Walks Details

This energetic walk serves as a fine introduction to the Chiltern Hills, first passing through woodland, then descending into hidden vales and fields before emerging out onto the Chiltern escarpment above Princes Risborough at a spot that commands panoramic views of the countryside below. After lunch in Whiteleaf, a pretty village with many ancient cottages, the return to Wendover goes through wooded valleys and hills reminiscent of an earlier age. Then the walk continues along a fine open section of escarpment, with grand views north, before descending to the plains for a leisurely finish, in contrast to the landscape passed earlier. This walk is particularly pretty in autumn when it is a riot of russet hues.

This walk through a peaceful part of the rolling Chiltern Hills has one or two steep hills, but otherwise gradients are gentle and there are many fine views out over the valley and plain. The first part of the walk follows the valley bottom before following the Ridgeway to lunch at Bledlow. After lunch you pass through a series of secluded valleys to return over the ridge to Saunderton.

This walk combines a fairly easy stroll in the Chilterns through a mixture of woodland and sloping meadows, with an optional visit to Hughenden Manor and West Wycombe Caves. The route heads south east over the Chiltern Hills to Bradenham, and continues through Naphill Common, and Flagmore Wood to Hughenden Manor. The route from Hughenden heads west across Downley Common to West Wycombe Caves for the recommended tea stop. After a brisk climb from the Caves up to Dashwood Mausoleum, it is then an easy level stroll back into Saunderton.

This walk makes for an easy day out from London. It starts in Chesham, the hustle and bustle of which is soon left behind for sloping fields, woods and hamlets. The route follows the Chilterns Link, but diverts at Herberts Hole to take a higher southerly path. It then picks up the Chilterns Link again through to Ballinger Bottom and Lee Common, and so to lunch in the charming village called The Lee. From lunch the walk continues on a gently undulating course, before a gentle climb through woods up to Frith Hill and down a steep descent into Great Missenden.

The first part of this route, follows the Ridgeway along the Chiltern escarpment to Ivinghoe Beacon - is exhilarating, offering downland scenery as fine as anything on the South Downs. Then by way of contrast, you are then plunged into ancient Chiltern woodland, lovingly preserved by the National Trust and as pretty in May, when it is alive with bluebells, as in autumn when it is a riot of colour. Tea is at a National Trust kiosk on the Ashridge Estate, or in the stunningly pretty village of Aldbury. The paths are generally pleasant and easy underfoot, but note that on the Ridgeway the exposed chalk in some of the paths can be slippery in the wet, and in the woods the paths can be very muddy in winter.

Henley is normally thought of as a riverside town, but as this walk demonstrates, it is also on the southern edge of the Chiltern Hills, a charming area of largely gentle slopes, hidden valleys, and mixed wood and farmland. The walk takes up one side and down the other of the long valley leading up to Stonor, with plenty of charming views over hill en route. Lunch is at a very pretty and quiet pub in the village of Pishill, and the return is past hidden farms and through ancient woods into Henley, with its excellent tea rooms.

Though it goes to the picturesque flint stone village of Hambleden for lunch, this pleasant and undemanding walk follows a different route out and back from Henley from the Henley Round walk in the first Time Out Book of Country Walks. In the morning it follows the left bank of the river along one of the most famous stretches of the upper Thames (it is here that the famous Henley Regatta is held each summer), before passing through pastures and woodland to Hambleden. After lunch, it follows the valley down to cross the Thames over the weir at Hambleden Mill and Aston, and then crosses the lower part of Remenham Hill to return to Henley in good time for tea.

If all you know of the Thames is the grey muddy stretch that runs through London, on this walk you are in for a pleasant surprise. The Thames above Marlow is a lazy, tranquil river, which runs between pleasant meadows and overhanging trees, occasionally overlooked by fine old manor houses. This walk follows the Thames path for the first 8km (5 miles), passing the ancient village of Hurley, little changed since the days when it was a Benedictine Abbey. Lunch is in Aston or Hambleden, both quaint riverside villages. By contrast, the afternoon takes you up over the wooded hills that frame the Thames Valley, and then down into the well-preserved town of Marlow for tea. Note that much of the morning passes along the flood plain of the Thames and about once every winter these live up to their name and the route becomes impassable (a rise of less than 50 centimetres in the level of the river is enough for this): so if planning this walk after a period heavy rains, check with for any flood alerts before setting out.

Though only an hour west of London by train, this walk has a decidedly West Country feel, far removed from the more manicured charms of the Home Counties. In the morning, it passes through an idyllic series of woods and pastures, with largely gentle gradients. After lunch at a quiet country pub in Inkpen (the sort of place where the conversation at the bar is as likely to be about farming than the price of second homes), it then climbs up onto a long ridge, giving views as dramatic, but even more unspoiled, than any on the South Downs. The rest of the walk follows the Test Way, a broad track along the top of this ridge, before descending to the valley and the pretty village of Great Bedwyn.

The quiet corner of Hampshire through which this walk passes seems like the kind of countryside in which nothing much ever happened. Yet in the late 18th and early 19th century it inspired two famous writers - Gilbert White and Jane Austen. After a section over wide upland fields to East Worldham, the walk first plunges into the delightful arcadia of woods, hangers and hidden pastures that surround Selbourne, about which White wrote his famous Natural History. From there, it crosses wooded Selbourne Common and gentle ridges of downland to Chawton, the home of Jane Austen for the last eight, and most productive years, of her life. On the way you can reflect on Austen's remark in Persuasion that two villages only three miles apart "will often include a total change of conversation, opinion and idea": though only a few miles apart, even today Chawton and Selbourne seem like different worlds.

Much of this walk follows part of the 21-mile Hangers Way, a long distance path which lies within an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The name Hanger derives from the old English "Hangra" meaning a wooded slope. The majority of the landscape is unspoilt and remains, as it was several hundred years ago. There are two ascents to the top of Shoulder of Mutton Hill, one steep and one gentle. Whichever route is taken, the view at the top is spectacular. The strenuous climb of Shoulder of Mutton Hill aside, this is a walk of gentle gradients apart from one short steep downhill section. Please note that the steeper route up the Shoulder of Mutton Hill on this walk can become slippery in winter.

Think Surrey, and you probably think of pretty villages, gentle green pastures, and the country houses of retired stockbrokers. The first part of this walk conforms to that image, but the second, after lunch, takes you into the surprisingly wild and uninhabited Surrey Heathlands - a vast area of woods, sandy grassland and heather-covered moors which at times feels more like southern Spain or Portugal than England. The lack of habitation in this area means that it was either taken over by the army for exercises or bypassed by the railways, and so to visit it requires a long walk: the afternoon of this walk is 8 miles, or four hours walking time, as long in itself as some of the walks in this book: this is thus a walk for a long spring or summer day. The good news, however, is that there is no rush to get to tea: the excellent Bush Hotel in Farnham serves cream teas in a lounge crammed with comfortable sofas well into the evening.

Special note This walk was created by Nicholas Albery, author of the first Time Out Book of Country Walks and the inspiration for this book, shortly before his untimely death in June 2001. It is thus the last walk he created, and the only one in this book to have been devised by him. The walk came about because of the Foot and Mouth crisis of that year, which meant most country footpaths were closed. To the immense gratitude of walkers, Surrey was the first county in the South East to open its paths, and this walk was created as a result. We were obviously hungry for exercise after the weeks cooped up in town, because in May of that year we did this walk three weeks in a row (once in reverse) without ever noticing its length. Since Foot and Mouth restrictions are happily long gone, the author has been able to introduce one or two variations to the original plan, mainly to eliminate road walking and provide variety in the morning section. The walk is otherwise exactly as Nicholas Albery created it.

The section of the North Downs that runs eastwards from Guildford is one of its most unspoiled stretches. The North Downs Way runs along its crest, but this walk takes a more varied route, introducing not just the high grassy ridges with their fine views, but also hidden valleys, ancient woodlands, and the pretty farmland just below the Downs. 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 undulating farmland beneath the North Downs escarpment to lunch in the cute village of Shere. The afternoon gives a contrasting view of the Downs, involving a stiff climb up into ancient woodlands - carpeted with bluebells at the end of April/early May.

Effingham Junction to Dorking or Westhumble (Polesden Lacey)The idyllic estate of Polesden Lacey, a fine country house nestling just behind the North Downs escarpment, is the highlight of this walk - a landscape of hidden valleys, pretty woodland, and gentle pasture that seems lost in a golden yesterday. The walk has something to offer at almost any time of the year. In spring, it passes through a number of fine bluebell woods, in autumn there is plenty of fine golden colour in the woodlands, while in winter the bare branches open up new views and vistas. In summer, the walk offers several fine spots for a picnic, and despite being relatively close to London, a deep rural tranquility. The long evenings also make this the best time to come if you want to also make a detailed visit in the afternoon to the house and grounds at Polesden Lacey.

Considering how quick the journey time from central London, this walk passes through some remarkably unspoilt countryside. Part of the credit goes to the Corporation of London who manage Farthing Down, Kenley Common and Riddlesdown. From the late nineteenth century this forward thinking local authority for the area of London known as the square mile started to acquire land in and around London. The aim was to conserve open space and promote good health amongst Londoners. They currently own some 10,000 acres of land which is entirely managed from the interest on private funds, at no cost to the tax payer.

This is a long but rewarding walk along the hills of northern Kent, much of it passing through woodland, along the Greensand Way, a popular route with walkers. In the afternoon you can enjoy views over the countryside to the south. A walk particularly recommended in late April and early May when it offers a whole series of bluebell woods and also in the autumn with the beautiful show of colours as the leaves change. The walk also passes Chartwell, (former home of Winston Churchill) and through the secluded upland village of Ide Hill.

As soon as you leave Snodland, the walk becomes quiet, rural and peaceful with a surprisingly 'away-from-it-all' feel. The majority of the walk is over the North Downs, mostly through wooded areas and across open fields, and is hilly at times but affords fine views. Soon after lunch at Harvel, the views open out before you descend into tranquil Luddesdown, with its historic church and the oldest continually inhabited house in the country.

The prime attraction of this walk is the pleasure of walking through the unspoiled countryside of the High Weald through a region classed as an area of outstanding natural beauty. In August and September the hedgerows are rich with blackberries. The route at the outset follows the Sussex Border Path, but soon diverts south to Tidebrook, and continues south to the pub in Mayfield. It is worth spending some time in Mayfield as it has many attractive old buildings, and the 15th century church is now a grade I listed building. The route after lunch heads north east before continuing north to Wadhurst village for tea.

This walk is a good introduction to the Weald, a part of East Sussex which is less well known by walkers than the Chilterns. But its relative quietness is one of its attractions. Passing over gentle hills and into tranquil valleys, through classic English wood and pastureland, its attractions include the unspoiled village of Burwash for lunch, and Bateman's, the one time rural retreat of Rudyard Kipling. In summer, one stretch before lunch through Upper Collingtons wood can become quite overgrown with nettles and brambles, so wear long trousers and select a suitable stick on entering the wood. For those venturing on the long walk section after lunch at Burwash Common, this could with some justification be described as a wilderness walk.

This High Weald walk passes through classic Weald countryside of rolling hills, woods, hop fields and orchards. A highlight of this walk is arriving at Bodiam Castle for tea, a perfect picture of a castle, nestling in the Rother Valley, with the hooting of the steam trains of the Rother Valley Railway nearby. From there the route continues on a gently undulating course to Salehurst, before a leisurely finish back into Robertsbridge.

There's a remote, 'away-from-it-all' feeling to this gentle, peaceful, quintessentially English walk in the heart of rural Kent. Passing small farms, oast houses, timber-framed houses, lush pastures, orchards filled with apple blossom and ancient oak trees, it's easy to see why the writer H E Bates - whose house we pass in the idyllic hamlet of Little Chart Fostel - was inspired to create the country-loving Pop Larkin and family in the classic 'The Darling Buds Of May'.

In the morning there are views of the North Downs, After lunch in Pluckley - watch out for ghosts, it's England's most haunted village! - the landscape opens out into the sweeping Low Weald. This walk is at its most 'perfick', as Pop Larkin would say, in the first two weeks in May, when the apple blossom is out. However, in summer there's an abundance of wild flowers and gardens in full bloom to enjoy, and in early autumn the orchards are heavy with fruit.

A very beautiful and not too strenuous Downs walk which starts with a slow gradual climb amongst a luxuriance of wild flowers throughout the summer months. After lunch it meanders along the River Arun into Arundel.

It is a matter of opinion which is the finest view in South East England, but the amazing panorama from Devil's Dyke on the South Downs escarpment must surely be a strong contender. Such beauty comes at a price, however, and the area immediately around the viewpoint can be exceedingly busy on a fine weekend. However, the South Downs also afford numerous other less frequented viewpoints, and this walk introduces you to several of them, including tranquil Wolstonbury Hill and Edburton Hill.

The morning in particular is a delightful series of climbs and descents on slopes covered by rare chalk grassland. Note, however, that this section is quite strenuous with around 500 metres of ascent and 300 of descent before the lunch pub. In the afternoon - which is much easier on the leg muscles, being mainly flat or downhill - you follow the South Downs Way for a while across Fulking Escarpment, before descending into the riverside village of Upper Beeding for tea.

This is a rewarding walk which follows the South Downs Way along ridges of chalk grassland with panoramic views in all directions, keeping in sight Lewes Castle almost throughout. The walk begins in the historic town of Lewes then quickly rises to follow the ridge of the South Downs Way. After lunch back down in the picturesque village of Rodmell, there is a choice of following the route inland through the countryside via Northease Manor, or of following the banks of the River Ouse back to Lewes.

Fine views over Lewes town and castle, the River Ouse, the Sussex countryside and the Channel. After lunch the walk follows the ridge of the South Downs with great views in all directions. The last stage re-enters Lewes along the levee beside the river Ouse. 360 metres of ascent spread over three steepish hills. Mostly easy navigation. Not well suited to December and January due to the limited daylight.

This walk offers a wealth of contrasting scenery, passing alongside a river, then rising to the heights of the South Downs to command views both inland and out to the coast, before descending to pass through pretty villages en route to the seaside. It begins at Southease station then follows the banks of the River Ouse to Rodmell for an early lunch. Afterwards the route retraces to Southease via an alternative way which passes its picturesque village centre, then ascends to follow a ridge of the South Downs Way before heading south to the village of Bishopstone and the coast. It finally follows the seaside esplanade to the sleepy seaside town of Seaford with its variety of cafes, pubs and restaurants.

This long but rewarding walk heads from inland Sussex to the coast taking in a variety of scenery along the way. From Berwick the walk cuts across to the peaceful birdwatcher's paradise of Arlington Reservoir before crossing farmland towards Wilmington with the huge chalk figure of the 'Long Man' frequently in sight. From there the route continues to the historic smuggling village of Jevington for lunch. Then afterwards it ascends the South Downs to follow ridges of chalk grassland with views in all directions before heading towards the traditional seaside resort of Eastbourne and the possibility of extending the walk to the dramatic heights of Beachy Head.

This classic clifftop walk - one of the finest coastal walks in England - affords stunning (and very famous) views of the white cliffs of the Seven Susters, and the renowed Beachy Head, before ending in the elegant seafront town of Eastbourne. En route, you can swim in the sea at Cuckmere Haven or Birling Gap (provided that the tide is up: and watch out for underwater rocks at Birling Gap). Note however that this is a very strenuous walk. Apart from the start, finish and a short section around Cuckmere Haven, almost none of it is flat, and there are several steep climbs. The very scenic section between Cuckmere Haven and Birling Gap in particular is a series of steep ascents and descents, and it is a long, though relatively gradual, climb up to Beachy Head.

This rewarding walk starts with a fine clifftop coastal walk with steep climbs along the way. This section is the most strenuous part of the walk. Lunch is at Pett Level, after which the terrain levels out, before leading up through the New Gate into Winchelsea for tea. After tea and just east of the town, you reach The Look Out, offering panoramic views across the whole of Romney Marsh and the Kent Downs beyond. From there it is down and along to Ferry Bridge, following an easy flat route north east to Rye.

This simple walk (it should be impossible to get lost if you keep the sea on your right hand side) is nevertheless one of the finest coastal walks in England, taking you right along the top of the famous White Cliffs of Dover. On a clear day, you get stunning views of the English Channel, and the ferries buzzing in and out of Dover Harbour, and the French coast from Boulogne to Dunkerque. On hazier days, the dramatic (though dangerously crumbling) cliffs afford exciting views of the inaccessible beaches below.

Surprisingly for a walk that seems to spend much of its time on the airy heights, not much exertion is involved. There are only two significant climbs, one out of Dover and the other out of St Margaret's Bay. Otherwise the terrain is level or gently undulating. The last quarter of the walk, indeed, is totally flat, along a tranquil coastpath behind the pebble beach of Deal. Though less dramatic than the White Cliffs this section of the walk is full of historical and natural interest, passing Walmer and Deal castles and examples of rare coastal flora.