The Walks
The Time Out Book of Country Walks near London Volume 2 contains 30 walks. 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 5 and 14 miles in length, and are graded for toughness
- pass gardens, churches, castles, and country houses
- contain a map and detailed walking instructions. No other maps required.
- most walks are car friendly and many have options to shorten or lengthen the walk.
Before doing a walk, check for updates / a revised version, and feedback from other walkers. Afterwards, we welcome your feedback.
[Aug-10] A few of the walks have been fully revised, and are available to download and print. Sorry, the maps (and the walking instructions for the un-revised walks) aren't online - you'll need the book.
| Region | # | Walk | Warnings | Downloads | Description |
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| Chilterns | 1 | Wendover Circular |
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The Chilterns: gentle wooded hills and ridges.
New Options: Alternative, More Energetic Ending via Coombe Hill
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| Chilterns | 2 | Saunderton via Bledlow Circular |
The Chilterns: the Ridgeway Path over an open ridge, returning by peaceful and secluded valleys.
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| Chilterns | 3 | Saunderton via West Wycombe Circular |
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The Chilterns: wooded forests (very muddy in winter), Hughenden Manor (NT), West Wycombe Caves (of Hellfire club fame), finishing with a short ridge walk
New Options: Alternative route via Wheeler End
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| Chilterns | 4 | Chesham to Great Missenden |
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New Options: A Chesham Circular and a Great Missenden Circular
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| Chilterns | 5 | Tring Circular |
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The Chilterns: An open ridgewalk to Ivinghoe Beacon, gentle forests, and a classic village pub for tea.
New Options: An alternative ending from Albury. Reversing the walk from Ivinghoe Beacon. A detour through some Bluebell Woods.
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| Thames Valley | 6 | Henley via Stonor Circular |
Long walk through the Chilterns over gentle rolling grassy hills. Historic riverside Henley for tea.
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| Thames Valley | 7 | Henley via Hambleden Circular |
The Thames path in the morning. Gentle woodland after lunch in an NT Village, Historic riverside Henley for tea.
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| Thames Valley | 8 | Marlow Circular |
The Thames path in the morning, a classic pub for lunch, gentle hill afterwards.
Update: Serious typo.
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| North Wessex Downs | 9 | Kintbury to Great Bedwyn |
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Quiet fields before lunch, the Test Way (a long, open, ridgewalk, potentially muddy), and a pretty forest walk to return to pretty, canalside Bedwyn.
New Options: Kintbury Circular
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| East Hampshire Hangers | 10 | Alton Circular |
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Major Update: Fully revised with a better route in the afternoon, and a new ending avoiding the town centre. Use the website version.
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| East Hampshire Hangers | 11 | Petersfield to Liss |
Shoulder of Mutton Hill (steep, fine view) and a very walker friendly pub
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| Surrey Hills | 12 | Guildford to Farnham |
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A river valley, gentle pastures, Watts Gallery, woods, remote heathlands and heather covered moors.
Update: Serious Typo.
New Options: A Lunch pub, and an alternative ending along a canal to Goadalming for the Guildford Circular walk.
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| Surrey Hills | 13 | Guildford to Gomshall |
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Historic Guildford, The North Downs Way and St Martha-on-the-Hill Church, picturesque Shere. Option to continue along the NDW to Dorking
Major Update: Completely revised. New afternoon route, and several new options, including following the North Downs Way to Dorking or Boxhill. Use the website version.
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| Surrey Hills | 14 | Effingham Junction to Westhumble |
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Polesden Lacy (dramtic NT country house) for lunch, steep woods opening out onto the North Downs Ridge, and an English vinyard for tea
New Options: Alternative Ending (the morning of the short walk in reverse).
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| Surrey Hills | 15 | Coulsdon South Circular |
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Happy Valley and Farthing Down, close to London (Zone 6)
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| Greensand Hills | 16 | Hurst Green to Chiddingstone Causeway |
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Long. The Greensand Way through remote wooded hills, passing Chartwell (Churchill, NT), Toys and Ide Hills. Gentle fields to finish.
Update: Small detour just before lunch.
New Options: Alternative route from Hurst Green to Ide Hill
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| Kent Downs | 17 | Snodland to Sole Street |
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New Options: Sole Street Circular
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| The Weald (Kent) | 18 | Wadhurst Circular |
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The Weald : Quiet countryside - a mixture of woods and rolling hills. Mayfield for lunch
New Options: Wadhurst Long Walk to Robertsbridge (34 and 43 km options)
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| The Weald (Kent) | 19 | Stonegate Circular |
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Remote, rolling Hills, Burwash for Lunch and Batemans (NT, Rudwyard Kipling's home)
New Options: An alternative start, and a variation for the long walk.
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| The Weald (Kent) | 20 | Robertsbridge Circular |
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Quiet, rolling hills, Bodiam Castle, with a gentler finish.
New Options: An alternative pub lunch route via Hurst Green (main walk). A detour to finish at Battle (short walk).
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| The Weald (Kent) | 21 | Pluckley Circular |
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Update: Fully Revised with 2 Longer Afternoon Extensions
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| South Downs | 22 | Amberley to Arundel |
South Downs in the morning, then follows the river Arun to Historic Arundel (Castle, Cathedral)
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| South Downs | 23 | Hassocks to Upper Beeding |
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3 steep hills with fine views before lunch at Devil's Dyke. A gentle ridge walk in the afternoon to Upper Beeding (short bus ride to Shoreham station)
Update: Fully Revised. 2 new walk options, ending at train stations.
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| South Downs | 24 | Lewes via Rodmell Circular |
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South Downs Way along a chalk ridge in the morning, remote Rodmell for lunch, valley walk back to historic Lewes
Update: Lunch pub has reopened.
New Options: 1) Afternoon extension to Saltdean and the undercliff path to Brighton. 2) Across the downs to Rottingdean, and Brighton seafront.
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| South Downs | 25 | Lewes via West Firle Circular |
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Long. A steep hill (views) to Glynde. Lunch in quiet West Firle, then the South Downs Way (chalk ridge), with a flat valley walk back to historic Lewes
New Options: Alternate afternoon via Berwick Church and the Bloomsbury Group's Charleston Farmhouse
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| South Downs | 26 | Southease to Seaford |
Loop to Rodmell, then the South Downs Way along an open ridge. Finishes by the sea.
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| South Downs | 27 | Berwick to Eastbourne |
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A resevoir, then the South Downs Way past pretty villages (Jevington and Wilmington) and a ridge walk.
Update: Alternative to crossing the busy A27. Short walk option 27b no longer recommended (traffic) - use 27a.
New Options: 2 dramatic options - Climb Jevington Hill to see the Long Man (chalk figure), and ending via Beachy Head
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| Coastal Walks | 28 | Seaford to Eastbourne |
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The best walk in the Southeast! A dramatic cliff walk passing Cuckemere Haven, the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head as the South Downs meets the sea. Ends with Eastbourne's promenade and pier.
New Options: Starting or Ending the Walk at East Dean
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| Coastal Walks | 29 | Hastings to Rye |
Seaside Hastings, a hilly cliff walk with 4 steep climbs and a seaside pub for lunch. Gentle afternoon to historic Winchelsea and Rye via a noted viewpoint.
Update: Details of Fairlight Glen Beach and an Earlier Lunchtime Pub
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| Coastal Walks | 30 | Dover to Deal |
Easy cliff walk following the Saxon Shore Way along the 'White Cliffs of Dover' to historic Deal
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Last Updated : Aug-10
