Red cover editions only : Major diversion around Woburn Safari Park.
* *
Thames Valley 18 Sunningdale to Windsor
*
Greensand Hills 19 Hever to Leigh
Surrey Hills 20 Milford to Godalming
A very pretty country ramble, with the Greensand Way, a NT Arboretum, a canal, and historic Godalming.
* *
Greensand Hills 21 Leigh to Sevenoaks
Update: Avoiding a busy road, and many small changes - use the revised edition.
*
Surrey Hills 22 Haslemere (round walk)
* * *
Greensand Hills 23 Otford to Eynsford
Update: Many updates - use the revised version.
* *
Thames Valley 24 Cookham (round walk)
Major Update: The lunch pub in Bisham is closed to walkers.
Update: Lunch near the start in Cookham Dean, or detour over the Thames to Marlow.
* * *
Coastal Walks (Sussex) 25 Rye (or Winchelsea) to Hastings
The hardest walk in the book. A gentle start with the 1066 Path and Historic Winchelsea. After lunch is a coastal walk with 4 steep climbs, Fairlight Glen nudist beach, fish and chips on Hastings seafront, so one for summer.
Major Update: This walk can be started from Rye as Winchelsea station has few trains (download the new start)
Update: Leave earlier than the book suggests. The path to Fairlight Glen beach has been repaired.
New Options: Rye to Winchelsea (new start of walk) and a Rye round walk.
* *
Cambridgeshire 26 Shelford to Cambridge
New Options: Cambridge via Granchester Circular.
* *
Surrey Hills 27 Milford to Haslemere
Its surprising how remote Surrey can be, pretty lakes, and Devil's Punchbowl as well.
Update: The lunchtime pub has reopened (gastropub, nice beer garden).
New Options: Keeping to the rim of the Punchbowl, and a detour to Gibbet Hill (viewpoint).
* *
North Downs (Kent) 28 Chilham to Canterbury
* *
South Downs (East Sussex) 29 Hassocks to Lewes GPX
A South Downs ridge walk ... maximum view for minimum effort.
*
Suffolk 30 Wivenhoe (round walk)
* * *
South Downs (East Sussex) 31 Glynde to Seaford GPX
The best walk in the book! A South Downs ridge, picture postcard Alfriston, Cuckmere Haven (beach), and cliffs with views of the Seven Sisters. Long but worth it.
*
South Downs (West Sussex) 32 Arundel to Amberley
Arundel Castle, its parkland, and the South Downs
Update: Route OK.
New Options: Arundel Circular via Burpham or Offham
* *
Thames Valley 33 Mortimer to Aldermaston or Theale
New Options: Easy 4 mile extension along a canal to Theale.
*
The Weald (Kent) 34 Balcombe to East Grinstead
The Weald (Kent) 35 Crowhurst to Battle
* *
Greensand Hills 36 Borough Green to Sevenoaks
A Country House, Igtham Mote (NT), Knole Palace and deer park (NT), as well as pretty countryside, and close to London.
Update: Lunch now at The Padworth Arms (as The Snail is a restaurant)
*
Coastal Walks (Sussex) 37 Southbourne to Chichester
The inlets of Chichester Harbour (best at high tide) and the historic Cathedral town.
* *
The Cotswolds 38 Hanborough to Charlbury
A long way from London, but Blenheim Palace, and its landscaped grounds, are beautiful.
Update: Lunch: the White Horse is now a gastro-pub and the Black Head has re-opened. Older red/blue cover editions only: short detour around the Column of Victory.
* *
Suffolk 39 Manningtree (round walk)
* * *
Chilterns 40 Gerrards Cross to Cookham
£
Hertfordshire 41 Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard
*
Surrey Hills 42 Holmwood to Gomshall
A very pretty forest walk, quite close to London, and the view from Lieth Hill, the second highest point in the Southeast.
* *
Greensand Hills 43 Otford (round walk)
Quite short, but views, forest, a pretty village, a welcoming pub, and a short train journey, so good for a late start.
* * *
Surrey Hills 44 Witley to Haslemere
* *
Chilterns 45 Princes Risborough to Great Missenden GPX
*
Suffolk 46 Wakes Colne to Bures
* *
Surrey Hills 47 Ockley to Warnham
* *
Hampshire 48 Whitchurch to Andover
Update: Many updates : use the revised version.
* *
North Downs (Surrey) 49 Boxhill to Leatherhead
Short, 2 steep climbs and the view from Box Hill in the morning, and a gentle river valley after lunch
New Options: Boxhill via Mickleham Circular (an alternate hilly afternoon route) and Leatherhead to Boxhill (the walk in reverse).
* *
Greensand Hills 50 Yalding to Borough Green
Update: Small route change to avoid walking along a private drive. Wear long trousers (nettles) in summer.
Thames Valley 51 Henley to Pangbourne
Another lovely country ramble, and the perfect pub crawl. Starts and finishes by the Thames, via forests and several country pubs.
*
Chilterns 52 Princes Risborough to Wendover
The Ridgeway, lovely views and the Chilterns.
*
North Downs (Kent) 53 Wye (round walk)
* * *

Last Updated : Aug-10

By Train £ You may need to buy 2 single train tickets for this walk, as out and back travel are by different train companies.
By Car * * * very good (a circular walk)
* * good Travel back to the starting point by direct train, about 10 mins.
* OK Change of trains needed to get back to the starting point, about 30-60 mins.
(no star) bad 2+ changes, or no suitable route, 60+ mins